The Internet, a global network of computer systems, gives every county an unprecedented ability to communicate with the people that matter the most: its citizens, its investors and its tourists.
Counties are using the Net to promote and market everything from tourist attractions to local economic assets of interest to global investors. County citizens are able to check on library hours and download instructions to get a marriage license. Any document that has ever been printed by the county can be posted on the Internet. The list of potential uses is endless.
The information itself is usually arranged in a series of pages like a magazine. The main page, called the "home page," generally contains an index, a welcome message and connections or "links" to the other pages of posted information.
By placing the mouse pointer on a link (underlined or highlighted word or phrase) and clicking, the user moves to the next page. Many pages are quite elaborate, containing color photos and graphics as well as printed material in a variety of styles.
There are many compelling reasons for a county to develop a home page on the Internet, but the best may be that hundreds of counties have already done so.
No county competing for tourist and investment dollars can afford to be the last in the race to build its own interchange on the information superhighway. Most importantly, a page on the Internet gives a county a direct channel to its citizens.
Using a home page, a county can provide important phone numbers for county services, messages from elected officials, weather and travel information, business statistics, county history, and recreational and emergency information. Citizens are able to look up and print written instructions for accessing county services instead of using the phone. This saves both the county and the citizen time by preventing unnecessary phone calls and providing clear and simple steps to access services.
In addition, residents, potential investors, tourists and other governments may view a county's Web site to get an impression of the county's potential for investment or entertainment. For these users looking to spend money in the county, the home page can contain demographics, maps, event schedules and a listing of local accommodations. Some counties even include a yellow pages section to provide links and phone numbers for local business and attractions.
Today, the importance of a tool that makes the county's commercial assets visible to investors around the world can't be overemphasized.
A quick review of the home pages counties have established on the Internet clearly shows that not all home pages are created equal. Some counties have posted mainly black and white text, while others have elaborate color home pages with photographs, maps, charts and multiple links to additional pages.
While the appearance, approach and quality of county pages varies significantly, the subject matter always contains a mix of public service, business and tourism topics. Some counties use their page to stress tourism or local history while others focus on local government or economic development.
The best county pages are well-rounded, those that present all aspects of life in their county in a clear, helpful and organized way. The easiest way to find a county Web page is to check the Web page of your state. Most states use the same basic web address "www.state[put your state abbreviation here].us/." For example, Pennsylvania's Web page address is "www.state.pa.us/."
The organization of the county home pages I surveyed differed wildly. The most common and probably the best way to portray the county government is by department and service.
Each department maintains some editorial control over its page, which helps develop pride in each page and gives the department an incentive to be creative in taking its message to the public. For consistency, a general scheme of color and design should be used throughout the county's Web site.
Today you can see more of the USA from a computer screen on your desk than you can through the windows of your Chevrolet. But none of the thousands of tourists and businessmen cruising the information superhighway will stop in your county unless you provide an exit ramp with a bright and attractive service plaza.
(Paul J. Mulcahey is a programmer/analyst who lives in Washington County, Pa., in the southwest corner of the state.)
What follows is an outline of the structure of an average county page on the Web. The best county home pages will contain all of the suggested information in some form. In designing its own page, each county will need to adjust these suggestions to suit its particular needs.
Home page (main page/index) - This page should not contain any detailed information, but should act as an index to the other county pages. It should contain welcome statements and pointers to the other county pages.
Commissioners page - There should be a page for the commissioners office. It should have a biography of each commissioner and a letter from each containing a welcome message and plans for the future of the county. Users should be able to send the commissioners e-mail from this page.
Local information - The list of local information that could be of use to visitors is endless. At a minimum, most counties cover these basic areas: business, historical and statistical data; weather and traffic reports; transportation information (buses, airport, taxis in the county); local library information (with hours and phone); and demographic, geographic, geologic and engineering information.
Each subject should contain links to associated areas, such as economic development.
