Modules
Base Spark CMS Features
Every new Market Creations Agency website receives the following modules and features.
Administration Security
Create your own Spark CMS user logins for additional staff members to access and maintain your website.
Cascading Menu
Create or update your own menu structure through the Cascading Menu. This gives full control over the website’s sitemap in an easy to understand tree view.
Administrators can edit menu text, temporarily disable menu items, change order and choose from an automatically-generated list of links to CMS content throughout the website.
Website Example: Home » Shire of Murchison
Content Search and Indexing
A built-in search functionality allows all types of content to be indexed and searched for. All modules integrate directly to the index ensuring new or updated content is made available through the search engine. Links or documents (PDF, DOC, DOCX etc.) are also crawled and added to the search index.
Website Example: Website Search » Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley (swek.wa.gov.au)
Design Template Manager
For advanced website users looking to have more control over the customisation of website templates and styling, the Design Template Manager allows you to adjust the design of your website. Please note that an understanding of HTML, JavaScript and CSS is required.
Document Centre
This fully searchable module allows administrators to create as many categories as needed to house official documents in one central location. An authenticated login can also be created, allowing access to internal or otherwise sensitive documents through the same centre.
Advanced feature options:
Website Example: Documents in General » Shire of Jerramungup
Page Centre
Browse existing and build new webpages within this feature-packed and easy to use What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) editor. The Page Centre provides all the formatting tools needed to style and build web page content, including pre-made heading styles, bold and italics, font colours, font sizes, tables, lists, hyperlinks and uploading and inserting images and videos. Advanced website administrators can also choose to view and edit the page code directly.
Advanced feature options:
- Content Review Notifications
- Related Items Add-On
- Payment Gateway
Social Media Optimisation
Administers can determine what information is displayed when website links are shared via Facebook and Twitter. This includes manually customising the image and meta descriptions that appear in the link preview on social media.
Support Register
Request help from the Market Creations Agency support team directly from within the CMS.
A support officer will then get in touch with you either via phone or email to help with your request.
Website Accessibility Controls
This module facilitates Disability Access and Inclusion Plan Implementation (DAIPI). Your website users will have all the tools to ensure all information, services and facilities on your website are accessible to those with visual impairment, including the ability to re-size fonts and increase colour contrast.
Website Examples: Our Community, Our People, Our Future » Coolgardie Shire Council
Web Forms and Responses
This basic version of the form builder provides a great way to interact with your users online.
You can create questionnaires, surveys, collect shire information, and more.
Website Examples: Online Form - Report It » City of Albany
Website URL Manager
Create custom short URLs using the Website URL Manager. This module allows you to transform lengthy website URLs into short and succinct campaign URLs which can be easily added to your marketing collateral and shared via social media.
Workflow
An audit log provides CMS Administrators with a view of all changes to CMS content across all modules, detailing each change.
This history also provides CMS administrators
and editors the ability to recover a particular version of content. Various access levels are controlled through user permissions and module access. Desired workflow control can be implemented, allowing content to be reviewed before being published live.
Spark CMS
Additional Modules
Additional modules offer increased functionality to your website and give users an enhanced experience. Modules can be added to your site at any time. Some of Spark CMS’s features and modules include:
A-Z Website Index
Provide your users with an additional way to find content on your site with the A-Z Website Index. Your entire website's page content will be listed alphabetically and grouped by letter, allowing visitors to view al pages or filter by individual letters.
Website Examples: Website A to Z » Shire of Katanning
Accommodation Booking
This solution allows website users to plan and book their stay via your website. The intuitive design allows for accommodation and tour options to be displayed in a preferred date range with the different daily rates. Refined search options are also available such as price range, accommodation type and available facilities.
*Sign up with Bookeasy or Room Manager required.
Website Examples: » Dowerin Short Stay Accommodation & Caravan Park (dowerinaccommodation.com.au)
Addition Design Templates
Customise the design of your subsequent pages with additional design templates. Your additional design can be as unique as you like while still utilising the same domain.
