US Citizens Prefer E-Government to Overall Government, According to ForeSee E-Government Satisfaction Index

ANN ARBOR, MI--(Marketwired - Dec 1, 2015) -  ForeSee, the leader in Voice of Customer (VOC) solutions that helps organizations better understand and engage with their customers, today released its latest data insights around citizens' experience with the federal government online. The findings evaluate the performance of the federal government's digital properties, and target key improvement areas in navigation and functionality. The Index for Q3 2015 in its entirety can be found at ForeSee.com. 

The ForeSee E-Government Satisfaction Index reports quarterly to assess customer experience data across more than 100 federal government websites, in addition to mobile sites and apps, and enables agency leaders to identify which web and mobile improvements will most impact future usage and recommendations. The Index scores government sites on a satisfaction scale of 0-100. Scores of 80 and above are considered excellent and indicate highly satisfied visitors, and scores below 70 indicate room for improvement (dissatisfied). This quarter's scores range from 54 to 90.

"US citizens want to have a positive experience with their government and its agencies, whether online or in-person as part of day-to-day life," said Dave Lewan, Vice President of ForeSee. "ForeSee research has revealed over the years that citizens prefer the convenience, consistency and 24x7 accessibility online channels provide. Over 170,000 respondents shared their opinions during the quarter. These respondents provide valuable feedback and continue to have similar high expectations as they do of private-sector sites. At the aggregate, navigation, functionality and online transparency have the greatest impact on the satisfaction of those online experiences."

Key findings from this quarter's index:

• E-government outperforms overall government in citizen satisfaction. Average citizen satisfaction with e-government (75.1) versus 64.4, according to the ACSI Federal Government Report 2014
• The Social Security Administration (SSA) site leads the pack in experience satisfaction with Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (socialsecurity.gov/i1020), SSA Retirement Estimator (ssa.gov/estimator) and SSA iClaim (socialsecurity.gov/applyonline) all coming in with a 90 for the quarter
• 30% of surveyed sites scored 80 or above, including sites from Health and Human Services, Department of the Treasury, Department of Homeland Security, Security and Exchange Commission, the CIA and National Institute of Health
• Highlighting improvements from last quarter include: The Federal Railroad Administration main website (fra.dot.gov), Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp., My Plan Administration Account site (egov.pbgc.gov/mypaa/), Veterans Affairs main website (va.gov), Bureau of Economic Analysis main website (bea.gov), and Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration website (rita.dot.gov)

Why Satisfaction Matters in Government

Highly satisfied website visitors are 88% more likely to use the website as a primary resource (versus a more costly channel like the contact center), and 82% more likely to put their trust behind the agency. For mobile, highly satisfied visitors are 73% more likely to return, and 107% more likely to recommend the site or app.

"Citizens want to use our government's digital channels, that's quite clear," said Lewan. "For federal departments, agencies and programs, providing great digital experiences that meet and exceed citizen needs and expectations provides a significant opportunity to reduce the overall cost to serve."

This is the 49^th consecutive quarter that ForeSee has reported on the state of E-Government, beginning in the third quarter of 2003. Using ForeSee's proven methodology and technology to measure citizen satisfaction, the ForeSee E-Government Satisfaction Index helps agencies deliver a holistic and harmonious experience for its citizens in order to increase efficiency and transparency on all governmental fronts.

Download this quarter's E-Government report at foresee.com.

About ForeSee
Founded in 2001, ForeSee is the pioneering leader in Voice of Customer (VOC) solutions. ForeSee helps companies and public sector organizations deliver a successful omnichannel experience for their customers and make more informed decisions about how to grow their businesses. Powered by its patented scientific methodology, ForeSee's solutions combine cloud-based customer experience analytics software with actionable insights provided by a team of more than 100 analysts. The company has 650 customers in industries such as retail, financial services, healthcare, consumer packaged goods, and government. ForeSee, a subsidiary of Answers Corporation, is headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI and has offices in Washington, D.C., Mountain View, New York, St. Louis, Vancouver, and London. For more information, visit www.foresee.com.