County news and current events page - This can be a page or group of pages which constantly change based on news of county plans, programs and events. A link can be placed on this page to a county calendar listing upcoming events for the next 12 months.
County calendar - This is a special page where events around the county are listed for the next 12 months. The calendar or calendars can list important school, government, business and tourism events to provide a useful reference for all users.
County history page - This consists of a few paragraphs describing the history of the county.
Links page - It is customary to provide links to other pages which may be of use or interest to the user. These may include links to neighboring counties, local governments, the state government, regional schools and colleges, local interests, entertainment, and local sports.
County departments and services - One main page should list every county department. It should be an index page listing each department's name or service along with the name of its manager/supervisor, the contact phone number and a brief description of the department/service. If the listed department has a Web page, the link to it should be placed here.
Economic development - This is a large area which will be of concern to many. The page could contain links to many areas and subjects important to the economic development of the county, such as demographic, geographic and geologic and engineering information; a Business Yellow Pages, listing business that want to participate along with links to their home pages; and major tracts of land available for development with links to the developers, as well as county programs and development plans.
Guest book and feedback page - This page allows visitors to leave their name and address. It can also be used to poll visitors on their opinion of the county's Web page and their reason for visiting - research, tourist, business, county news and information. If a tourist visits, ask when they plan to visit, and provide them with a checklist of county information they might like to receive.
The guest book page should also include an e-mail form to allow users to send mail to the county requesting general information.
Disclaimers - A disclaimer is a simple statement explaining that the county is not responsible for the information provided by the linked sights and that all information may not be current.
County emergency information page - This page would list contact information for emergency services as well as advice from the county on how to handle certain emergencies (storms, floods, etc.). Local hospitals and phone numbers would be listed along with an explanation of how and when to use 911.
Local recreation page - List of local golf courses and county parks with description of each including facilities and location.
Tourism information page - This page would contain information for visitors to your county. Links can be established from this page to the other county pages containing information of interest to tourists. Additional links can be added to businesses involved in tourism throughout the county if they have home pages.
There are, of course, some administrative considerations for a county contemplating the development of a home page.
To do this, the county should make sure that at least one computer in each department or section is capable of accessing the Internet and the Web.
Additionally, county employees should be able to tell citizens how they can access the county home page. For those with computers, all the county would need to do is publicize the address. For those without computers, the county would need to tell the caller where Internet services can be accessed. The answer is usually the public library, although access can also be found at businesses, schools and universities.
A home page is a constantly evolving document. It can start small with just a few simple pages of black and white text and grow daily into a full-color display including photographs, maps, diagrams and links to multiple pages.
Changes to the posted information can be made as fast as they can be typed. New information can be added and old information removed as frequently as needed.
Commitment is needed to maintain and update the pages as information expires and new information becomes available.
The county should appoint a single responsible person to coordinate changes, updates and new postings, and to maintain a neat and uniform appearance of the pages.
All pages should include a link back to the county's home page. This will allow a Web user to find the county's home page if the system of county pages was accessed originally from a secondary linked page.
Costs for maintaining and updating the page are insignificant as these tasks can be done by volunteers. There are costs associated with the computer storage space for the posted information and access to the Internet. There are two general approaches for dealing with the costs of the technical requirements associated with a Web site/home page.
For individuals and organizations with small to medium space requirements, it is common to rent space from a service provider. Exact cost will vary from area to area. Cost will also fluctuate based on the amount of storage space used.
Initial setup fees can run from $30-$100; domain registration (Web site name), $100; and finally, monthly service charges can range from $30-$100, depending on the amount of space used. The coordinator of the county's pages would post the county pages on the rented space and maintain them as necessary.
Larger counties may decide to hook up one or more of their computers to the Internet directly and then set up a Web site on their own computer. Having an address on the Internet and direct control over the computer equipment can be an advantage in the long term for the county. Also, direct access to the internet can lead to all county offices sending and receiving e-mail.
When all is said and done, any county should be able to have a good Web site for an initial cost of $700 or less.