User satisfaction with some agency Web sites down slightly

The public's satisfaction with the federal government's Web sites declined slightly over the last quarter, according to a quarterly index from the University of Michigan.

The sites notched a combined score of 71.9 out of 100-down from December's score of 72.1-on the American Customer Satisfaction Index published by the National Quality Research Center at the University of Michigan's business school.

With 35 percent of the sites measured showing a decline in visitor satisfaction from December 2004 and 31 percent showing an increase, site enhancements are failing to keep up with citizens' Internet expectations, according to analysis by the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based, online strategy firm ForeSee Results.

The score is compiled by means of random online pop-up questionnaires that ask users to rate the Web site they are using along different variables. Agencies participate in ACSI surveys by working with the Treasury Department's Federal Consulting Group.

Ten new government Web sites were added to the survey and five dropped off for various reasons, including budget limitations, bringing the total number to 59.

Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results, said that new Web site standards from the Office of Management and Budget give agencies a good starting point for producing sites that focus on the citizens' needs.

The OMB standards require agencies to manage their Web sites as part of their information resource management program and comply with the new requirements by the Dec. 31, 2005 deadline.

The survey's results show that many Web sites could improve their search and navigation functions. Users were satisfied with the amount of content of the sites--the inexpensiveness of uploading material is an enticement for cash-strapped agencies--but found it difficult to find the material they needed.

According to Freed, Web sites with good overall scores also score well in search and navigation; Web sites with poor scores score poorly in search and navigation. Users tend to use search as a second option after their attempts to navigate the site fail, Freed said.

"My cookbook to fixing this would be to make sure you are doing the tactical things to make search work," Freed said. "Then focus on navigation, and keep your eye on a breakthrough in technology for search."

Privacy concerns were one of the lowest priorities, and the scores show that citizens tend to be content with the government sites' privacy standards.

Health news and information sites continued to perform the highest, with the online service Medline Plus scoring an 87, one point higher than its December 2004 score. The public's trust in government medical data is an asset to health-related Web sites.

The Health and Human Services Department's AIDSinfo Web site had the greatest increase in customer satisfaction, with a score of 80, up from its last score of 76. According to ForeSee Results, the homepage was redesigned in December and information was segmented for students, providers and patients as well as adding information in both Spanish and English.

The Defense Department's Military Health System Web site received the lowest grade, with a 56, followed by the National Archives and Records Administration's archival database with a 57.

The highest-scoring portal was the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute Web site, which scored an 80. The Interior Department's National Parks Service site came in second with a score of 79.

The General Services Administration's site came in at the bottom of the portal list, with a score of 57, followed by Housing and Urban Development's site, with a 62.