In convening focus groups for a government health portal we (Prescient Digital Media) we built (and would eventually win a Webby Award for) I discovered a few universal truths about websites, one of which we all have to keep learning again and again: people hate advertising.
The focus groups with different consumer segments and demographics kept revealing the same results: not only are web users naturally untrusting of the content they read on the Internet (unless it’s a well known, well-used website), they’re particularly untrusting of websites with advertising. This concern and distrust is enhanced several fold in the case of consumer health information and informatics. In fact, what consumers told us is that not only do they hate ads but they hate anything that resembles an ad – even if it’s a simple promotional box that promotes another piece of free content on the website.
There is one Golden Rule about the web above all others: make it easy as possible to let your users find what they’re looking for (and stay out of their way, or they’ll stay away from you). Governments have little to advertise, they’re not-for-profit. The highly politicized bureaucracies of some (sadly, Canada has become one of those) do impede users with an over abundance of political messages, but more and more are getting the drift and focus on the Golden Rule.
A perfect example of this is the government website for the State of Texas (www.TexasOnline.com); smartly laid out, lots of contextual links for the most popular content, and aside from a small message from the governor, it is advertising free. It’s a superb site that a lot of corporate websites could learn from.
In contrast, the once superb Government of Canada website has been overcome with political messages and press releases – the type of partisan crap that the 99% of web users abhor.
Other very strong government websites:
В· USA.gov
В· Welsh Assembly Government
В· Government of France (I have a love / hate relationship with this site)
While government websites still have a lot to learn from the corporate sector (particularly around the latest technology and social media), there’s a lot the corporate sector can learn from government websites.
Speaking of learning from government websites, tune into to Julian Mills and Prescient Digital Media’s webinar on Government websites: Best Practices for Managing a Government Website Redevelopment Thursday, January 28 (12pm EDT). This is for both government and corporate intranet managers and consultants with a focus on the process and requirements for undertaking a redesign or new website (or technology platforms). This webinar includes a co-presenter and an in-depth case study from the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT).