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A content management system (CMS) allows you to create, manage, and modify digital content on your website without specialized technical knowledge. But from stringent compliance requirements to complex integrations, your government website CMS has different needs than a commercial site.
In this blog post, learn about the features that the best CMS for government websites should have so you can provide the best experience for your internal team and citizens.
Government CMS Features that Make Your Life Easier
Your team is busy, and many government agencies don’t have the luxury of a dedicated web developer. When considering which CMS to use, you naturally want one that is easy for staff to implement and maintain, works well with other systems, and overall simplifies website management. Let’s look at the features that make that possible.
Ease of Use for Non-Technical Staff
Local government websites are often maintained by non-technical staff who are juggling a myriad of other responsibilities. That means it’s important for staff to be able to update the website with a simple, drag-and-drop interface like GovBuilt’s. You can ensure timely content updates and reduce dependency on technical teams. Plus, you can keep the design of your website fresh by changing graphics and content seasonally. This encourages positive citizen attitudes towards your agency.
Service and Support
No matter how easy the CMS is to use, at times you will need support to work through an issue or resolve a bug. You need a support team that is readily available to fix problems quickly.
GovBuilt support is available via phone or email during regular business hours for most issues. But your site is monitored 24/7/365, and technicians are standing by around the clock for emergency assistance on critical issues.
Custom Content and Design
Some of the popular government CMSs come with just a few options for customizing your site, maybe custom colors or a photo or two to select. The basic site structure and layout are based on a predetermined template.
Why is this a problem?
- Different communities have different demographics, needs, and goals
- You want to stand out from the communities around you to draw in residents and businesses
On the other hand, GovBuilt websites are based on a modular design, meaning you can put virtually anything you want anywhere on your site. We have many modules already created, including:
- Agenda
- Alerts
- Business Directory
- Calendar
- Cemetery Directory
- Classes
- Facility Management
- FAQ
- News
- Ordinances & Resolutions
- Search Bar
- Social Media Widgets
- Staff Calendars
- Staff Directory
And if you need something else, we can typically build it for you!
Development Process
Having so many options to customize the content and design of your website may seem overwhelming. That’s why it’s important for your CMS to be supported by an implementation team that will guide you through your options and design your site.
If you have a specific idea in mind for your site, we’ll start by understanding that vision. If you don’t, we’ll first show you a few examples of websites that we’ve designed, and you can tell us what you like or don’t like about each of them. From there, we begin designing your site—getting feedback from you all along the way.
Security and Disaster Recovery
Government websites must protect sensitive data and ensure continuous service. Robust security measures prevent cyber threats, while effective disaster recovery plans ensure quick restoration of services in case of an outage to maintain public trust and operational integrity.
GovBuilt’s security is updated automatically and monitored by Microsoft AI using Azure Front Door to block and report any suspicious activity. Microsoft invests $1 billion annually in cloud security research and development. GovBuilt databases have a full Vulnerability Assessment run weekly.
We monitor sites 24/7/365 with automated alerts for emergencies. Our solution is fully redundant with the ability to run in multiple regions, and your data is backed up several times a day and replicated across regions.
Forms and Workflow Integration
These days, many government CMSs come with basic form capabilities. However, they often can’t integrate with backend workflows. In other words, suppose someone fills out the form on the website for a code violation. The only thing that would happen is that someone in the community development department would get an email. That person would then need to re-type the information into a spreadsheet, then send an email to the inspector, who would have to schedule an inspection, and so on.
However, an integration with a true workflow system automates this process. For instance, a GovBuilt form could be configured to kick off a workflow that takes the data from a code violation form and creates a “case” that automatically stores the data, schedules the inspection, and so on. While not technically part of the website, the fact that the citizen-facing form integrates with the backend workflow is a distinct advantage of the CMS.
CMS Features That Enhance Citizen Experience
Virtually every resident and business in your community will interact with your website at some point, many of them on a daily or weekly basis. When they can find information and complete tasks easily and consistently, it develops trust in your agency. Consider these features that enhance citizen experience when choosing your CMS.
ADA Compliance Features
State and local government websites must follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, an internationally recognized set of standards that cover a wide range of disabilities. Government institutions can also be sued for failing to meet ADA standards. (Read more about ADA compliance for local government websites.)
Notifications and Preference Center
Your residents have different interests and levels of civic engagement. Some want granular details about contractor bids, while others only want notifications about a new community event. Your website should have a robust notifications and preferences center that allows each resident to customize the types of notifications and emails they receive. This promotes the highest level of transparency for those who want it without information overload for those who don’t.
Integration with Government Databases
A good CMS should be able to provide real-time information to citizens through integrations with databases such as:
- Jail bookings
- Warrant search
- Property tax appraisals
Some CMS vendors will say that they “integrate” with your systems, but really all the integration does is open an iframe to display the database. The information in the iframe doesn’t have the same look and feel as the rest of your site. This decreases user trust because it may not appear that the information is genuinely coming from your agency. Iframes also can have a poor user experience, especially on mobile devices.
On the other hand, a true integration uses APIs to pull real-time data into a page that’s formatted the same as the rest of your site. If the webpage is mobile-responsive, the database lookup will be, as well. GovBuilt is an open-API system, meaning that we can easily develop integrations with most databases.
Navigation and Search
Most people go to their government institution’s website with a very specific goal in mind: Reserve a facility, apply for a permit, find the date of the city council meeting. Intuitive website navigation goes a long way toward helping residents find what they need—reducing frustrations and increasing trust. But a powerful search feature can help those who aren’t sure if they need (for instance) the auditor’s office or the tax assessor’s office to find a particular document. GovBuilt’s search capabilities include auto-complete and the ability to display search results from PDF documents.
Uptime Percentage
If a government website goes down, citizens lose access to vital information and services. GovBuilt guarantees an uptime of 99.9% excluding pre-scheduled maintenance hours. We can provide detailed reports on request.
Device Agnostic
With more and more people accessing the web on smartphones, your website needs to be “device agnostic.” That means it functions well on all major modern browsers and devices (including desktops, mobile phones, and tablets), regardless of screen size.
Take the Next Step in Modernizing Your Government Website
With GovBuilt’s dedicated CMS solutions, you can enhance your online presence, streamline operations, and better serve your community—without a heavy lift on your staff. Fill out the form below to contact us today!