Website Examples: Visit Toodyay » Shire of Toodyay
Alerts - (Highly Recommended)
Ensure time-sensitive information is at the forefront of your website with the Alerts Module. Seamlessly integrated within your homepage slider, the module displays three kinds of alerts, each styled in their own colour: alert, warning and notification.
Suggested uses for the module include upcoming waste collection or animal registration renewal dates, weather warnings or even the introduction of new website features.
Advanced Feature Options:
Website Examples: The City of Vincent
Bin Day Module
Enable users to search for their bin day on your website, via integration with IntraMaps. Bin information can be displayed in a map and table format, with users able to search their home address to find their designated bin days. Information displayed can include red, green and yellow bin collection days as well as Green Waste and Bulk Verge collections.
*Subscription to IntraMaps required
Website Examples: Bins & collection days » City of Vincent
Classifieds (Inc. Auction)
Bring together your community with Classifieds. Allow website users to submit their own advertisements, with the ability to integrate payment gateways to create an engaging display catalogue of items for sale in your community.
Advanced Feature Options:
Client File Upload
Manage large file uploads (1GB+) to your website from both an administrator perspective and that of users. This also enables you to audit downloads and uploads with expiring links to download/upload areas.
Website Examples: Client File Upload » City of Greater Geraldton (cgg.wa.gov.au)
Client Relationship Manager (NEW)
This solution allows website administration to easily record and manage relationships with companies and contacts in one convenient place - without having to navigate away from your Spark CMS website. Details of all interactions, known as 'Activities', can be recorded in the module so you can better serve your clients and cater to their specific needs.
- Record and Manage Companies
- Record and Manage Contacts
- Record and Manage Activities for Companies/Contacts
- Organise Companies but custom types suitable to your organisation
Advanced Feature Options:
- Interactive Dashboard
- Custom Reporting
Consultations
This module makes it easier for website administrators to manage the display of projects for public viewing and current community consultations in one easy to search area. Create multiple projects that hold documents, descriptions and are easily accessible by website users in a specially designed layout.
Advanced Feature Options:
- Community Engagement
- Notifications
Council Meetings - (Highly Recommended)
The Council Meeting Module was developed specifically to help Local Government Authorities manage the promotion and publication of council meetings and the associated documentation online. Add and edit meetings, descriptions, upload minutes and attachments and have your meetings display automatically in an interactive, easy to navigate view.
Advanced Feature Options:
- Notifications (Agendas and Minutes)
- Electronic Meetings
Council and Staff Profile Manager
Allows Admins to create Councillor and Staff profiles for website users to view.
Including staff and councillor profiles on your website helps to build a relationship with your community. The Profile Manager allows administrators to create a clean and consistent display of staff and councillor information.
Pre-determined fields such as name, email and phone number are included and additional fields can be customised manually for each profile.
Website Examples: Councillors » City of Albany
Directory
The Directory module is your complete toolset for creating and managing online business and/or community directories.
Create a range of categories with this module and provide your community with a central location to find information on local clubs, businesses, non-profit groups and more. Community groups and businesses can also update and submit their details online. All directory listings will be sent reminders to update their listing details ensuring the correct information is always available.
Website Examples: Business Categories » Town of East Fremantle
Dynamic Digital Publication
Create interactive, realistic digital publications with the Dynamic Digital Publication module. Turn your static PDFs of printed publications, capability statements, catalogues, magazines and articles into an interactive virtual publication, complete with click-and-drag turning pages and other realistic animations. Your users will want to keep reading!
This module requires third party software licensing to achieve full functionality. Licensing is quoted separately.
E-Commerce
This advanced module provides everything you need to begin selling products in the online marketplace! Convert your website visitors to paying customers with an online store and a secure shopping cart. Add a price, image, description page and declare a shipping cost. Use categories to group your products and enhance the navigation of your online store. Websites can also opt in to have user reviews and comments.
