The technical gateway to the City of Newark recently received a makeover, with features that address accessibility, navigation and enhanced design. The redesigned website also updated its domain name - switching from www.cityofnewarkde.us to www.newarkde.gov. While web visitors will still be able to access the site via the former address, the new web address was selected as a shorter and easier-to-remember option.  

"Newark prides itself on being a progressive city, with an intense focus on customer service excellence," said city manager Carol Houck. "Our new website supports both of those goals by adopting best practices in web access and design, including a mobile-friendly platform and improved navigation features."

The updated site is part of the City's contract with web development company, CivicPlus, which has served as the host and developer for the City site since it first established an online presence nearly a decade ago. The redesign process included internal reviews and assessments, as well as public town hall sessions to garner citizen feedback and input. 

Major upgrades include: a mobile-friendly design, allowing the site to scale to any mobile device and ensuring ease of navigation throughout; a mega drop-down menu, allowing users to quickly and easily identify the section they want to view without clicking through multiple sub-menus; larger fonts and a cleaner design to make it easier to read and find information quickly; embedded social media widgets, to stay up-to-date on the latest posts on the City social media sites; and updated photos throughout. 

A video tutorial to highlight the features of the new site is available here, as well as on Newark's Channel 22.