Federal Web sites need to be more user-friendly

In order to maximize the efficiency of electronic government, federal Web sites must tailor their design and content toward average citizens, a new report suggested Wednesday.

In its review of 148 federal Web sites, the PricewaterhouseCoopers Endowment for the Business of Government-a non-profit entity funded by the consulting firm-rated the content and online services of the sites, including aspects such as user help guides, navigation aides, privacy or security policies and links to other Web pages.

The report found that only 12.8 percent of federal agencies provide consumer-focused e-commerce applications on the Web; and 8.8 percent offered direct links to e-government services.

The study ranked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office No. 1 for its Web site design and content offerings.

The Health and Human Services, Education and Treasury Departments, along with the Navy, rounded out the category of top ranked sites for similar reasons.