During the last two years, U.S. government websites have remained an essential conduit between federal agencies and the general public. Due to the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, other service channels such as call centers and local offices have struggled to meet the demands of those seeking information and/or needing to interact with federal agencies. Left with limited options for conducting business with the federal government, many turned to agency websites; increasing the pressure on these websites to deliver

Unfortunately, visitor feedback from the past two years reflects a dramatic decline in satisfaction with federal government websites. After four years of stable performance, the current CSI score among website visitors has fallen to a level near where it was in 2016, which is the lowest score since the study’s inception.

The CFI Group Government Website Benchmark study measures website performance among visitors interacting with the federal government online. Representing the voices of 801 website visitors, this year's report provides the latest information on visitor satisfaction, their ability to accomplish tasks, the actions most often taken when failed by federal websites, trends in mobile access, and the implications for those at lower income levels.

Notable differences in access and website experience were uncovered when comparing the results from respondents of lower income households versus their higher income counterparts. These disparities provide significant insights into the steps needed to ensure a positive experience for all people of the United States visiting federal government websites. These results also underscore the importance of including people from all income levels in usability testing and other activities designed to collect feedback on government websites going forward.

For more insight into government websites, download the complete report.