Municipality of Heerlen: a smooth road to accessibility and efficiency
How do you ensure that a municipal website not only meets strict accessibility standards, but is also user-friendly and efficient for everyone? The municipality of Heerlen took on this challenge together with us and achieved a great result: a modern, accessible website that has been embraced by both residents and businesses.
“We wanted a website that not only complied with legal accessibility guidelines, but was also easy and intuitive to use for residents and businesses. With Shift2, we have achieved those goals,” say Yaël van den Bosch and Maureen Bisscheroux, communications officers and website managers at the municipality of Heerlen.
Find your way easily
The new website for the municipality of Heerlen has been designed entirely with the user in mind. "The structure of our previous site was not optimal, which meant that visitors could easily get lost," says Yaël. Thanks in part to the help of Shift2, the navigation is now much more natural. "Through user testing with residents, we developed a menu structure that is logical and helps users quickly find the information they are looking for. Not only have we increased user-friendliness, but we have also made the website more visually appealing and attractive." This means that both residents and businesses can find their way around effortlessly, without hassle or frustration.
Reactions and looking ahead
The launch of heerlen.nl generated many positive responses. "Residents particularly appreciate the calmness and clarity of the site. The clear layout makes it much easier to find the right information," Maureen shares. But it doesn't stop there. The municipality is already looking ahead to the next steps, such as achieving A status in digital accessibility. "We are always looking for ways to improve the experience for our users. In the coming period, we will be working on further optimizing accessibility, among other things."
Knowledge that matters
The municipality of Heerlen was particularly satisfied with the expertise we bring to the table as an organization. "Shift2 has a wealth of knowledge in various areas. This broad expertise really came to the fore during the project," says Yaël. In addition, their proactive attitude was greatly appreciated: "It was a relief that we didn't have to reinvent the wheel ourselves. Shift2 always came up with solutions and ideas, often before we even thought of them ourselves. They really took the pressure off us, which made the collaboration a lot easier and more efficient."
A true partnership
At Shift2 , we strive for more than just a collaboration; we want to enter into a true partnership. "The informal but focused atmosphere meant that we could always respond quickly. It really felt like a partnership, where we were working together toward the same goals," says Maureen. This partnership enables us to effectively address both technical and strategic issues.
“The employees at Shift2 are not only professional experts, but also really nice people. That makes working with them a real pleasure.”
Municipality of Heerlen, if you are reading this: we would love to visit again, because you are simply a wonderful municipality to work with! ;)
