New Website Specifics

Why a New Website?

Washington County’s Website has remained unchanged, in a fundamental sense, since the mid 1990s.  We think it’s time for an upgrade.

Washington County is implementing a new public website and replacing our old website as a general improvement to our services.  This project is not simply a change in how the website looks.  It is a complete redesign of the website from the colors used on the site, to the software running the site, to the organization of the site, to the overall philosophy of the site, and to the way that the website is managed.   Some of the specific benefits and objectives of the project are:

  • To provide a more aesthetically pleasing and consistent visitor experience.
  • To enable better manageability of the County’s website content.
  • To provide for enhanced use of technology in the future in offering services.
  • To provide faster updates to the website through broader distribution of authoring.
  • To provide better readability.
  • To use best known practices and utilize technology to address future standards.
  • To provide easier / faster access to information through improved organization and website navigation.
  • To enhance Search capabilities to make it easier to find information without knowing where to look first.
  • To provide a task-based environment to allow the visitor to get business done more rapidly.
  • To provide new ways of organizing and presenting information on the website.
  • To provide enhanced website visit and search measurement, to be used to make it easier to find what’s asked for most.

How will the New Website be Launched?

For the next several months Washington County will be providing a “hybrid” website.  This means that the new website will be operational, but some of the content will remain on the old website until it is migrated and implemented on the new site.  We very much appreciate your patience with this process.  With the initial release, Washington County is implementing the new Home Page, many new automated features, new navigation, and the new content and pages for approximately 60% of the organization.

The temporary "hybrid" website will display web pages that have two generally different appearances:


General Colors and Look of the Old WebSite
General design and colors of the OLD Website
are illustrated in the image above.		 General Colors and Look of the New Website
General design and colors of the NEW Website are illustrated in the image above.

Then, as a phase 2 to the project, we will be migrating and implementing the new content and pages for the rest of the organization as soon as possible.  Unfortunately, this means that ALL of the features, such as searching and navigation, will not be available for all of the County’s content until this phase 2 is completed.  However, the content and pages for the 50% of the organization that is not migrated to the new website, is still available and will be linked to the new WebSite.  If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please try the Services Search.

What will you find on the New Website?

Getting to information and services quickly is a key objective for the new Website.  If you know what Department
offers or supplies the information or service you need, a DEPARTMENTS drop down list is found on the home page and others at the left.  This Department listing is organized according to the Counties basic 5 Functional Groups.

You'll also find on the home page and others the KEY SERVICES AND INFORMATION list which directly links you to the service offering directly or the Website page pertinent to that subject.  This list is modified periodically according to our measurement of how often the particular item is searched for.

In navigating and using the new website we hope you’ll find the following overall improvements: 

  • New, enhanced, and more clear website navigation with improved search capabilities.
  • A new, simplified, and cleaner graphic design remaining consistent throughout the website.
  • A fresh website organization with Audience Segments and a layout tailored to better navigation.
  • New, enhanced, easier to use and consistent Contacts/Directions, Calendar, and News features.
  • A different and new website philosophy to help the visitor get a task done with a minimum of clicks.

What’s under the Hood?

Delivering much of what you experience on the new website and providing a considerable number of the benefits of the new site, yet remaining hidden from view to the visitor, are two significant changes.

The new website is being managed by and the pages stored in a new Content Management System.  A Content Management System (CMS)  is a software solution and database that provides substantial automation, consistency, intelligence, and search ability to the website.  It is the engine that propels the new site.

This new website is being authored and updated using Distributed Authoring.  This means that at the County Department and Division level, many people are able to create, and update, and manage the website pages.  This will help keep the web pages fresh and up-to-date and allow the County to provide new information, change current information, and remove old information rapidly.