Federal sites still need improvement

Customer satisfaction with government Web sites increased once again last quarter, although there is still need for improvement, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.Although the scores overall are encouraging, navigation and search functions on federal portals are still problematic, the report said. “[E]nhancements in these two areas would yield significant returns for many government sites in terms of improving satisfaction and behavior.”ASCI revealed citizen satisfaction with federal Web sites improved slightly this quarter, moving up 1.2 percent to an aggregate score of 73.5. This is a 3.2 percent improvement from September 2004.Thirteen federal Web sites achieved satisfaction scores of 80 or higher—a figure ACSI considers superior—while four received ratings below 60, the report said.The report is based on a quarterly performance survey conducted by the American Society for Quality in conjunction with the University of Michigan, CFI Group and ForeSee Results of Ann Arbor, Mich. Participation by government agencies is voluntary.The top scorers were 10 National Institutes of Health sites, two Social Security Administration sites and a General Services Administration site.Portals earning scores lower than 60 included the General Services Administration’s E-library (58); the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (57); the National Archives and Records Administration’s Access to Archival Databases (56); and Defense’s Military Health System (55).