Website Examples: Shop » Geraldton Golf Club
Employment
The Employment Module is a great way to promote the latest employment opportunities at your organisation. Users can read about an employment opportunity before submitting an application online complete with an uploaded cover letter and resume. Your website administrators are notified via email once an application has been received.
Advanced Feature Options:
Website Example: Employment Opportunities » City of Greater Geraldton (cgg.wa.gov.au)
eNews Mailchimp Integration
A great way for residents and visitors to keep up to date with your organisation on the fly. Your newsletter template will be custom designed by a professional graphic designer and built in Mailchimp, a user friendly, drag-and-drop online newsletter editor.
Your website visitors can then subscribe to your newsletter through a prominent call to action button. This module requires a Mailchimp account to achieve full functionality. Additional costs may apply.
Website Examples: » City of Vincent
Enterprise Application Integration
Reduce administration time and create a frictionless experience for website users by integrating your enterprise applications such as the below with Spark.
- TRIM/Content Manager
- Altus
- Synergy Online
- Docs on Tap and Doc Assembler
- InfoXpert
- Microsoft Active Directory
- Office 365
Website Examples: Online Services: Infringement Payment » Town of East Fremantle
Events Calendar - (Highly Recommended)
This module allows you to showcase all of your council and community events in an advanced calendar view. Choose between a traditional calendar or a modernised grid layout. Administrators can populate the secondary details with fields like location, time, organiser, email, phone and more.
Advanced Feature Options:
- Community Engagement
- Notifications
- Registrations
Website Example: Events Calendar » City of Albany
Event Management
This module allows the complete management of corporate events, including delegate management, ticket pricing and sales and reporting. Enable this module to coordinate and transact your next event in one easy location.
This module may require integration with a payment gateway.
Advanced Feature Options:
- Advanced Ticketing & Reporting
Facebook Messenger Live Chat Integration
Integrating your website with Facebook Messenger live chat creates a way for you to connect with your community and have live conversations with site visitors. The live chat will appear as a small floating icon in the bottom right corner of the website and when clicked a pop-up chat window will appear.
From here, the website user can chat with you via your corporate Facebook account and any message sent through the Messenger chat on your website will automatically appear in your Facebook page Inbox. Please note, it is recommended to integrate with your corporate Facebook account and not to link to personal accounts.
Website Example: The City of Vincent
Facilities Booking Manager
Provide your website visitors with the ability to book and pay for community facilities and resources online - with real-time facility availability. Website administrators can create and manage facilities and resources, rates, and are notified when a booking has been made. A great way to streamline the booking of public facilities and resources, saving administrative costs.
This module may require integration with a payment gateway.
Website Example: Facilities » Town of Port Hedland
Facilities Booking Manager Lite
Lite module is a paired back version of our base Facilities Booking module. The Lite version is ideal for intranet platforms and internal booking systems which require a quick, streamlined booking process for staff.
Fire Rating - (Highly Recommended)
Integrate Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) data in your website to display current fire danger information. Data is automatically updated daily and displayed on a website in the form of a conventional gauge chart.
Website Example: Home » Shire of Chittering
Forms - (Highly Recommended)
Build more advanced forms with the Forms Advanced Features! The new wizard-based forms include additional field types and are easier to use than the standard website forms. Users are guided through more complex forms step by step, and can even save their progress and return to submit it later.
Additional features of this also include the ability to send customised responses to users which can include PDF attachments. Submission limits also allow your administrators to control the number of times a form can be submitted.
Advanced Feature Options:
- Automation Tools
- Payment Gateway Integration
Website Example: Online Form - Volunteering Expression of Interest » Town of Bassendean
Google Translate
Improve your website’s accessibility by implementing Google Translate. You can tailor the languages to those that are most common in your community. Once a different language is selected, your website will be automatically translated to the chosen dialect.
