first published week of: 08/29/2016
Cities are embracing the concept of beta testing, saying that the best thing to do before going live with a new website is to, in fact, launch a website.
For years there has been the belief that cities have to unveil new websites in the same fashion they present their plazas or parks: in one swift reveal. From the start, every amenity has to be ready, each piece of content added and the design — with the exception of minor garnishments — should be set and final.
Often, for city officials applying such tactics, an unwanted discovery was imminent. They might see to their dismay that the work wasn’t done. Site features didn’t work the way they envisioned. Navigation buttons went awry. The maladies just continued until leaders found themselves crossing fingers and throwing cash at the problems.
That was then, this is now, and luckily things are gradually changing. Cities have learned that websites — like any other piece of 21st-century tech — are always evolving. It’s why they’re embracing the idea of beta testing, whose advocates argue that the best thing to do before launching a website is to, in fact, launch a website. continued…