Government websites are often significantly larger than standard commercial websites and may even contain thousands of pages. As a result, traditional methods of structuring a site’s content are impractical or unwieldy. Creating a government website that is scalable requires a shift in focus away from simply representing the agency to the public to a more human-centered approach that seeks to put resources into the hands of the people. Read on to see how concepts like information architecture and choosing the right CMS give government websites the approach needed to best organize large amounts of information for the community.
Information Architecture
Due to the large number of pages that a government website is likely to contain, a typical sitemap which lays out how each page is connected is simply not practical. Instead, the content for the site should be structured using broad strokes centered around the user’s needs. Creating this information architecture of your content allows you to piece together frameworks of information for users.
Topic-Oriented Navigation
A government website’s top navigation menu will likely benefit from a topical focus. For example, if the governmental agency is responsible for professional licensing, the top navigation might provide links to several professions requiring licensing and a way to log into your individual professional licensing information.
An alternative method of organizing the content for the same site might prefer broader action-oriented topics that branch into more specific information based on the type of profession. That navigation menu may include topics such as:
- Applying for a license
- Renewing a professional license
- Continuing education
- Filing a complaint
There isn’t necessarily one right answer. What is important is that you allow the type of information to shape how you present the information to your users.
Human-Centered Content
The content structure on each page, particularly the home page, should be centered on connecting users with the resources they need. This can be accomplished by considering what users’ goals and interests are in visiting your website and making that information as easy to find as possible.
You can easily begin this process by creating user personas that reflect your user’s interests and goals when visiting your site. Consider the following when creating a user persona:
- What are the user’s primary goals when visiting your site?
- Is the user seeking information or will they be making some sort of purchase?
- Does the user have difficulty finding the information or product you offer?
- How can you assist the user in finding the resources you have available?
- What will the user view as a success or failure?
Once you’ve answered the above questions, you’ll likely have a good idea of how you can organize your site for your users. In our experience, one of the best ways to accomplish this is by including a “How do I…” section on the homepage or any topical landing page. This will allow users to quickly locate information that will help them complete their goals for visiting your website.
Choosing the Right Content Management System (CMS)
There are many CMS platforms available, but only a select few are suitable for implementing scalable large-scale sites. Ideally, a large-scale website will use a content management system that maintains scalability, flexibility, and security. At Webspec, we use Drupal for government entities and large enterprise sites. Its file management system and taxonomies make it easy to systematize pages and documents.
Drupal is an open-source CMS that offers many of the same features as other popular content management systems such as ongoing community support, information security, versatile visual themes and layouts, responsive design options, and ecommerce options. The Drupal community is committed to accessibility making it a top choice for governments and large-scale enterprises that must conform to WCAG 2.0 and ADA guidelines.
Drupal also offers the scalability that large enterprise-level websites need to thrive. Drupal is designed to grow exponentially as website traffic and page numbers grow. Additionally, Drupal makes it easy to create multiple users and user roles with a hierarchy of permissions and visibilities. For example, employees can be assigned different user roles such as writer, editor, publisher, or administrator. At the most basic level, writers can do the heavy lifting of creating content while editors and publishers can focus on content strategy and quality control. This frees administrators to focus on strategic decisions, content strategy, and information architecture.
Setting Up Custom Page Templates, Content Types, and Taxonomies
One often-overlooked but critical aspect of creating a scalable enterprise-level website is to create custom page templates and typologies that can simplify content creation and provide a cohesive user experience for your visitors.
Large-scale sites often have the need to display certain types of information in a consistent manner. Page types such as “How Do I… ” pages, landing pages, and news or press releases are quite common and frequently repeated on enterprise-level sites. By creating a custom template for these types of pages, you can simplify the process of content creation while creating a site that is more usable for the visitor.
In addition, the content on the pages mentioned above is often unique and must meet certain requirements. For example, news articles typically have featured images and snippets that are displayed as teasers on other pages as well as topical taxonomies that allow users to search for news on a chosen topic. On the other hand, “How Do I… ” pages should have the ability to move, add, or remove steps as processes change over time. And finally, landing pages often have collections of related links that can be grouped together.
Working with an experienced team of content strategists is essential for creating the scalable custom page templates, content types, and taxonomies that are needed to make content creation easier and more uniform sitewide while still allowing for flexibility.
Let Our Expert Drupal Team Help You
As the State of Iowa’s master vendor for public-facing websites, the team at Webspec has the experience and expertise to develop a fully scalable large-scale website for your enterprise-level business or government agency. Contact us today to discuss how we can help your agency or learn more about our work with public and private organizations.