Website Example: Home » City of Busselton
Image Gallery
Upload your community images to an interactive Image Gallery. Your website visitors can browse images in a thumbnail view, before clicking to view larger versions of images in a dynamic popup. Website administrators can easily upload multiple images at the same time, and add descriptions, titles and photo credits to each.
Advanced Feature Options:
- Community Engagement
- Notifications
Website Example: Image Gallery Albums » Shire of Sandstone
Image Rotators - (Highly Recommended)
Keep your home page dynamic with rotating images! This popular module provides an engaging way for you to deliver key messages or showcase images of your tourist attractions, lifestyle and community in action.
Start and end dates can be applied to images and once the time frame has been met, the image will automatically be archived — perfect for your upcoming promotions and events!
Website Example: Home » Shire of Gnowangerup
Landing Pages
The Landing Page Module allows you to create a landing page for an additional tier of the Cascading or Mega Menu which appears within the page centre content. This functionality allows for previews of web pages through a title, image and accompanying introductory text.
Therefore users can review the subject matter of multiple web pages before deciding on where to navigate. This will enhance the user experience and aid in reducing your website bounce rate.
Website Example: Planning » Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale (sjshire.wa.gov.au)
Latest News - (Highly Recommended)
Give your users a reason to revisit your site.
This module is a great way to inform visitors of the latest news and developments in your community. Your most recent stories will automatically appear on your home page feed with a link to the full article, where your website administrators have complete control over the content.
Your visitors can also browse a modern news archive interface to find additional stories.
This module works identically to a blog and is an invaluable tool for search engine optimisation and community engagement.
Advanced feature options:
- Community Engagement
- Notifications
Website Example: Latest News » Shire of Moora
Media Library
Manage your photos, videos and audio files using the Media Library. The intuitive interface allows administrators to drag and drop from their file system or specify a link to an external URL to render the video. The libraries will then be able to be easily inserted into website content areas as needed.
Website Example: Media Library » Town of Port Hedland
Mega Menu
This module provides advanced menu functionality. It allows a full width, subtitled menu layout, making it faster and easier for users to navigate a complex site. The Mega Menu is a smart addition for information-driven sites with at least three levels of menu items.
Membership Manager
Manage all facets of your membership base online in one easy location. Set up your own sponsorship packages and membership costs and sell them through your website. Your users will be able to join and renew their own membership packages online, saving administrative resources. Paying members can then log in to your website and update their own details at any time, view exclusive member-only page content and can receive membership e-Newsletters.
Implementation of the e-Newsletter feature requires purchase of the e-News Mailchimp Integration.
Advanced feature options:
- Payment Gateway Integration
Messaging (SMS Notifications)
Send SMS messages directly from Spark, with easy to manage contact lists and grouping functions to reach your target audience.
Multi-Site Website
Need more than one website for your Council’s needs? A cost and time-efficient initiative of CouncilConnect is the Multi-site Website. Sharing the one CMS and host environment allows your organisation to scale and represent individual service areas such as libraries, recreation centres, community resource centres or even your intranet.
This feature allows each site to have its own domain name, design, database, modules and content.
Advanced feature options:
- Multi-Site Content Sharing
Website Example: Perth's Favourite Swim + Gym | Beatty Park Leisure Centre
Near Me - (NEW)
Discover the council’s events, facilities, venues for hire and upcoming council works! Simply start typing in your address or use your location settings on your mobile. The Near Me module allows website administrators to geo-locate content to be displayed on a map.
Website users are then able to search content that is located near (or via an address) which includes events, news and page centre content.
The map will also be styled to suit your website homepage design.
Website Example: Near Me » City of Busselton
Pound Manager
Provide your rangers or administrative staff with a quick way to publicise impounded animals. Add specific details to each animal including impound number, sex, colour, breed, location found, date found, general comment and a
picture. This module will allow your team greater efficiencies and save valuable time.
