Government’s Mobile Sites, Apps Rated More Highly Than Many Companies’

More and more, Americans are turning to their smartphones to check their bank balance, look up a restaurant listing -- or even access a government service.

And it turns out, the federal government is actually outpacing several key private industries when it comes public satisfaction with their mobile websites and applications, according to a new survey.

That’s good news for the government, not least because almost a quarter of federal website traffic now comes from mobile devices, according to the federal government's analytics site.

The latest version of the ForeSee E-Government Satisfaction Index measured public perceptions of about 100 federal websites, mobile sites and applications -- in addition to private sector sites and apps -- from over 250,000 respondents.

In the first quarter of 2015, the average satisfaction score for government mobile websites and apps reached 79 points out of 100. The score was a slight increase from last quarter.

Despite federal agencies’ relative lack of resources compared to their private sector counterparts, average satisfaction with mobile sites and apps was higher for government sites than the private sector, according to the report.

Companies in the financial services, retail and the utilities industries scored an average of only 75 points.

Respondents were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with mobile sites, whether it met their expectations and how it compared with what they consider an ideal mobile site or app.

“The ultimate goal of agencies is to ensure concerned citizens have the utmost confidence in the government that is serving them,” said Dave Lewan, ForeSee vice president, in a statement accompanying the report. “The digital experiences federal organizations provide play a vital role in achieving that mission.”

Citizens who report being satisfied with their visits to mobile sites and apps are more likely to return to them in the future and recommend them to others, according to the report.

The report recommended agencies focus their energy on refining “priority areas” for mobile websites and apps, including layout and navigation setup and improving site information.

“If federal government agencies focus on improving the priority areas for their websites and mobile sites and apps, citizen satisfaction should also improve,” the report stated.

ForeSee began evaluating public satisfaction with federal agency mobile sites and apps at the end of 2013.  

(Image via LDprod/ Shutterstock.com)