CityOfBowie.org has been recognized by Juggle as one of the top city government websites in the state of Maryland. Below you'll find an interview with Anthony Hogue, Webmaster for the City of Bowie.
- CityOfBowie.org is a top-notch web portal; what has been your role in its development?
As Webmaster, I was responsible for the layout, design, implementation and functionality of the City of Bowie’s site redesign. With the help from members of the IT department and the City’s Communication Coordinator, Una Cooper, we were able to brainstorm and develop the site that you see today.
- Can you summarize the history of Bowie’s web portal?
When the City of Bowie first created a website in 1996, our goal was merely to establish a presence on the web. The site contained basic information about the city government and was static. The organization of the site mirrored our organizational chart. Over the years the amount of information grew, but it was still not the first place our residents went for information. In 1999/2000 we began to provide information about issues and the decisions being made by elected officials. We also began to add announcements and other more, timely information, which caused users to want to visit the site more often. We began talking about redesigning the site around 2005/06 with the users in mind -- what kind of information did they want, how would they look for it and how could we help our users by offering online tools, forms, and pages that helped them to accomplish more from the comfort of their home or office or on the go, from their blackberry or other personal device. A dedicated webmaster was hired in 2008 and the whole scale redesign was completed in 2009. The city web portal continues to change all the time as new features and new functionality are added. Today it's the first place we share information and the first place our users go to conduct business with the City.
- What are the overarching objectives of Bowie’s current e-government initiatives?
Our key objective is to provide our citizens with a state-of-the-art online presence that encompasses elements such as, but not limited to, access to online tools, intuitive design layout, a personal web portal, a comprehensive search tool and most importantly, up-to-date content.
- From a marketing standpoint, what are some of the strategies that you have utilized to draw attention to the information and services provided by CityOfBowie.org, both on- and off-line?
Some of our on-line strategies consist of search engine optimization with use of Google Analytics and several call-to-action graphic buttons. Our government channel and all of our print materials include our web address and wording that drives our users to our website. Press releases are sent out to off-line media outlets and also posted within the site. We consider the web portal the central point for the public to access all city-related information.
- How has citizen feedback influenced the development of Bowie’s e-government services?
As the City of Bowie builds on its goal of bringing government services to our citizens through technology, we profoundly rely on the support and recommendations of our citizens. Citizen feedback has immensely influenced the design, function, and maintenance of the City’s site. Through surveys, an online feedback form, and emails to the webmaster, the citizens of Bowie have not been bashful in telling us when information is too hard to find, or when a feature does not display or act as intended on their computers. As the City of Bowie continues to expand its services, we hope that our citizens will continue to find our current systems, and those soon to follow, easy, convenient, and time saving.
- What is the most-used feature or service on the site?
The search tool is by far the most-used service on the City of Bowie’s website. Citizens and employees can easily find information and documents located within the City’s site with use of our Google enabled search tool.
- How does the Bowie web portal deliver personalized online experiences to the citizens of Bowie?
Like most municipalities, Bowie allows citizens to view and pay their water bill, report a problem, request a service, sign up for city alerts, or watch Council meetings live or as videos on demand. It is our goal to develop a “MyBowie” web portal that will allow citizens to access personal information via a secure login.
- What has been the biggest hurdle in developing and/or maintaining CityOfBowie.org, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest hurdle has been keeping the information fresh and interesting, with very limited staff resources. Currently only the Webmaster and two Public Information staff members are able to add or edit content. We will soon begin the use of Adobe Contribute to help manage content.
- Where do you see e-government heading in the next 2-3 years? Are there any exciting new features or services currently in the works for Bowie’s web portal?
I see e-government increasing its human relationship with citizens and employees by incorporating more social media technology and advancing our search capabilities. Tools such as Facebook, Twitter, RSS feeds and future platforms have and will continue to reshape the way government disseminates and receives information.
- What else that you would like to tell us about CityOfBowie.org?
CityOfBowie.org is constantly evolving and we’re finding new ways to integrate it into City operations and the provision of services. In the future we’re hoping to rely less on text and more on images and video to get our message out to our citizens and others who use our site.