Benchmarking eGovernment Websites in the U.K. and Ireland: Who's Getting it Right? (And Why?)

This report provides the first definitive user experience league table benchmarking Irish and UK eGovernment websites, and provides best practice examples and concrete recommendations for enhancing eGovernment performance.

Forget the technology. Focus on the users.

In a nutshell, that's what we did. Unlike other eGovernment surveys that effectively just look at the availability of online services, we shifted the focus and asked:

How much value are eGovernment websites actually delivering to the people who matter most – citizens?

We evaluated 42 leading government websites against a broad set of user-centred, best-practice criteria organised by content, functionality, and design. To our knowledge, it's the first definitive user experience league table benchmarking UK and Irish eGovernment websites.

And our findings may surprise you. Here's a sample:

• UK sites performed better than Irish sites by a wide margin
• Only three sites were awarded a Grade 1 standard (excellent)
• There was no direct correlation between the size of an organisation and the quality of its website
• Despite public sector obligations, very few sites are able to meet the needs of users with disabilities

What you get:

A comprehensive 127-page report, richly illustrated with 55 screenshots. The report includes:

• A round-up of the latest eGovernment research in Ireland and the UK
• An analysis of 21 Irish and 21 UK leading eGovernment sites, based on our user-centred criteria
• A user experience league table, ranking all sites examined
• 13 best practice examples showcasing elegant solutions to common problems that emerged across the sample
• 16 concrete recommendations for enhancing website performance at a national, organisational, implementation and user level
• 42 individual site breakdowns for all sites examined in the report

Free sample

Download a free sample (PDF, 336 kb) of the report, containing:

• an executive summary with key report findings and recommendations
• the table of contents
• a complete list of the 42 organisations evaluated

Who should read this report?

• Government executives and decision makers – see how the leaders in eGovernment are doing it and evaluate how you can do better
• Vendors interested in understanding current eGovernment challenges and opportunities
• Analysts researching eGovernment usability and accessibility trends
• Anybody in charge of a website or its design, especially if you work for a public-sector organisation, including:
  • Webmasters
  • Content and QA Managers
  • Information Architects
  • IT Managers
  • Quality Customer Service Managers

Real value

This report represents over the results of 18 months intensive research, conducted by five leading user experience analysts. You benefit from the insights and advice of leading consultants at a fraction of the normal cost.