GULF SHORES, Ala. — The degree of importance of a Web site in running a business often depends on the type of business it represents. If that business happens to be the city government of a resort town, one can assume that the Web site would be vitally important.

With that in mind, the city of Gulf Shores began revamping its Web site at the first of the year, and is preparing to launch a newly designed site in the fall with a fresh new look and easier navigation than the present site.

“Our goal was to create a fresh new look, targeting both residents and tourists, making the site easy to navigate and one that will really show off the wide variety of natural resources, entertainment and activities,” said Information Systems manager Diane Brown in a press release.

According to Brown, Shana Russell, the network administrator in the city’s IS Department, has been handling the new design, which uses the latest software tools that provide many new Web design options and facilitates ongoing maintenance.

“We are very fortunate to have Shana,” Brown said. “She is very creative and studied Web design and programming while attending the University of West Florida.”

The new Web site will include information about special events, sports and recreational activities, links to other important local sites, and easy access to conducting city business. There have been numerous review cycles including the city administrator, mayor, council and department heads.

Already available to city employees, suggestions are still being made and the Web site is still being tweaked for full effectiveness.

“We have received a lot of input from internal, and we continue to make changes that will make the Web site most effective,” Brown said.

Gulf Shores plans to launch the new Web site for public access in September. At up-coming Town Hall meetings and neighborhood meetings, an overview will be provided to citizens, allowing for feedback and recommendations so the site can be further improved.

Phase II of the site is already being planned, which will offer more interactive functionality, including social networking tools, online forms and payment submittals, and Web-casting municipal news via video directly from city officials.

“The Internet and Web sites are critical communication tools in today’s world and part of how the city can improve communication with the community,” Brown said.  “We are excited to make the city Web site a tool that is used daily to keep up with everything we have to offer and make it easy for citizens to do business with us.”