Gulf Shores, Ala – April 4, 2013 – During the past 18 months, the City of Gulf Shores has spearheaded an initiative to create a unique, identifiable brand for the city. Results of this effort can already be seen with a new logo and tagline in place and new gateway and wayfinding signage on the way. 

On Thursday, the city introduced the next piece of their plan as they officially launched a new website that they believe will offer a better online experience for residents, businesses and visitors, while helping to reinforce their “Small Town, Big Beach” brand.

While the web address - www.gulfshoresal.gov - remains the same, officials say the new site offers a clean design with easier navigation and provides the city the ability to update content more efficiently. 

“This entire site was built with a service-oriented mindset,” Grant Brown, Director of Recreation and Cultural Affairs, said.  “Everything, from the company we selected to how the content and navigation were built, was in an effort to help us better serve our citizens.”

After nearly seven months of development with the Manhattan, Kan., based company, CivicPlus, officials say Gulf Shores is poised to take their level of service to a higher level.

“We recognized that our previous site forced users to know what department handled specific issues in order to find the information they were looking for,” Brown said. “Our new site places content in service-based categories that will keep people from having to dig to find information.”

The website’s homepage features five major categories: Government, City Services, Community, Visitors and a “How Do I?” feature that allows users the ability to easily find answers to common questions.

“We couldn’t be more excited to launch this site,” Mayor Robert Craft said. “The tools, modules and content that this site offers have the ability to change our world from a service standpoint. We believe this site will help us engage and more effectively communicate with the public.”

Some of the new features include real-time weather updates, a current surf conditions flag and a “Notify Me” area which allows users to sign up to receive text and email notifications when agendas, meetings, bid opportunities and events are posted.

While the launch of the new site is exciting for Gulf Shores, Craft says the best is yet to come.

“The most exciting thing for us is that the launch of this site is just the beginning,” Craft said. “The CivicPlus platform gives us the ability to continuously develop and introduce new tools and features to the site, some of which are already in the works. We believe this site will become a valuable resource for us all.”

About Gulf Shores

For anyone who seeks a beach escape for a day or a lifetime, Gulf Shores is an uncomplicated beach community, making it the perfect prescription for relaxed living. Gulf Shores combines the spectacular beaches of the Gulf of Mexico with year-round opportunities to connect with the natural environment, participate in abundant activities, and create unforgettable beach memories. For friends, family and couples who want to enjoy time together; Gulf Shores is the beach of choice, because it provides the freedom to pursue fun, relaxing and enriching experiences in a welcoming, safe and wholesome environment.

About CivicPlus

CivicPlus has designed more than 1,300 local government websites serving over 50 million citizens throughout North America. A recipient of the Center for Digital Government’s Best Fit Integrator Award for delivering extraordinary digital solutions to public IT projects, CivicPlus transforms municipal websites into powerful two-way communication platforms that let citizens talk to and participate in local government. The company is a certified GSA Schedule contract holder for the U.S. Federal Government as an Information Technology Service provider (SIN 132-51) under the IT Schedule 70. CivicPlus also holds statewide master contracts for web hosting and development services with the Kansas Department of Administration and the Texas Department of Information Resources.