Simone Whiteside

Governments no longer just “own” websites, they are websites

Today’s citizens are equipped with updated computers and mobile devices that has become a part of their daily lives. To these citizens, interacting with local government feels like interacting with the e-Bay. It sends information, property tax information, passports, and recycling bins from local government offices demanding money and information in return. The major different is the e-Bay interactions are seamless a majority of the time, the local government online experience is either painful or impossible and causing you to have to call the office.

At increasing rates, citizens look at local government website; they’re seeing their tax dollars at work. What if what they see is confusing, unattractive and down-right unusable from their new computer, mobile or tablet device, so this is how they’re going to perceive their government.

The problem has increased over the last few years from a marginal problem in which bad or outdated websites are now rather more of an issue. In Today’s emerging web, local governments are falling behind the private sector and appear less legitimate and the questions will be raised “Why is my tax dollars going to something I can’t use?

The real difference is one of management structure and focus. At e-Bay John Donahoe and his team are focused on performance of digital technology services. A local government chief executive will focus on finance in this fiscal stressful time and won’t even care if 5,000 citizens left their website disappointed last month, because this is not a normal issue discuss at council meetings.

The solution is two fold consisting of recruitment of people with digital media experience at the top management decision making of local government. The second important action is contracting qualified web development firms who specialized in government and organization websites. These contractors should be experienced with current government website guidelines and have the ability to development compatible, secure and accessible digital property. The end result will be a more satisfied citizen and improve the legitimacy of their local government.