CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The state of West Virginia is pleased to announce the state’s newly redesigned official website, WV.gov. The new version of the website features a fresh, image-rich design, streamlined content and a mobile-friendly user experience. An approximate average of seven million visits is received each year on this website.
“As more citizens access the Internet from mobile devices, it is vital to keep up with technologies that make government resources easy to find and use,” said State Chief Technology Officer Gale Given. “The new website offers an improvement to our existing web presence and remains an important aspect of the state’s continual effort to make government more accessible to West Virginia citizens.”
User feedback and analytical data were utilized to guide the redesign toward a more streamlined portal. Because usage statistics showed that the site search feature was heavily utilized, especially by mobile users, the new design features the site search box prominently on every page and, even more so, on the mobile view. The mobile-friendly aspect of the design automatically detects the size of the user’s screen and scales content to fit.
In addition to the new design aspects, the new WV.gov also features a state agency social media directory. Users can now easily find the official social media pages for state agencies. Included in the directory are Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, RSS, Instagram, Vimeo, Pinterest and YouTube.
Additional features in the new WV.gov include:
• Enterprise News Center: News and announcements from over 30 agencies are accumulated and made available on the site and through a single RSS feed. Also new is a searchable news directory and archive.
• Customer Support: Customer support options have been featured prominently, including the online chat service and Live Help.
• Location-Based Maps: Enter a location or grant permission to use a mobile device’s location automatically to find nearby resources.
• Highlighted State Scenery: Beautiful imagery from around the state will be featured and changed regularly.
• Touch-Friendly Features: Easily use a touch-enabled computer or mobile device to navigate the site.
The WV.gov website was redesigned at no cost to taxpayers through West Virginia Interactive’s partnership with the state of West Virginia. West Virginia Interactive also works with more than 70 state agencies, managing over 140 online applications through a self-funded model. For more information about the state of West Virginia, please visit www.wv.gov.