Numbers are neither good nor bad. It’s context that gives them meaning. For examples, context can be derived over time, like changes or trends, or it can be provided by comparison to a peer, like a benchmark. But a meaningful comparison needs to be apples to apples.
The Digital Strategy requires agencies to collect metrics. We launched the Digital Analytics Program last week to help agencies with metrics guidance, training, a tool and support for that tool. The guidance included a metrics framework (context!), and today we are offering another lens to understand federal websites.
GSA commissioned web analytics industry leader comScore to independently analyze 75 federal agency websites on a range of quantitative and qualitative factors. As part of the report, comScore introduces three federal website “use categories” to segment government sites according to functionality and purpose.
- Interactive sites primarily enable visitors to accomplish a specific task or set of tasks. These sites facilitate the provisioning of government services that would otherwise need to be delivered to the public through different forms of correspondence. Examples of interactive websites include the Social Security Administration website, the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website and the Office of Personnel Management’s “USA Jobs” recruiting website.
- Directional sites function largely as portals, or directories, to other content. Though they may provide visitors with some unique content, their primary role is to direct visitors to other government domains for more information. Examples of directional websites include GSA’s USA.gov portal, the Library of Congress portal, and the House of Representatives main page.
- Research sites are primarily learning portals, communicating all information related to the agency to visitors, as well as, in some cases, facilitating the dissemination of government data to the public. Research sites include the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website, the Census Bureau homepage, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
There are other models that agencies can apply. The American Consumer Satisfaction Index, for example, publishes studies about customer satisfaction. They classify government websites as news and information websites, portals and department main websites, e-commerce and transactional sites and career/recruitment websites.
Why is this important?
The purpose of a site provides context to measure success. For example, with interactive sites, visits per visitor has an inverse relationship with efficiency. The fewer visits required to accomplish a task, the better. In directional sites, visits per visitor is directly related to effectiveness. If the site takes a visitor where she needs to go every time, she will keep coming back to use it.
GSA commissioned this report to support the President’s Executive Order on “Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service,” that was one of the drivers for the White House’s Digital Government Strategy.
Learn more about GSA’s Digital Analytics Program and view the report.
[Updated Oct 19 with other types of classifications.]