Town of Brookfield Leaps Into the Future With a Modern Website Redesign

“The biggest thing is that it’s so simple—just being able to convey information to the public more efficiently has been huge.”

– Tom Hagie, Town Administrator

Website Redesign for the Town of Brookfield

Bringing Local Government Services into the Modern Era

The Town of Brookfield is a thriving municipality known for its engaged community, local businesses and inviting public spaces. To meet the needs of over 6,500 residents, the town offers a variety of essential services ranging from emergency services, to license and permit processing, to parks and recreation and community events. Traditionally, these services were handled in person or via an outdated, hard-to-navigate website.

To create a user-friendly online platform, the Town of Brookfield partnered with Keystone Click. Keystone Click’s unique value proposition lies in delivering fully customized, user-focused websites designed for efficiency and growth. With a firm understanding of digital strategy, they set out to transform the old Brookfield site into a modern, engaging resource that meets evolving citizen and visitor expectations.

The Challenge

Outdated Technology Meets Evolving User Demands

When Tom Hagie, Town Administrator, joined the Town of Brookfield in 2017, it quickly became clear that the existing website was not serving Town of Brookfield residents. Built with outdated C++-based HTML, the old site hindered both staff and residents. As Hagie explained:

“As I worked with our website and our staff interacted with the website—and anyone trying to access information on the website—it was becoming very apparent that our website was very outdated.”

Core Pain Points

• Confusing Navigation: Essential documents and pages were buried under layers of unstructured menus.
• Limited Mobile Friendliness: Visitors struggled to use the site on phones or tablets.
• Out-of-Date Content: Broken links and outdated forms made it difficult for residents to rely on the information posted.
• Poor Aesthetics: The government look was present, but the site lacked the modern polish expected by today’s users.

As user expectations grew more sophisticated, staff realized they needed a platform that could streamline communication, update content easily and be navigable on mobile devices. 

The Objectives

A Future-Ready Website for Residents and Businesses

The Town of Brookfield envisioned a fully revamped site that would bring them “into the 22nd century,” as Hagie put it. The new site needed to simultaneously address the needs of internal staff, residents, businesses and visitors. In particular, they wanted:

1. Modern and Responsive Design: A mobile-friendly platform that looked professional and inviting for all users.
2. Streamlined Navigation: Intuitive menus so residents could easily find critical information like meeting minutes, forms and permits.
3. Consolidated Forms & Payments: A simple method for downloading PDFs and making online payments.
4. Stronger Community Engagement: A dynamic events calendar and a space for timely announcements or “hot links” on the homepage.
5. Workflow Approvals: An internal system to maintain content accuracy, ensuring all new pages or updates are vetted before going live.

The Strategy

A Collaborative Approach to Digital Transformation

Keystone Click tackled the challenge by merging modern web practices with a user-first mindset, ensuring a seamless experience for both town staff and the public. From in-depth planning sessions to iterative design sprints, each stage focused on clarity, usability, and streamlined content management.

Analysis

• In-Depth Research: Keystone Click held discovery meetings with Hagie and other key stakeholders to understand the structure of government pages, the volume of online forms and the needs of local businesses.
• User Journey Mapping: They identified the most common paths—such as paying a fee, finding board meeting minutes or accessing permit forms—and tested how users navigated these processes.
• Content Audit: The existing site had scattered pages and outdated documents. By auditing every page, Keystone Click discovered which content needed updating, consolidation or removal.

Insight

• The data revealed that visitors accessed the site from multiple devices, so mobile responsiveness was non-negotiable.
• Hagie and the team highlighted the need for an approval workflow, ensuring that every item posted receives a final review—avoiding outdated or incorrect information going live.

Strategy

1. Redesigned Architecture: Keystone Click created a new site map with intuitive labels for each department and service category.
2. Workflow Implementation: A customized content approval process was put in place, giving Hagie final oversight on time-sensitive or public-facing updates.
3. Events Calendar Pro: A robust calendar system ensures that recurring and one-time events are organized, easily searchable and kept up-to-date.
4. Optimized Forms & Payment Links: Keystone Click added direct links for online bill pay, plus well-labeled PDF forms for various permits and licenses.
5. Mobile-First Design: The site was tested on smartphones and tablets, eliminating pinch-zoom or layout breakage issues.

Throughout the project Keystone Click maintained close collaboration with Hagie, ensuring any last-minute changes or refined needs were quickly integrated. 

The Results

A Streamlined Website That Serves the Entire Community

With Keystone Click’s web development and digital marketing expertise, the Town of Brookfield now enjoys a clean, modern online presence that meets user expectations:

• Easier Navigation: Residents can effortlessly locate important items like forms, fee schedules and meeting agendas.
• Faster Updates: Staff appreciate the approval workflow, which ensures new pages and event listings are accurate before going live.
• Increased Engagement: A dynamic calendar and timely “hot links” on the homepage highlight critical updates, boosting interaction from both residents and visitors.
• Positive Feedback: Hagie reported enthusiastic responses from all corners—board members, local businesses and new residents exploring the area.

According to Hagie:

“We’ve received a lot of very positive feedback from board and committee members, staff, residents, and businesses. The new website is mobile-ready,  easier to understand and navigate, and it makes things a lot more efficient.”

More than a mere design overhaul, this transformation has improved communication, reduced staff workload and enhanced the town’s digital reputation. The Town of Brookfield has a reliable platform that can scale with future needs—exactly the success they envisioned at the project’s start.

Ready to Modernize Your Online Presence?

Discover the Benefits of Working with Keystone Click

Whether you’re a municipality seeking a resident-friendly website or a business aiming to optimize your online reach, Keystone Click brings the expertise and collaborative approach that ensures every project hits the mark. By focusing on user experience, reliable technology, and stakeholder alignment, Keystone Click can help you:

• Streamline your website’s navigation
• Implement effective approval workflows
• Grow community or customer engagement
• Enhance mobile accessibility
• Stand out in a crowded digital space

Contact Keystone Click today to learn how we can tailor a solution that transforms your digital presence—just like we did for the Town of Brookfield. Let’s put your organization on the path to a modern, efficient, and user-friendly future!