Chester County Government’s website, www.chesco.org, changed its look this week to allow easy navigation on smart phones and tablets as well as desktop computers and laptops. The “responsive design” is the first of its kind for county government websites in the greater Philadelphia region and allows chesco.org to automatically detect the visitor’s screen size and orientation, and change the layout accordingly.

“Citizens of a first class county deserve a first class website. Chesco.org receives 4.4 million page views a year, and nine out of ten people currently view it from a desktop or laptop,” said Chester County Commissioners’ Chair Terence Farrell. “But as nearly two out of three people own a smart phone, it makes sense to ensure county programs and services are accessible to them on their phones or tablets.”

The new website also features intuitive navigation and a powerful search option that is central to the site. The responsive design platform also provides the opportunity to automate more of the county government’s processes for mobile and desktop users.

Commissioner Kathi Cozzone said, “Chester County’s website has always provided a valuable service to county citizens, with details on how to register to vote, obtain a marriage license, report for jury duty, search property deeds, research veterans’ services, our parks and trails, even genealogy records. And with many households depending on their smart phones for Internet access, it’s very important that county human services, health and community development programs are easily found on a mobile device.”

Commissioner Michelle Kichline added, “Our previous website was an award-winning site that featured County services and programs, and served as a portal to county information such as schools and municipalities. But it is our intention to remain current with technology. The future of internet access is moving from desktop computers to smart phones and tablets, and this new design reflects this.”

Visitors to Chester County’s website, www.chesco.org, can sign up to receive information on the latest County news and events, and can register with Chester County’s emergency notification system, ReadyChesco, as well as search for volunteer opportunities through VolunteerChesco.