Website Example: Pound » City of Greater Geraldton (cgg.wa.gov.au)
Personalised Links
The Personalised Links add-on allows users that are logged into the intranet to control and manage their own quick links. Personalised Links re setup to display on a template and allows the user to quickly navigate to frequently used pages both internal and external to the website.
Public Notices
Inform residents of important council notices such as road closures, calls for submissions, planning matters and other services. Your most recent notices will automatically appear on your home page feed with a link to the full article. Your visitors can also browse a modern archive interface to find additional notices.
Advanced feature options:
- Community Engagement
- Notifications
Website Example: Public Notices » Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale (sjshire.wa.gov.au)
Quick Links Manager - (Highly Recommended)
Provide your website visitors with fast access to your most important content with Quick Links. Your quick links will be custom designed as part of your home page and can even include icons. Remove, add or edit quick links by choosing from an automatically-generated list of links to different CMS content throughout your website.
Website Example: Home » Shire of Williams
ReadSpeaker Integration
Extend the reach of your online content by instantly creating an audio version of your website. The module “speech-enables” website content on the fly with no downloads or plugins required for website users. Users can listen to content on your website or, if they wish, they can download it and listen to it at a later time.
This is a great service to support the visually impaired or website users with low literacy levels. This module requires third party software licensing to achieve full functionality. Licensing is quoted separately.
Website Example: About Greater Geraldton » City of Greater Geraldton (cgg.wa.gov.au)
Registers
- Council Contact Register:
Using a formatted table, this module allows Council members to declare if they have been in contact with third parties (for example, developers).
Website Example: Publicly Available Council Registers » City of Vincent
- Council Declaration Register:
Developed in line with the Local Government Act 1995, this module will provide community members with transparency on financial, proximity and impartiality interests disclosed by Council members and staff.
Website Example: Declaration Register » Shire of Westonia
Ensure you administer your Complaints Register in line with the Local Government Act using this module. It's clear formatting will assist interested community members to access the register made readily available on your website.
Website Example: Complaint Register » Coolgardie Shire Council
- Elected Member Training - (NEW):
All local governments are to annually report on the training completed by each council member on their website within one month of the end of the financial year.
Developed in response to the Local Government Legislation Amendment Act 2019, the Training Register allows elected members (or staff on behalf of the elected member) to declare training through the website.
Each declaration will be automatically formatted into a table on a select page on your website ensuring you meet requirements in a timely and efficient manner.
Website Example: Training Register » Shire of Katanning
Developed in response to the reformed gifts' framework contained within the Local Government Act, the Gift Register allows your elected officials (Councillors) to declare gifts and travel contributions within the one definition of a gift.
The Gift Register also includes the additional section for excluding gifts that are approved under the Attendance at Events Policy. Council members can upload their disclosure requirements in a timely and efficient manner directly to the website.
Website Example: Gift Register » Shire of Peppermint Grove
The Notifiable Gift Register allows your staff to declare gifts and travel contributions within the one definition of a gift, and also includes the additional section for excluding gifts that are approved under the Attendance at Events Policy. Your staff can upload their disclosure requirements in a timey and efficient manner directly to the website.
Website Example: Gift Register » Shire of Peppermint Grove
Road Report - (NEW)
The Road Report module allows administrators to report on road conditions throughout the district. The report can be shown using both a combination of tabular data and an interactive Google map.
Administrators can highlight sections of road or use markers to define a section of road that may have alerted conditions. The content notifications add-on allows administrators to alert subscribed users via email when there is a change in conditions.
Website Example: Road Report » Town of Port Hedland
RSS Web Content Feeds - (NEW)
An RSS feed consolidates information sources in one place and provides users with updates when a site adds new content. The RSS Web Content Feeds module enables users to subscribe to website updates via RSS. This feature can be applied to modules such as News, Events, Consultations and Council Meetings, compiling content relevant to your audience in one easy-to-access location on their preferred device
Website Example: RSS Subscriptions » Shire of Denmark
Secure Pages
Keep your content confidential by creating password-protected pages using website accounts. With this module, you lock down page centre content to ensure it isn’t accessible by members of the public. Logins can be created for your staff, and roles allocated to grant access to certain pages.
