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Rural Community
Marketing & Communication
City websites built to ADA accessibility standards, social media that residents actually see, and a plan for the day something goes wrong. One Kansas team for your whole community.
The Challenge
Small towns are asked to do big-city communications with a fraction of the staff.
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In most rural communities, the person updating the city website is also the city clerk, the utility billing office, and the front desk. Residents still expect to pay a bill online, find the council agenda, and get a text when the water is shut off.
And there's a deadline. Under the Department of Justice's ADA Title II rule, cities and counties serving fewer than 50,000 people must make their websites accessible to people with disabilities by April 26, 2028 (the standard is WCAG 2.1 AA). Larger governments must meet it by April 26, 2027.
Services
Website Design & ADA Accessibility
We build city, county, tourism, and economic development websites to WCAG 2.1 AA standards, the level the ADA Title II rule requires. Residents can pay utility bills, find agendas and minutes, request services, and sign up for alerts in a few clicks, on any device. Already have a site? We'll audit it and give you a plain-English list of what to fix before your deadline.
Social Media & Digital Marketing
We manage your city's Facebook and Instagram, plan content around council meetings, events, and seasons, and run targeted ads to bring in visitors, workers, and new businesses. Our in-house photographers and FAA-certified drone pilots capture your community as it really is. No stock photos.
Strategic Communications
We help you tell your community's story with one clear voice. That includes branding, messaging guides, newsletters, press releases, and public engagement plans for projects like bond issues, new facilities, and comprehensive plans.
Crisis Communications
Wildfire, severe weather, a boil-water order, a utility outage. When something goes wrong, residents need clear information fast. We build your crisis communication plan ahead of time, with message templates, approval steps, and channel checklists. When it happens, our team can help get the word out.
Marketing Strategy & Creative
From a new city logo to a tourism campaign or a business recruitment package, we connect creative work to real goals: more visitors, more new businesses, more people choosing to live in your town.
Medicine Lodge, KS
How we helped Medicine Lodge, Kansas, tell its whole story online.
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Medicine Lodge is the county seat of Barber County, a town of 1,781 people (2020 Census) in the Gyp Hills of south-central Kansas. The city, its tourism effort, and its community coalition each needed a website. We built all three, so residents, visitors, and partners get one connected experience.
The City of Medicine Lodge:
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A city website built around what residents actually need to do:
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Pay utility bills and other city fees online
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Find council agendas, minutes, and meeting times
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Download forms and permit applications
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Report a concern or request Public Works help through the Action Center
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Sign up for text alerts, including weather alerts
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Find the airport, pool, recycling schedules, and public safety information
Visit the Gyp Hills:
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A tourism website that invites visitors to see "Kansas like you've never seen." It features outdoor recreation, shopping and galleries, food and drink, family activities, and lodging, with photography of the region. It links directly from the city site, so visitors and residents can move between them easily.
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Barber County United:
Launching Soon
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A new site for Barber County United, a rural quality-of-life coalition based in Medicine Lodge. It will share the coalition's work on child care, early literacy, mental health, leadership, and prevention, and make it easy to donate or get involved.
FAQ
When does my city's website need to be ADA compliant?
Under the Department of Justice's ADA Title II rule, cities, counties, and special districts serving fewer than 50,000 people must meet the standard by April 26, 2028. Those serving 50,000 or more must meet it by April 26, 2027. Population is based on 2020 Census data.
What does WCAG 2.1 AA mean for a small town website?
It's the accessibility standard the rule requires. In practice, it means things like descriptive text on images, enough color contrast, captions on videos, forms that work with screen readers, and pages you can use with only a keyboard.
Does this apply to PDFs, like agendas and minutes?
In most cases, yes. Documents you post on your website generally need to be accessible too. We can help you set up a simple process so your staff can post accessible agendas and forms.
How much does a city website cost? It depends on the number of pages and features, like online bill pay or alert sign-ups.
Can a small town afford a marketing agency?
Yes. We work with small staffs and small budgets every day. You can start with one project, like a website or a crisis plan, and add services when you're ready.
Do small towns really need a crisis communication plan?
Yes. Wildfire, severe weather, and utility emergencies happen everywhere, and small towns have fewer people to handle them. A plan written ahead of time means faster, clearer messages when residents need them most.