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<br />e)GIt(~IT t7 VLf- <br /> <br /> <br />A SPECIAL INSERT TO MINNESOTA CITIES MAGAZINE, MAYIJUNE 2000 ISSUE <br /> <br />CREATING <br />EFFECTIVE <br />CITY WEB SITES <br /> <br /> <br />According to a study by the Pew Research Center, one.fifth of <br />Americans gel news from the Internet at least once a week. The <br />number ofInternetusers doubles every 100 days. And between <br />25 percent and 30 percent ofbouseholds nationwide have Internet <br />access. <br /> <br />Here in Minnesota, a Star TribunelMinnesota Public Radio poll <br />shows that 55 percent of us bave access to the Internet, with most <br />of us going online for e-mail, browsing, and research. <br /> <br />As more and more people go online, they are beginning to expect the <br />same convenience and service from their city government. And for <br />city government, developing a Web site ailows you to use technology <br />creatively to serve your city's communications objectives. Whether <br />your city is just starting out or you have had some experience with <br />tbe successes and shortcomings of a city Web site, there is always <br />a need to think about how to make your site an effective <br />communications tooL <br /> <br />REASONS TO HAVE A WEB SITE <br />. Meet increasing citizen expectations. <br />. Communicate more effectively. <br />. Build connections and involvement. <br /> <br />EFFECTIVE WEB SITES <br /> <br />. Focus on visitors' information needs. <br />. Provide new, timely, and frequently updated information <br />and resources. <br />. Eliminate frustration through access, organization, <br />and readability. <br />. Offer opportunities for feedback and interaction. <br />. Build an online community. <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />Infonnation included in this special insert to Minnesota Cities <br />magazine was presented to members at the !MC Web Site Development <br />Conference, held Feb. 10, 2000. <br />