Galway City Council has this week launched a new website. Built on the robust and flexible LocalGov Drupal platform, the new website offers a modern, user-friendly interface with improved navigation and accessibility features.
LocalGov Drupal is an open-source content management system specifically developed for local councils. It is created and maintained by a community of developers, content designers, and digital leaders from councils across Ireland and the UK. This platform provides the freedom, flexibility, and community support that web teams need to deliver high-quality digital services.
With 70% of site visitors accessing GalwayCity.ie on mobile devices, the new website is designed on a ‘mobile first’ basis - meaning it is designed to work especially well on mobile devices, with page layouts automatically formatting to align with the size of the smartphone screen.
The new website is also built with accessibility in mind, and is WCAG 2.1 AA compliant. Gaeilge/ English versions are available, with additional functionality including events calendars, effective tagging of items to improve searches, and fully compliant with the Irish Service Catalogue.
Speaking about the new site, Elaine Naughton, Head of ICT, Galway City Council, commented, “In line with the Government’s ‘Digital by Default’ policy, and the National ICT and Digital Strategy 2030 for local government, Galway City Council is actively working to deliver more services effectively for our customers using technology and digital platforms. Analytics on the old website showed that the vast majority of people accessing GalwayCity.ie don’t tend to browse the site. Instead, they come in through web searches, looking for something specific they want to do or find out about. With the launch of the new site, the most popular items people look for have been given priority placement, so users will be able to get to what they need, as fast as possible, with the site now scoring well in page speed, accessibility and simplicity.”
The website has launched in ‘beta’ mode, with the public invited to report any errors, broken links or out of date content. A full launch is planned in December 2024.