Before CivicPlus
“Our former mayor was instrumental in the decision of moving to CivicEngage® as our website solution,” said Carder. “Our previous website was static. You couldn’t update it unless you know code. He made the recommendation to the City Council to redesign the website with CivicPlus, and that’s what we did.”
After CivicPlus
Based on analytics that Carder has reviewed with her Client Success Manager, the website’s traffic data indicates that now that the City is hosting a modern, functional, website, more citizens are using it regularly for news and information.
“We’re always trying to drive more people to the website,” said Carder. “And with our latest website redesign, it’s way more interactive and user-friendly. People can find things on it now more easily than they could previously. My Client Success Manager has shown me analytics that shows what pages people look at most frequently. It’s valuable to understand what people want to learn about.”
The Future of Government Content Delivery
In Carder’s estimation, local governments need to continue finding ways to deliver timely and relevant news and information to citizens.
“My background is in journalism,” said Carder. “Small town newspapers continue to dry up. Local governments need to communicate their message to citizens because people may not have access to that information through traditional media sources. We need to be that platform.”
Carder also sees transparency as a critical factor in the future of citizen engagement.
“Local governments need to make sure that people can trust them as a government agency, find the information they’re looking for, and don’t think you’re trying to hide things from them.”
The CivicPlus Difference
When asked what makes CivicPlus unique from other solution providers, Carder is definitive in her response.
“Your people,” she says. “It’s your people that make you good at what you do. Every time I call my Client Success Manager, it seems like he drops everything to help me. If I contact the Technical Support Team, they are right there to answer my questions and get it figured out. I’ve always had very responsive experiences when I’ve reached out to CivicPlus. That’s super important in developing relationships with me—that I can place a phone call and someone answers. I’ve worked with some great customer service reps at CivicPlus, and it’s that relationship that matters—that my contact recognizes my voice when he answers the phone.”
To experience for yourself the easy-to-use functionality of our CivicEngage content management system, click below to take a self-guided tour of our powerful software.
