The municipality of Deurne opts for customization in our website powered by Drupal
The municipality of Deurne chose to create its new website using our Drupal website solution. It turned out to be a great combination of customization and making use of what is already available. A challenging project that has been very positively received by residents and colleagues at the municipality.
The old website was in need of a facelift and a clear structure. A number of other digital services are also being updated so that the municipality can make use of well-coordinated resources. "For example, we are currently working on a product and service catalog Felix. The internal information that the customer contact center itself stores in Felix can then be published and monitored from the same source," says René Janssen, online services project manager at the municipality of Deurne.
Other top priorities
A good structure and unique design were important for the website. René: "In order to implement the design and structure we had in mind, a new template had to be built. For example, you can see a block below the top tasks on the homepage. We can use this optionally. This allows us to use the top tasks differently. The waste collection calendar, for example, is a frequently searched item. As a visitor, you don't want to first go to waste and then search for the calendar there. In this case, we put the waste collection calendar at the top task and in the bar below, you can use the link to 'everything about waste'. That layout makes it nice and clear."
Overview and clarity
Another change has been made to the menu. The municipality of Deurne has decided not to divide the homepage into target groups. Under the 'menu' button, you will find a complete overview of topics, which are arranged by target group. Here too, the motivation is to provide greater clarity and a better overview. In addition, the website's search functionality has been improved. René: "We are receiving enthusiastic responses to the improved search results."
Design control
Finally, adjustments were made to allow us to customize a number of style elements ourselves. René: "We want a little more control over the layout of buttons and drop-down boxes, for example, to ensure consistency. Sometimes it's the little things, such as the font size. With the adjustments to the style elements, we can fine-tune that further. We also use the templates available within the CMS, for example for projects or election information. There are many possibilities. And the CMS is user-friendly thanks to Shift2's own skin."
Greater involvement
The website has been well received by residents and colleagues. "During implementation, we deliberately chose not to automatically transfer the content from the old site. The content was updated immediately. We process further improvements and requests using a beep system. That works well. We receive a lot of feedback from within the organization, as well as from residents. There is more involvement. This is partly due to the improved structure and clear design. And there are many more opportunities to provide information. The big challenge now is to ensure that we monitor the agreed concepts.
Open and honest
René is very pleased with the approachtaken to the project. "Working with fixed project days is nice. The collaboration went very well and the atmosphere was good. At the municipality of Deurne, we value openness and honesty. That's what we found at Shift2. If something wasn't possible, we received immediate feedback with a solution. Do I have any advice? Yes, for other municipalities: take Felix directly involved in the development of a new website. That adds value to the content."
Are you also considering a new website for your municipality? Please feel free to contact us! We will work with you to determine the most suitable custom solution for your municipality.