Transactional website development
Since our web site was launched Monday
29th October 2001 we have undertaken an extensive programme of
work to develop a fully transactional website.
What features make the website
transactional?
Making it easy to contact us
A variety of channels are
available for customers to use:
Customer recognition
Users can:
Content
Content is up to date, accurate
and joined up:
- 36 staff from different council
departments update the content of the website using our
Immediacy content management
system.
- The local Times & Star newspaper
provides a news feed for our website home page.
- Events
are supplied by the Cumbria DMS (Destination Management
System). Since November 2002 citizens and
organisations have been able to submit events using an on-line
form.
- The website provides an authoritative and up to
date news source. Since October 2003 the latest news and press
releases have been supplied as RSS
newsfeed.
- Chemist rota added May
2006; information supplied by the Times & Star.
- In April 2006 an RSS jobs
feed was added to the site.
- To promote Workington's town centre
redevelopment we have added a webcam to the website, with an image on the home
page. This is linked to from the BBC website.
- The A to Z, Life events pages and Cumbria Information Hub,
provide a joined up view to users.
- Allerdale have implemented a wide range of
shortcut
URLs ('friendly URLs') , to make it easier for our
partners and other organisations to deep link to our website.
- A range of multimedia content is available on
the website, including webcam, streamed video of art installations, and
streamed
audio.
- Allerdale Borough Council also hosts a number of
websites for other organisations and groups. Most of these websites
have been designed and developed by Allerdale Borough
Council:
Connected Cumbria Partnership www.connectedcumbria.org.uk
World Mountain Running Championship www.mountainrunningkeswick.org.uk
National Decriminalised Parking Association www.ndpa.org.uk
Participation and consultation
Users can:
Information on all services, with report/application forms
Users have access to services they
require through:
and joined up services
through:
- Deep linking to other council and organisation
information sources.
- Life
events pages with information links.
- An A-Z Directory of services, with a new
autoupdating system deployed in early 2006. This provides
service information pages deep linking to other councils,
organisations and service providers.
- The Cumbria Information
Hub provides searching and an A to Z across Cumbria.
Usability
Users can easily find
information:
- A Google mini search device was implemented in
April 2006. This provides a much improved search for all our
website pages.
- A powerful search facility is also available for
our agenda/minutes/meeting
system.
- Searchable A-Z directory of services and FAQs.
- The latest metadata standards implemented
throughout the site. Website page metadata updated to conform to
the latest eGMS standards, this
also includes Dublin Core.
- Our website menu was redeveloped to match the
LGNL (Local
Government Navigation List).
- ICRA ratings added November
2002.
- Easy to use navigation through search, most
popular links, on-line services 'pay it' - 'Report or apply for it'
- 'book it' and life
events
- User defined access keys added in September 2007, to improve
website accessibility.
- In October 2007 the Readspeaker
system was added to the website, to enable visitors to hear the
content of pages. Try listening to our
Council tax page.
Content has been tested and
audited:
- A usability report was conducted by Cybermoor Services
Ltd in August 2004 on our electronic forms. As a result of
the report a number of changes were made to improve the user
experience and make the forms easier to complete.
A further usability study on our complete website was
completed in November 2005. As a result of this study some
significant changes were made to the design and structure of the
website.
In 2007 a series of home page usability tests were run, and a full
usability test of the website was undertaken by North Square. As a result of
these tests further enhancements were made to the website.
- New website design complies with the highest
accessibility standards WAI AAA.
- On-line forms tested by
RNIB 'See it right' to comply with WAI AAA standards.
- Audit Commission inspection report in
September 2004 on accessibility rates 'website is easy to access
and navigate, it has developed, has discussion fora and allows
e-payments; service staff now have ownership of service web
pages'.
- Plain English Campaign Crystal Mark awarded July
2004.
- Translation services to many languages are
available if required. We are working to provide additional
languages e.g. Polish.
- Maps are provided with many information sources
e.g. recycling
sites etc.
- Allerdale website quoted as an example of best
practice by Ordnance Survey in the use of Internet Street
Mapping.
- A new
Internet mapping system went live in November 2005 to provide
customers with access to Allerdale maps, and a 'find my
nearest' facility. The interface to the system was jointly
developed with GDC.
- In 2007 a 'My property' link was added to
the home page to provide residents and businesses with information
relating to their property e.g. planning applications in their
area.
Website resilience,
reliability, performance and integrity maintained
through:
- Resilience testing services implemented from
Axzona,
alerting on website service performance issues.
- Monthly performance
figures are available. In terms of website response time, these
figures, provided by Axzona, are based on a more rigorous
methodology than that provided by Sitemorse.
- Sitemorse service implemented to
ensure website integrity, freedom from broken links and other
errors. The site has been highly ranked (15th out of 468
council websites) in Sitemorse tests.
- Website content templates designed for those on
different browsers, different Internet connection speeds, different
screen sizes. Templates and necessary images have been optimised to
ensure fast download times, particularly for those operating
over slow Internet connections.
- From August 2007 the Site Improve
service has been used to check for broken links, spelling
and other potential errors or issues with the website.
Allerdale Borough Council
