Hanover’s Perspective
Hanover County Launches Mobile GIS Site
In its continuing effort to provide outstanding service to its citizens, Hanover County launched a mobile-friendly version of its geographic information system (GIS) website that allows easier access to the County’s mapping, tax parcel, zoning, and government services data.
The County launched the redesign of its main website in March with mobile capabilities. This redesign sparked the mobile redesign of the GIS site.
“The mobile version of the GIS site doesn’t have all the functionality of the desktop version, but it does include the most used features,” said Kevin Nelson, Hanover County director of information technology.
The Information Technology Department worked with a focus group of power users of the desktop GIS site. This group consisted of real estate, community development and engineering professionals.
“For this redesign, we wanted to focus on their needs,” commented Nelson. “This group was instrumental in determining the main uses needed for the mobile site and in testing the mobile site prior to launch.”
With more than 12,000 hits per month, the GIS site is by far the most-used Hanover County local government website. Sites for the Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Parks and Recreation each see approximately 8,000 users per month.
“Advancements in technology allow us to expand our reach and bring Hanover citizens closer to government,” said Hanover County Administrator Cecil ‘Rhu’ Harris. “The new responsive design provides condensed, easily accessible County information and makes for a better user experience on mobile devices.”
According to Pew Research, 58 percent of American adults own a smartphone, and 42 percent own a tablet.