Satisfaction with Federal Websites Stays Flat, But Top Performers Find The Right Mix
ACSI Partner ForeSee Results Identifies Best Practices for Most Satisfying Federal Websites
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (September 18, 2007) – Federal websites continued a flat trend in citizen satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The ACSI E-Government Satisfaction Index slipped 0.5% in the third quarter to an aggregate score of 73.3. Over the last nine quarters aggregate satisfaction has moved little, hovering between 73.3 and 74.
The plateau in citizen satisfaction came as the same number of federal sites improved (37%) as declined (37%), while 27% stayed the same, quarter over quarter. But while aggregate satisfaction remains relatively unchanged, there are 19 top-caliber federal websites which consistently register superior scores of 80 or above on ACSI’s 100-point scale.
ForeSee Results’ research found that keys to success in achieving superior satisfaction include total commitment to meeting the public’s diverse needs; recognition by management of the web’s strategic value; using “voice of the citizen” data as an improvement tool; and focus on the mission of citizen service.
“We’ve seen that sites that really excel at satisfying citizens have strong management support and sufficient resources to dedicate to citizen-centric improvements and enhancements,” said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results, which analyzes and produces the e-government report in partnership with the University of Michigan. “Top-performing sites maintain a laser focus on meeting the needs of their target audience, a task that can be much harder for agencies with diverse audiences.”
Government websites generally fall into one of four categories: Career/Recruitment; E-commerce/Transactions; News/Information; or Portals/Department Main Sites. This quarter, Career/Recruitment category registered the largest improvement, climbing nearly 1% to 77.2, the highest score by category. E-commerce/Transaction category, which registered the largest improvement in the second quarter, dropped by nearly 3% to 74.6 in the third quarter. Portals/Department Main Sites are up 0.6% to 73, while News/Information sites slip 0.7% to 72.7.
“Web satisfaction is as important for federal websites as it is for private sector sites because of the link between satisfaction and desirable future behaviors like loyalty and word of mouth,” said Claes Fornell, founder of ACSI at the University of Michigan. “An investment in online citizen satisfaction will pay for itself as more citizens will choose the online channel over more costly alternatives.”
ABOUT THE ACSI
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is the only uniform, national, cross-industry measure of satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available in the United States. In 1999, the Federal government selected ACSI to be a standard metric for measuring citizen satisfaction. Over 100 Federal government agencies have used ACSI to measure citizen satisfaction of more than 200 services and programs. The Index is produced by the University of Michigan, in partnership with the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and CFI Group, an international consulting firm. ForeSee Results sponsors the e-commerce, e-business, and e-government indexes.
ABOUT FORESEE RESULTS, INC.
ForeSee Results is the market leader in online customer satisfaction measurement and management and specializes in converting satisfaction data into user-driven web development strategies. Using the methodology of the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), ForeSee Results has created a model that scientifically quantifies the elements that drive online customer satisfaction and predicts future behaviors, including the likelihood to return to the site or recommend the site to others. A sponsor of the ACSI e-government, e-business, and e-retail reports, ForeSee Results, a privately held company located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, can be found online at www.ForeSeeResults.com.
ABOUT THE FEDERAL CONSULTING GROUP
The Federal Consulting Group, a franchise of the Department of the Treasury, serves as the executive agent in the government for the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and holds generic clearance from the Office of Management and Budget that enables agencies to utilize ACSI without having to obtain a separate clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct customer satisfaction surveys. Agencies can participate in the ACSI through an arrangement between the Federal Consulting Group and ForeSee Results.