Single Sign-On - (NEW)
Single Sign-On (SSO) is a user authentication service that permits a user to use a single set of login credentials (i.e. name, username, password) to access multiple applications. Once the user has logged in, they receive one-click access to all the resources they need to go about their day.
Single Sign-On can benefit organisations in many ways including mitigating risk for access to third-party sites – as user passwords are not stored or managed externally.
Social Media Customised Feed
Ensure your content is always fresh and engaging by integrating your social media channels such as Facebook or Instagram with your website. Customise your feed to ensure it seamlessly integrates with your website design.
A custom feed allows you to increase engagement between you and your social media followers, creates dynamic content on your homepage and helps to increase your following.
Website Example: Home » Shire of Merredin
Staff Directory
The HR module allows users of an intranet to easily find information about other staff members within their organisation. This information can include contact details, roles and responsibilities as well as personal bios about each staff member. Staff members have full control over what information is displayed to other staff members.
Advanced feature options:
- Personalised Links
- User Import
Static Image Template
Liven your web pages with individualised, relevant, full-width banner images. This customisation allows website administrators to add an image to each page, typically as a full width banner.
Website Example: Graffiti Removal » City of Vincent
Tenders
Promote your current tenders online in an easy to update interface. Your tenders will display secondary information in a user-friendly layout and automatically archive once a closing date is reached.
Website Example: Tenders » Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley (swek.wa.gov.au)
Trails - (NEW)
Take your visitors on an immersive journey through walking or heritage trails in your destination.
This module allows you to mark points on an interactive map and join locations via a path drawn by admin users. The module allows for multiple trails and locations on different pages on your website, for example, a Walking Trail, Food & Drink Trail or Heritage Trail.
To further enhance the user experience, each trail and location can be allocated a dedicated QR code. When visiting the destination, the visitor simply scans the QR code to learn more about the location on your CouncilConnect website.
▪ Integration with Google Maps
▪ Ability to custom draw trails
▪ Upload multiple images per trail
▪ Ability to assign a trail type (e.g. bush walking, 4WD, mountain biking)
▪ Create an interactive
Website Example: https://www.leonora.wa.gov.au/mapping/trails/golden-quest-discovery-trail
Video Rotators
Showcase your region, community events or upcoming campaigns using a video image rotator. This module adds an impactful first impression to your website landing page and can be administered autonomously in the CMS.
Website Example: Home » Wind on Water Festival Geraldton (wowfest.com.au)
Advanced Feature Options
- Advanced Ticketing & Reporting
This functionality includes the ability to integrate with the Spark Member Manager. This gives speakers and sponsors the option to have their own secure area where they can manage their individual pages. The registration system can also automatically sync delegate details to your MailChimp account.
Foster a sense of community by enabling website users to submit their own comments to the content on your website. Content can either be directly published or moderated by website administrators.
The Custom Reporting feature enables you to harness your data and produce simple and informative reports. With custom metrics and measures, reports can be tailored to your organisation’s specific needs and KPIs.
Increase accessibility to council meetings by uploading an electronic version online! Along with the agenda, minutes, and attachment documents relating to the meeting, users will also be able to access the live or recorded meeting files in either audio or visual format.
- Interactive Dashboard - (NEW)
View the data from your CRM in an easy-to-understand, interactive dashboard. Data will be displayed in a visual format so that you can find the key information you need at a glance.
- Multi-Site Content Sharing
With the Multi-Site Website Module enabled, administrators of each website are able to share page content, news items and events between them. Content can either be linked or copied to other websites.
Website users are able to subscribe to be notified when content is updated. The updates will be delivered by email or RSS feeds.
Integrates forms with a payment gateway provider allowing website users to process a payment with their form submission.
Generates thumbnails for compatible documents for display on the website