It’s hoped the regional district’s newly redesigned website will attract more eyeballs than its predecessor, which a survey suggested went unseen by half its constituents.
A cleaner, more user-friendly version of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen’s website went live Monday after a complete overhaul by an outside firm. RDOS information services manager Tim Bouwmeester said the redesign cost “basically zero,” since the work was covered by the roughly $9,000 the organization pays annually to web-management company Tiraki to host and maintain the site.
The new site design makes it easier to find the most commonly sought information and also added a really simple syndication (RSS) feature that will automatically send newly added items to subscribers’ computers.
Last September, the RDOS released the results of its 2012 citizens’ survey, which showed 52 per cent of people polled had not visited the website. Bouwmeester hopes the new look will help reach a larger audience and reduce the workload for RDOS staff.
“We think with the more services we can provide (online) and the more information we can have up there, the more people that are going to be using the site, so we’re trying to encourage that.”
