CFI Group’s annual Government Websites report shows an increase in overall government website visitor satisfaction from 2016 to 2017.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Mar. 28, 2017 – Today CFI Group released the results of the 2017 Government Websites report, a study based on a survey of government website visitors across the country. Visitor website satisfaction across government websites increased substantially from fiscal 2016 to 2017. Satisfaction is up 8 points, from a score of 65 in 2016 to 73 in 2017, based on a 0-100 scale.

Increased visitor satisfaction led to improvement in desired behaviors from government website visitors. Likelihood to Return (up 6 points) and Likelihood to Recommend (up 7 points) both improved significantly. Federal government agencies clearly made significant improvement to the website experience for visitors in 2017.

“Federal agencies have made great strides in delivering on their Digital Government strategy,” said Sheri Petras, CFI Group CEO. “With over 2.5 billion government website visits in Q2 alone, these dramatic improvements to the website experience clearly have an impact on the lives of people seeking access to needed government information and services.”

To help agencies further improve the experience visitors have when accessing digital government information, the Government Websites report offers four opportunities for government website managers to continue this improvement.

1. Don’t Forget Boomers+ (age 55+)
Continue website/mobile technology development to keep pace with increasing visitor expectations. But also address Boomers+ needs as technology continues to advance.

2. Design for Wayfinding
Continue to map out common visitor workflows for those seeking to accomplish specific tasks. But also make the site easy to navigate for those simply browsing or searching for information.

3. Remember Desktops/Laptops
Continue the mobile-first strategy to accommodate the growing use of phones. But also attend to the user experience for desktop/laptop visitors.

4. Ensure Market Demand for Apps
Continue to create innovative new apps. But also be purposeful and market-driven in development.