Website for Municipality and Government to Serve the People
Sheffield Village, Ohio, is the first community to launch on the CitizenFirst CMS website platform
CitizenFirst CMS is an easy-to-use content management system with features purpose-built for civic brands, city councils, and community engagement.
CitizenFirst CMS for governments, civic organizations, and municipalities delivered the results we need
As the Mayor of Sheffield Village, Ohio, I wanted our website to reflect the civic pride our residents and businesses have in our village. Our community had grown, but our website hadn’t. It was old and lacked the functionality, responsiveness, security, and ADA compliance we needed.
It was no longer an effective tool to adequately communicate to our residents, businesses, or visitors. Our office didn’t have the internal expertise or capacity to develop the website ourselves so we turned to Aespire for help. They delivered!” — Mayor John D. Hunter
The Business Case
Lack of Time and Capacity to Manage A Municipality Website
Like so many communities, Sheffield Village realized they don’t have the resources, capacity, or expertise to develop a secure and reliable website that supports the goals of the administration, promotes transparency, meets state and federal requirements, supports economic development, and serves the community.
Mayor John Hunter and the Sheffield Village Council knew their website didn’t reflect the community’s positive growth, forward-thinking brand, and tremendous opportunity that Sheffield Village offers for economic development in Northeast Ohio.
Limited by the inability to manage and update the website in real-time, a lack of website accessibility to residents and site visitors, and a website that was over a decade old, Sheffield Village knew it needed to make a change so it can continue to grow.
Brand Strategy:
CitizenFirst CMS for Government and Municipality Websites
That’s why SheffieldVillage.com is the first StoryBrand community and civic website design to launch on the Aespire CitizenFirst Digital platform.
The CitizenFirst Digital platform is purpose-built for the needs of any size community, by an agency with decades of community brand-building and economic development expertise.
Aespire guided the administration leadership team using the proven business storytelling model, StoryBrand, to develop a brand narrative that captures:
- Who their visitors are is and the information and services they want;
- Clearly-defined problems people want solved;
- Why Sheffield Village is the preferred place to work, play, live, and do business in Lorain County Ohio; and
- What people’s lives will be like after they moving to or visiting Sheffield Village.
Outcomes:
Empowering Mayors and Administrators to Manage Better
Now the administration is equipped with a website that empowers designated staff members to:
- Manage and update content from a web browser with user-friendly editing tools,
- Maintain archival records so Sheffield Village stays in compliance with State legal code,
- Reduce barriers for website visitors with ADA compliant enhancements,
- Provide residents and the business community with the information they need,
- Increase trust, credibility, and opportunities for economic development, and
- Share the story of why Sheffield Village is a preferred place to live, work, play, and do business.
Over 6,000 page views per month
6% Growth in New Business Openings
Expanded Reach through NextDoor and Facebook
The ROI of the CitizenFirst CMS Website Platform
Metrics and Analytics Prove ROI
Analytics are a welcome addition to proving the return on investment for Sheffield Village:
- The former site was not mobile-friendly. Now, the analytics reveal an astonishing 32% of visitors are mobile users, meaning more people than ever are able to access the website.
- The average session duration is over 2 minutes.
- A lower-than-average 42% bounce rate reveals that visitors are finding the information they are looking for.
It’s clear that visitors are engaged with the site now that Sheffield Village is equipped with analytics and monthly reporting.
A Website Residents and Leaders are Proud Of
“Now our website, sheffieldvillage.com, properly promotes our family-focused and business-friendly community in the heart of Lorain county. Thanks to the work Aespire did, we now have a secure and reliable website that supports the goals of the administration, promotes transparency, meets the legislative and municipal code requirements and serves our residents and the community.” — Mayor John D. Hunter
Experience the results of a StoryBrand civic and municipality website redesign at https://sheffieldvillage.com
Professional guidance to develop and empower civic leaders
“Aespire turned our old, outdated website into a fabulous story and brand of what Sheffield Village living is all about! They met with few members of the Village Council and the Mayor to find out what story we wanted to share about our Village. They listened, shared their ideas, and then they made it our own. We were extremely pleased with the final result. I would highly recommend them to anyone who needs to have their story told, and increase brand awareness! — Carolyn White, Council Member
Do you feel powerless because you’re competing against deep-pocketed competitors? Call today to design a strategy to capture demand, create new customers, and grow your business.
Aespire Branding
5061 N Abbe Rd, Suite 2
Sheffield Village, OH 44035
Phone: (440) 322-5142
Email Aespire
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