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Our Process

Find out how we manage a council website project

We have a tried and tested methodology behind our plans for building and launching town and parish council websites. Zonkey have been building websites for 14 years and have a wide range of experience across all sectors and industries. We’ve drawn upon this experience to offer a simple process for all council clients so we can get you up and running, quickly, safely and securely.

1. Sitemap & Content Plan

  • This aspect of the project deals with reviewing a sitemap of your current site to identify and confirm a structure for the new site. This isn’t about the actual content and words but more about the site hierarchy and user flow.
  • You’ll work with a dedicated senior account manager from start to finish to allow for improved communication and project coordination
  • At this stage we’ll work to provide a clear timeline with specific milestones to help you understand the project phases and your responsibilities.

2. Functionality Review

  • After assessing your content requirements, we review your needs against our framework to plan the best way to structure and deploy your content.

3. Site Development & Branding

  • The styling of the site which covers the logo, colours, branding and imagery, is all bespoke to you. We test your colour choices to ensure WCAG 2.1AA guidelines are met, and advise on alternatives as needed. We then roll out a development site using your branding and begin the process of populating with your content.

4. Content Population

  • We create the site structure and add the page content, so this isn’t something you need to worry about at the start. We will provide a quote based on your existing content as to how long this will take.
  • Content needs to be added carefully to ensure pages adhere to the accessibility guidelines.

5. Website Testing

  • You’re obligated to comply with WCAG accessibility guidelines and we’ll work with you to test your site and publish an accessibility statement. This statement can identify any areas where the site does not meet accessibility standards, such as existing PDF files or downloads.

6. Website Training

  • We’ll arrange an online training session for you and your team where we’ll cover all aspects of the site so you can all feel confident in managing content going forwards.

7. Website Launch

  • When the site is ready to launch we’ll prepare your secure hosting account for you. If we aren’t looking after your domain, we will provide you, or your IT company, with the DNS details that need to be changed. Once in place the site goes live and we undertake final testing and checks.
  • As part of the launch process, we’ll integrate your site with Google Search Console so pages are properly indexed, and we’ll embed Google Analytics GA4 codes. We can also integrate site search functionality with your analytics account.

7. Post-Launch Support & Maintenance

  • After your site has launched we’ll be on hand to help with anything you may need. You’ll have access through your secure dashboard to be able to manage all aspects of your content, but we’ll provide maintenance services to ensure your site is running smoothly at all times.
  • We have a range of maintenance options on offer, to suit all council types and budgets. Our aim is long-term client satisfaction and we’ll work with you to ensure the website continues to work for you at all times.

Next Steps

If you’re ready to move forward with your project, or you have any questions about what we offer, then you can contact us or fill out our no-obligation council website quotation request form.