June 28, 2016
Need a New Site? Try Digital Services Georgia
Our team, Digital Services Georgia, owns and maintains Georgia.gov. We are responsible for the design, the content, and the technology behind the site.
Additionally, our team also hosts over 80 agency websites on our open source platform, Drupal. We have pre-designed themes that agencies can choose from which vary in color and fonts, and offer flexibility for home pages and landing pages.
However, one of the biggest differences in Georgia.gov and the platform is that we are not responsible for the content for other agencies.
Let me rephrase that: We are not responsible for adding, maintaining, or updating content for other agencies. It may seem simple, but owning your content is a big responsibility.
Fortunately, we have a really great team of people who understands web design, usability, the importance of mobility and accessibility, and how performance affects a user’s experience. But unfortunately, most agencies don’t have the luxury of hosting an in-house team of people dedicated solely to work on their website and content.
There are some really great benefits that come from migrating your current site to the Drupal platform. It can be scary, yes. But the relief of not having to deal with the security, technology, or design of your site is worth the learning curve that comes with your new site. Below are some of the major benefits that come from migrating to the Drupal platform; but, keep in mind, the benefits are too numerous to count!
You Own It, So You Control It
Most content managers have job titles that align more with that of IT or communications. It doesn’t mean they’re not capable or good at managing their web content. It just means they don’t specialize in it and don’t have the bandwidth to spend hours or days perfecting their content.
The great thing, though, about managing your own content is that it’s yours. You have the flexibility to control it when you want. You no longer have to send an email to your IT staff requesting a change that could take a week or longer to implement. You can make updates, add new events, refresh outdated content, publish press releases, and so much more, all on your own time.
Of course, with the responsibility of owning your content comes the responsibility of displaying it in a way that’s easy to understand and easy to find. Understanding digital standards and best practices will help with this. That’s why we provide initial onboarding training, as well as continuing education throughout your tenure. On our website you can find web guides, training manuals and videos, and other resources that will allow you to optimize your site for the best user experience.
No Worries about Security or Technology
Because your job is to manage your content, it is our responsibility to make sure the technology is working, security and maintenance is up to date, and testing new features is complete. Find a bug on your site? Put in a support ticket and we’ll look into it for you.
You don’t have to worry about not having the right security clearance or technical background to make changes on the back end of your site, because that’s what we do. We want to make owning your website seamless and exciting, not tedious.
Simplicity and Uniformity
Finally, with the Drupal platform, you get simplicity and uniformity. Although we do offer nearly 14 different themes, all of our themes offer a consistent user experience across all State of Georgia sites. You’ll notice when you go to any agency’s site on our platform there are certain things that are always in the same location. The agency’s logo is always at the very top along with a search bar. Additionally, each domain name follows a very specific naming convention, agency.georgia.gov, indicating to users that they are on a state website.
Although we have created templates with pre-determined color schemes and fonts, the platform offers flexibility with multiple layouts, modules, and content types that can be added to your home page and landing pages. This allows your agency to personalize your site while maintaining the same uniformity across all state websites. Constituents will be able find their information faster and with fewer frustrations.
We understand that creating a website is a daunting task. The great thing is that you already have the content. We’ll just help you organize it and offer some best practices that will optimize your site for search and user experience. It’s amazing how effective your site can be when it’s used to its greatest capacity.
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