Case | Arvidsjaur Municipality
From 286th place to the top 10 – how Arvidsjaur revamped its website
How does a municipality create a website that appears cohesive, secure, and user-friendly for both residents and editors? When Arvidsjaur Municipality decided to switch from Municipio to Sitevision, it was about more than just a platform change. It marked the start of a strategic transformation where the focus shifted from scattered, custom-built solutions and technical issues to structure, accessibility, and long-term quality.
Background and Challenge
The municipality of Arvidsjaur faced several challenges with its previous website. The old solution, which was based on Municipio and WordPress, had over time evolved into a complex environment with numerous customizations and differing workflows across the various departments. The result was a website where different parts of the organization created their own solutions and visual styles, which made the experience confusing for residents and difficult to manage for the editors.
“You couldn’t tell that you were on the same municipality’s website, even though you were,” says Andrea Fritsche, strategic communications officer at Arvidsjaur Municipality.
The high degree of flexibility in the previous solution created daily challenges for the editors. Customized solutions, manual workflows, and heavy reliance on external plugins made the website cumbersome and difficult to quality-assure. At the same time, issues regarding accessibility, security, and performance were becoming increasingly important.
The municipality needed a platform that could create:
- A more consistent and professional digital experience
- Clearer structure and simpler administration
- Better support for accessibility and quality assurance
- More stable workflows for editors
- A long-term, sustainable technical foundation
Solution
The solution was a strategic switch from Municipio to Sitevision, carried out in collaboration with the partner Limepark External link..
The goal was not only to migrate content from the old WordPress platform, but to create a more sustainable workflow for the entire organization. The municipality therefore conducted a comprehensive review of content, structure, and editorial processes.
The number of editors was reduced and roles were clarified to ensure higher quality and a more consistent experience across the entire website. Through standardized templates in the tool and a clearer framework, it became easier to ensure that, for example, contact information, opening hours, and links are always presented in a consistent manner.
For the editors, the change also meant a more secure and intuitive way of working.
“Now we see exactly what we’re publishing. That alone is important,” says Olivia Lundberg, administrator at Arvidsjaur Municipality.
With the new platform, editors can see exactly how the content will appear to visitors while still in edit mode. This has reduced the need for time-consuming quality checks and made publishing significantly smoother.
The municipality also saw major benefits in the interface’s built-in support for accessibility and quality assurance. Sitevision’s platform helps editors detect, for example, broken links and accessibility issues even before publication, reducing the need for manual checks and external third-party solutions.
Result
The transition to Sitevision marked the beginning of a significant improvement in quality, both technically and organizationally. Having previously had a fragmented and difficult-to-manage website, Arvidsjaur Municipality now offers a faster, more consistent, and more reliable digital experience for its residents.
The effects are also evident in external metrics. Arvidsjaur improved its ranking in Webperf’s External link. municipal rankings, moving from 286th to 10th place.
At the same time, the day-to-day work of the editors has changed. What was previously characterized by errors, support requests, and uncertainty has been replaced by more stable workflows and a greater focus on content quality.
“With our previous platform, we had to contact support almost daily,” says Olivia Lundberg, administrator at Arvidsjaur Municipality.
"Now we're deciding what to publish. Just something like that."
Andrea Fritsche
Digitalization Strategist
Arvidsjaur Municipality
“With our previous platform, we had to contact customer support almost every day.”
Olivia Lundberg
Administrator
Arvidsjaur Municipality
Summary
By prioritizing consistency and a stable technical foundation, Arvidsjaur has transformed its digital chaos into a top-tier position at the national level. The change marked the end of expensive custom solutions and the beginning of a website where accessibility and security are built into every click. Climbing from 286th place to the top 10 proves that choosing the right platform saves both time and resources.