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Analysis, Central Government, E-Government

US e-government satisfaction rising

By James Smith | 4 August 2008

E-government satisfaction can drive citizens to online channel, lead to cost savings, suggests new research.

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• ANALYSIS
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From this Section

• RESEARCH

Citizen satisfaction with US federal government web sites ended a losing streak by improving for the first time in a year, according to the second quarter report of the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) E-Government Satisfaction Index.

The Index rose 0.7 per cent to 72.9 on the ACSI’s 100-point scale. The study also found that increasing satisfaction drives citizens to use the web-channel as a primary resource, which can save tax dollars by channeling citizen inquiries away from more expensive channels like call centres.

According to the report, citizens who are satisfied with government websites are 84 per cent more likely to use the web as a primary resource for information or to execute transactions. Satisfied citizens are also 82 per cent more likely to recommend the website and 56 per cent more likely to return to the site than dissatisfied citizens.

“E-government has stopped the bleeding for now, in terms of citizen satisfaction. But it remains to be seen if this is a blip or the beginning of a positive trend,” said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results and author of the report. “What is evidently clear, however, is that improving online satisfaction can drive traffic to the web channel. Investment in the online channel will pay itself off and result in increased efficiency and happy citizens.”

In aggregate, 45 per cent of the websites rated in the Index increased their scores from last quarter and 23 sites had superior scores of 80 or higher. The highest-scoring federal web site continues to be Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/i1020/), which scored 88. The site has been at the top of the Index in each quarterly report for an unprecedented two years.

Some government agencies are including online customer satisfaction in their vendor evaluation programmes as an incentive for contractors to produce user-friendly websites. Recreation.gov, the National Park Service’s website for recreational reservations and information, had the biggest score increase of the Index since last quarter (+13 per cent to 72). By linking vendor performance to citizen satisfaction, Recreation.gov ensures that everyone involved in the site - both internal and external - shares a commitment to meeting the needs of citizens.

Search, navigation, and functionality continue to be areas that have the most impact on satisfaction, and therefore top priorities for improvement.

In the functional categories, e-commerce and transactional sites (up +1.7 per cent from last quarter to 77) satisfy online users more than career and recruitment sites (-0.6 per cent to 76.7) and portals and department main sites (+2.5 per cent to 73.7). News and information sites (71.7) remain the lowest scoring category.

Despite the increase in the overall Index, satisfaction with e-government web sites still lags private sector e-commerce (81.6) and e-business (75.2) web sites.

Government web sites have much in common with private sector e-business and e-commerce web sites in that they are online resources of information or convenient transaction channels. However, e-government usually has fewer resources at its disposal.

“Whereas private sector websites are accountable to shareholders, e-government is accountable to the citizens who use the web sites and to all taxpayers,” said Claes Fornell, head of the ACSI at the University of Michigan. “Government has a responsibility to get the most bang for the taxpayer buck.

“Research shows improving citizen satisfaction has financial benefits, but it all starts with listening to your customer to identify what improvements will have the most impact,” said Errol Hau, Senior Director of government markets at ForeSee Results.