As the holidays approach, so does launch day for the long-awaited revamp of the officials Web site for the Town of Bethany Beach. Members of the town’s Communication Committee have been reviewing a final draft of the new site in recent weeks, and they gave their input on the project at a Dec. 8 meeting.
The site has changed little in basic form since its new design was unveiled to the town by contractors Civic Plus. It features a marine blue and buttery sand-yellow color scheme on a blue-on-blue seashell background, as well as images of the town’s beach and boardwalk, and of a home on the Loop Canal.
Those prominent images are still subject to change, as the recent reconstruction of the beach suggests a need to update the beach and boardwalk image, while the featured Loop Canal image on the initial home page of the site is planned to possibly become part of a rotation of approximately four images that will be the central part of that page.
One level into the site, a secondary home page will display a seasonal photo, as well as recent news and announcements.
Committee members on Dec. 8 expressed some concern about the color scheme — not overall, but specifically as to whether the sandy beige used for informational links was easily readable on top of the blue gradient color used as a background. Recommendations to change the text color to pure white or black were given.
The committee also did a page-by-page review of most of the site on Dec. 8, going through links related to visitors, activities and town information, and providing input on each of those areas.
The overall impression was a positive one, but committee members did have a number of recommendations, including adding a list of local laws, ordinances and rules that might be useful to visitors.
Those kinds of recommendations could prove valuable to the town, as finalization of the format for particular sections and pages of the site is taking place now, before the site is turned over to town staff. Adding significantly to the site in the future could cost the town some money, whereas changing the content of an established page can largely be done by staff, without cost.
A second round of revisions is scheduled for after Jan. 4, when the site is due to go live, to allow for further public input by a wider range of users. Usability testing by volunteers was set to take place beginning this week, as was the training of town staff in maintenance of the site.
As it stands, the site will include a number of new features, including a searchable business directory with information on all businesses licensed in the town and links to businesses within town limits. Events both governmental and entertainment-related will be featured in both event listings and a calendar.
Recent news will be featured on that secondary home page, while past stories will be archived for future reference. A “News Flash” news feed will be made available of those recent stories, for those using RSS feed readers.
Upcoming town meetings will also be featured prominently, with links for more information, including agendas. “Quick links” will feature information and documents that the town’s department heads said is often requested from them, while FAQ’s will aim to answer questions that town staff often receive.
The town will continue to allow online sign-up for its e-news mailings, as well as additionally providing a digital copy of the town newsletters. And all content of the site will be fully searchable.
As noted previously, a new inquiry system will be added to the town Web site with the revamp, allowing citizens to report problems or complaints via the Internet and to later track the progress and response to those complaints.
Town “e-services” are also featured on the site, allowing citizens to pay some town bills online, access archives of some town documents, obtain forms and other documents, and find contact information for town staff.
Polls and photo galleries will also be included in the site, as will links to a variety of useful and interesting information, such as area Web cams, weather data, tide charts, recreational information and more.
Committee members on Dec. 8 recommended the section on the town’s history and historical landmarks be sent to the town’s Cultural and Historical Affairs Committee for review and any input. Town departments have already been asked to suggest specific content that should appear on the site. In the future, the town manager is expected to approve all changes in content for the site.
One notable absence in the site as of Dec. 8 was that of Chief Little Owl, the totem pole-style sculpture that is perhaps the town’s most prominent landmark. Staff members said the missing VIP was simply an oversight as the site had been assembled. By early this week, a page had already been created upon which information about Chief Little Owl is planned to be placed, courtesy of CHAC.
Committee members plan to meet two to four weeks after the Jan. 4 live date for the site, to review their comments and any additional input they have or have received from the public.