Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The MMA and Massachusetts Municipal Communicators hosted a webinar on June 30 to discuss best practices for the municipal website refresh process. Speakers included (clockwise from top left) Lexington Communications Director Taylor Galusha, Brookline Communications Officer Christina Metcalf, and Tyler Cote, community engagement specialist in Watertown.
The MMA and Massachusetts Municipal Communicators hosted a webinar on June 30 to discuss best practices for the municipal website refresh process.
Lexington Communications Director Taylor Galusha outlined three key ways municipalities can prepare for a website redesign:
• Align branding
• Review backend analytics
• Identify what residents look for most
“All this prep work can happen before any website project,” Galusha said. “Whether you’re set out to improve the visuals of your site, navigation, or search, these discussions can help inform what is needed, identify gaps, and prioritize improvements.”
Brookline Communications Officer Christina Metcalf highlighted three focus areas for the website redesign process:
• Define priorities
• Balance stakeholder input
• Manage vendors effectively
She encouraged attendees to gather design and functionality ideas by looking at what neighboring communities are doing.
“It’s kind of like Frankeinsteining your website, just looking and looking at different things,” she said. “Copy and steal everything and get those ideas.”
Tyler Cote, community engagement specialist in Watertown, moderated 25 minutes of questions and answers, addressing inquiries regarding project timelines and staff resources, using artificial intelligence for website searches, and document storage tools.
• Your guide to a website redesign (PDF)