Improved service, easier navigation and cost savings – all will follow with the launch of Croydon Council’s improved website.
Designed with ease of use in mind, it was built with the help and suggestions of borough residents and members of council staff, and automatically adapts its layout for smartphones, tablets, PCs and laptops.
The improved functionality will ensure that online services are even more accessible to all, making them only a click or a swipe away, wherever the user is, and whenever the user desires. It has never been easier to do business with the council. And improving online services helps the council to save money; and protect the services that matter to residents.
One driver behind the redesign was the age of the software, which had reached the end of its life and could no longer be technically supported, making it increasingly difficult to offer a reliable service.
The site’s content has also been reviewed, resulting in a reduction of more than 3,500 pages, making it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for, while dumping out-of-date or overly complicated information.
The project has seen the council go into partnership with a new web-hosting and development partner – The Stationery Office. A specialist in working with central government, TSO is now bringing its skills and experience to local government.
“Improving our customers’ experience is really important to us, and that’s the main reason we built the new website with residents. The rebuild is one element of our overall plan to support more and more residents in regularly accessing the council’s online services. Figures have shown that, by paying bills and shopping online, a household can save an estimated £560 a year compared with one that’s offline. And increased use of online services saves the council money, too, helping to protect the services we offer. The ideal place to start is by registering with both My Account, where users can carry out council transactions such as council tax payment in one place, and the smartphone app My Croydon. Initial take-up has been encouraging. The number of residents signed up currently stands at 60,000, and we’re confident that, with even more services and functionality being added in coming months, that number will grow. We hope to see 80,000 by the end of March, meaning half of Croydon’s households are using My Account.”
Councillor Mark Watson, cabinet member for safety and justice
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