Before a website can be developed, proper planning is vital.
Introduction
This guideline is designed for department heads, web developers, and content managers, providing a structured approach for planning and developing a website that represents the department effectively. A departmental website provides a snapshot of the department and is an important marketing and communication tool. Any project to develop a new website or to revamp/redevelop an existing website should be carefully planned and executed in a structured manner.
Departments must allow enough time to plan and conceptualise the website, as this is the most important step in the development process. Proper planning from the outset avoids costly changes later.
The conceptualisation of the website is a creative and consultative process where all relevant stakeholders must contribute. It is crucial to involve managers of all business units in the conceptualisation process to ensure that all their requirements are considered from the start of the project. Other important role-players include Communications, Marketing, Information Technology (IT) and Knowledge Management.
The following broad steps normally form part of a website development project:
1. Determine the purpose and aim of the website
A department should have a clear purpose for its online initiative to ensure success. The expected benefits of the website should be determined; for example, why the department should have a website, what its objectives are, and what value it will add for the department.
The department must have a clear understanding of how this initiative will fit into the priorities of the South African government. The website should also align with the department’s communication, marketing and other relevant strategies.
Broadly, the purpose of a government website is to:
- Deliver current, factual and official information about the department and its functions, programmes, campaigns, services and products.
- Provide the latest news about the department’s activities, events and programmes.
- Publish information that supports the department’s strategic goals and meets legislative requirements.
- Provide a vehicle for interaction between the department and the public.
- Create visibility for the department and promote its image.
- Market the department to internal and external stakeholders.
2. Identify the website’s audience
The department should determine who the target audiences for its website are. An understanding of the audience may influence how the website is designed and developed. For example, what should be available on the website (what should the department communicate to each of the target audiences), what functionalities should be included, and how information will be structured.
3. Develop a content plan
A crucial element of an effective government website is good content. It is essential to identify and/or create suitable content before the website is developed.
Conduct an information audit/inventory within all the business units in the department to determine what information and communication products meant for public consumption are available. Select information that supports the purpose of the website and that will satisfy the requirements of all intended audience groups.
This should result in a content plan specifying what is available, where content should be generated, and how often each type of content will need to be updated. Short- and long-term planning is important—plan for the ideal situation, even if you are not implementing the full spectrum of content immediately.
NB! When you develop the website’s content plan, you must adhere to the requirements for minimum content that should be available on the website as specified in Scope of information on the website.
Additionally, ensure that the website content adheres to accessibility standards, such as WCAG 2.1, to provide equal access for users with disabilities.
4. Dynamic websites
Modern websites are typically dynamic, meaning that content is database-driven and allows for greater flexibility and ease of updating. Static websites, where information is hard-coded in HTML, are now rare and are being replaced by more responsive, user-friendly systems.
Dynamic websites consist of design templates and programming that describe what information from the database is included and where it will appear. This dynamic approach offers opportunities for filtering, decentralisation and easier maintenance using content management systems (CMS).
When considering this option, keep the following in mind:
- Ensure all browsers can read the dynamic pages.
- The system should be simple to manage.
- Information syndication from specific owners in the department will likely be required, with content owners responsible for specific pages.
Refer to guidelines on selecting a content management system for your website.
5. Structure information
After identifying the information to be published on the website, break it down into logical and digestible units.
Prioritise the content by determining what information the public will request most often, what supports the department’s programmes and what content is largely static or archival.
Once you have prioritised, build the hierarchies by identifying the main information categories and their subcategories.
Construct these hierarchies from general concepts down to specific or optional topics. Refer to Scope of information on the website par. 2 for the categories and subcategories that must be available on all departmental websites.
Also, ensure the website content is optimised for search engines by following SEO best practices, including the use of meta descriptions, alt tags for images, and keyword-optimized headings.
Refer to Information architecture - structure information logically for best practice principles to structure content logically for your website.
Refer to Search-engine optimisation for best SEO practices.
6. Monitoring and evaluation
It is necessary to evaluate the website before implementation and thereafter at regular intervals. Reasons for this include:
- Websites are dynamic and constantly growing
- The department’s strategy/business or user needs may change
- Information and communication technologies (ICT) continuously develop and improve.
Evaluation methodologies that may be considered include:
- analysing and managing user feedback
- monitoring and analysing website user statistics (e.g. most accessed pages)
- usability testing, including A/B testing and mobile responsiveness tests
- performance monitoring for load times and multi-platform usage
- heuristic reviews (evaluating the website against quality criteria)
- interviews with users and conducting online surveys
- focus-group testing.
7. Website security considerations
Website security is critical, particularly for government websites. Implement necessary security measures such as SSL certificates, regular security audits, and user authentication protocols to protect sensitive information.
8. Choosing a content management system
When selecting a content management system (CMS), consider factors such as user-friendliness, scalability, and integration with existing government platforms. Common open-source CMS platforms include WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. Ensure the system is intuitive enough for decentralised content updates while remaining secure and stable.