It is (mostly) all systems go as the Isle of Wight Council launches the first part of its new Website in Beta format, which means it is being tested and Islanders can comment on the user experience.
The £765,000 site has been described as an ‘enormous beast’ and has part-launched 20 months late.
35,000 documents and pages being moved across
Nearly 35,000 documents and pages are in the process of being updated and moved across.
It has had to be rebuilt to meet the needs of both visitors and the local authority, and to meet requirements for accessibility.
Delayed launch
The original beta site launch had been planned for September 2020 and the Island’s councillors saw it in April, but a public launch was delayed ‘due to issues out of the project’s control,’ and Covid-19 has also caused hold-ups.
The new Website aims to make things more accessible and simpler to understand.
Several new features
New features include prominent buttons to access the most-used services and features, as well as a better search bar that will be more likely to find what you are looking for.
What is hoped to be more engaging and interactive content has been added, including videos (explaining some of the council’s services) and maps (showing all the council’s car parks).
Mobile-friendly
The Website’s new design makes it mobile-friendly, fitting to the size of the screen you are looking at it from.
Other areas of the council’s services need to be transferred and it is hoped a chat function will be installed to help users.
Share your feedback
The authority is looking for feedback on the beta site and a form can be found online.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: © Isle of Wight Council
