In today’s fast-paced, digitally connected world, local governments must find effective ways to communicate with residents across all age groups and tech preferences. For Bella Vista, Arkansas—a rapidly growing city blending its retirement community roots with a thriving outdoor lifestyle—this meant rethinking how they shared critical updates and everyday information.

To meet the evolving communication needs of its diverse population, Bella Vista turned to GOGov’s mass notification software, part of a fully muncipality - branded mobile app that enables real-time alerts, community updates, and seamless outreach across multiple channels. From emergency notifications during winter storms to promoting city council meetings and community events, the City of Bella Vista is using GOGov to power a smarter, more inclusive approach to local government communication.

This is the story of how Bella Vista embraced mobile technology to deliver timely, trusted information—straight to the palm of residents’ hands.

About Bella Vista, AR

Bella Vista, Arkansas, is a unique city that has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years. Officially incorporated in 2007, Bella Vista was previously an unincorporated village operated by a property owners association, primarily known as a retirement community. However, in recent years, the city has experienced a significant shift in demographics.

With more than 100 miles of soft-surface trails, Bella Vista has become a premier mountain biking destination, attracting outdoor enthusiasts from across the country. Where retirees once flocked to the area for golf and other outdoor amenities, a new wave of residents—corporate professionals, young families, and adventure seekers—are now calling Bella Vista home. While many retirees still settle here, they are now drawn to the city’s thriving outdoor culture, with mountain biking becoming a major part of their active lifestyles.

What was the challenge that led Bella Vista to GOGov?

Bella Vista faced the challenge of effectively communicating with a diverse population that spans multiple age groups and varying levels of technological proficiency. While the city has moved beyond its reputation as solely a retirement destination, a significant portion of its residents are older adults who may not engage with digital platforms in the same way as younger generations. The city had a strong presence on Facebook, which resonated with a large segment of the community, but not all residents used social media, email, or even smartphones.

To bridge this gap, Bella Vista sought a solution that could reach residents through a more universally accessible platform. Recognizing that mobile apps have become a common tool across different age groups and communication preferences, the city turned to GOGov to modernize its outreach efforts. By adopting the app, Bella Vista aimed to ensure that critical information was accessible to all residents while keeping up with evolving communication trends.

How is Bella Vista using GOGov today?

When a significant winter storm hit Northwest Arkansas, the City of Bella Vista needed a fast and reliable way to keep residents informed about closures and dangerous road conditions. Thanks to their new “City of Bella Vista” app—powered by GOGov Citizen Notifications—they were ready.

“For the first time, we communicated through the app,” said Cassi Lapp, Communications Director for the City of Bella Vista. “What really made me happy was seeing residents screenshotting the app notifications and sharing them on Facebook. That was a big ‘yes’ moment for me—people were really using it.”

The city had already seen a solid number of residents sign up for the app, but the storm proved just how valuable it could be.

“We saw a spike in registrations during that week,” Lapp explained. “By the end of it, more people had signed up simply from the value they saw in getting those real-time updates.”

Before switching to GOGov, Bella Vista used a text notification service—but after more than six years, engagement had started to taper off.

“We’ve had GOGov for almost four months now, and we’ve already blown away the numbers we had with our old texting service,” Lapp said. “The app is just more aligned with what people expect today. When you move to a new place or want to stay updated, you think, ‘Do they have an app?”

With GOGov Citizen Notifications, Bella Vista has embraced a more modern, impactful way to communicate with its community—especially when it matters most.

Future Plans for Bella Vista

Looking ahead, Bella Vista hopes to expand its use of the GOGov platform and fully tap into its potential.

“I still would like to eventually move into using the complete functionality of the product,” said Cassi Lapp, Communications Director. “We’re not quite there yet, but for now, we’re going to keep using it to promote the information we need residents to have—and hopefully spread that info far and wide.”

Even without utilizing every feature just yet, Bella Vista is already seeing strong engagement and plans to continue building on that momentum as the community grows more familiar with the app.

Advice for those considering GOGov

For other communities considering GOGov, Bella Vista’s Communications Director, Cassi Lapp, encourages a thoughtful but simple approach to getting started and staying organized.

“When people first sign up, they want to see what kind of information is being sent out—so I try to keep it fresh,” she shared. “I keep current month notifications live, and when we move into a new month, I clear out the old ones and start promoting new meetings. It helps keep the app from feeling overloaded, while still keeping ongoing info available at the bottom.”

Beyond managing content, Lapp says the setup process couldn’t have been easier.

“I really appreciated the process of implementation. It was very easy—everyone was helpful and the support team is super responsive,” she said. “I also love how individually branded the app is. There’s no doubt that it’s ours, and residents can find it easily. Plus, the marketing ideas you all sent were so helpful—it made it easy to get started without feeling like, ‘What am I supposed to do with this?”

Your Municipality Powered by GOGov

GOGov is committed to helping municipalities and local governments enhance community engagement, streamline operations, and foster transparent communication. Our partnership with Bella Vista, demonstrates the potential of our solutions to make a meaningful impact on local governments and districts of all sizes, and our continued efforts to improve and innovate further.  

GOGov specializes in providing CRM, Code Enforcement, Citizen Notifications, Online Permitting and mobile software to local governments of all sizes. We built our software from the ground up working with the departments and staff that now use our products every single day.

Interested in learning more? Sign up for a demo with the GOGov team today.

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