Web design and development for the public sector has different aims and needs compared to commercial website design. Having worked with a range of public organisations we understand this and have put together 5 pointers to help the public sector when thinking about launching a website.

1. Before you begin, be clear on your goal

For public organisations such as the NHS, the primary goal is to provide important information to users. When discussing your website, your web strategy needs to be based around this principle and it is important you choose a web design company that understands this.

2. Make sure your website is user friendly

It is likely that you will have a lot of information on your website so it is important that this content is laid out clearly and is easy to find for users. If your website provides relevant information in a simple manner, it will help with decreasing the amount of face to face or telephone enquiries you are likely to receive.

3. Your website needs to meet accessibility requirements

Serving the public means your website needs to be accessible to everyone. Those with visual impairments should be able to make modifications to the font size on your website and if possible you should consider having audio for those who can’t read the text.

4. Keep the website up to date

It is important to keep your website up to date. For example with the NHS, it is important to make sure NHS services are promoted, locations of health groups are correct and important information on healthy living is available to the public. This will make sure your website is serving its purpose and acts as a reliable source of information for users.

5. Make sure you have a reliable infrastructure

It is essential that your hosting provider is reliable as you are likely to have many visitors to your website. Having a website that crashes or cannot be displayed online will be a hassle for you and users. You may also want to invest in data back up with your service provider so if the website ever goes down your content can be easily retrieved.

We have gained valuable experience in developing websites for the public sector and have worked with organisations including NHS Hertfordshire, NHS Lewisham PCT and NHS Bedfordshire PCT. If you want to find out more about our services, call us now on 020 8747 3274.