Laconia launches redesigned website

LACONIA — The city of Laconia’s official website received a visual makeover last week which officials hope will attract more people to use the online service as a way to get information and conduct routine business.

The redesigned site, which went live July 1, includes eye-catching graphics as well as clearer, more user-friendly navigation menus to give users a clear path into the site from the homepage.

The homepage features a slideshow highlighting landmarks, events and scenery the city is known for. Directly below are easy-to-see buttons to click on to take the viewer to pages for more detailed information about city government, to pay a bill or report a problem, a calendar of city and community activities, and illustrated links to information about current events.

“We worked to come up with a design that shows that Laconia is a visually-appealing place for visitors, as well as content-heavy for residents. This design strikes that balance,” said Glenn Smith, the city’s finance director who spear-headed a group of about six people from various city departments who provided ideas for the new design.

The group met periodically starting early this year to consider changes in the website's appearance and navigation.

The public’s use of the website has been steadily increasing since last spring when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closing of City Hall and other city buildings and facilities for a time.

“COVID produced a push to get people to do more business online,” Smith said.

Some of those recurring activities include paying tax or municipal utility bills, registering motor vehicles and boats, or borrowing material from the public library.

“People are now more inclined to go to the website,” he said.

According to statistics from CivicPlus, which hosts the website, there have been 30,635 unique page views — the closest indication there is to how many people have gone to the website for one reason or another.

The largest number of visits to the site — 9,623 — have been for bill payments, followed by 5,112 visits to the public library page, 3,875 for the Assessing Department, 3,743 to the Police Department page, and 3,379 for Parks and Recreation.

CivicPlus began hosting the city website five years ago when the city signed a $25,000 service and licensing contract which included work on the just-completed redesign. In addition, the city pays an annual maintenance and hosting fee. That amount is $7,200 for the fiscal year which began Thursday.

One interesting feature is the inclusion of three how-to YouTube videos which give the step-by-step process to follow online to request a vital record, get a dog licensed, or register a vehicle.

“These came out of COVID as a way to help those residents who are not comfortable with the computer,” City Manager Scott Myers said.

To enhance the website’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the redesign is fully compatible with specialty programs which improve the visual presentation of material for those who have poor vision, Smith said.