building better council websites · effective search engine optimisation (seo) is definitely the...

open

citie

s.co

m

Building BetterCouncil WebsitesA National Benchmarking Report

Your Council Website Matters

The most direct interactions between residents and government happen at the local level. When is my next rubbish collection? Please repair this pothole. I want to register my pet. Everyday local government processes thousands of these requests, and more than ever residents are interacting with Council online rather than visiting their local council offices.

As more people transact with Council online, the more the website becomes the Council.

An effective and easy to use Council website delivers outstanding

customer service at a fraction of the cost of doing so in-person

or over the phone.

We commissioned this research because we believe Australian

Council websites should be as good as the online tools we have

come to rely on in the rest of our daily lives. We’re here to help.

OpenCities Benchmark Report

3

Key Findings

What’s working?Where does your website stand? See how your council website ranked against these key criteria, visit www.opencities.com/benchmark

What’s not working?

8%Council websites need to work for everyone. In Australia, the average reading comprehension level is equivalent to the eighth grade. Currently less than 8% of Council websites are written at a reading level that an average Australian can comprehend.

21%According to Google, nearly half of all visitors will leave a mobile site if the pages don’t load within 3 seconds. While the majority of sites have a passing score for page load speed, 21% failed while only 10% can be considered excellent.

95%95% of Council websites provide residents with a search function on the homepage. However, only 23% have incorporated predictive search functionality to intuitively connect people to what they need.

38%Nearly half of all Council websites cannot guarantee a great experience for mobile users. While 53% of sites scored in the Excellent range for mobile readiness, 38% received a failing score for this criteria.

2/3Effective Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is definitely the norm. Almost 2/3 received a passing grade. Good SEO helps search engines figure out what each page is about and how useful it will be for residents.

86%Australian Council websites are failing significantly when it comes to protecting user privacy through effective encryption. More than 86% of websites received a failing grade due to the lack of encryption they provide for their residents.

90%Council websites get high marks for reliability. Over 90% of websites have an uptime of more than 99.9% - meaning they were up and operational more than 99.9% of the observed period.

53%The majority - more than 53% - of Council websites feature 20 or more accessibility issues. This adversely impacts the experience for residents with disabilities. Only 23% of websites had fewer than 10 errors and thus received a rating of Excellent, judged by compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0).

51%Nearly 3/4 of Council websites feature some quick links to services as top tasks on their website homepage. However, only 51% of Councils have implemented five or more top tasks. Highlighting the most frequently requested services on the homepage increases the chance that visitors will self-serve instead of giving up and contacting the Council over the phone or in person.

5

The BasicsWe compared the performance of every municipal website in Australia against the following criteria:

What tools did we use?

Our research required both automated and manual website assessment methods. Some factors, such as mobile

readiness, SEO and page load speed, can be reliably observed using tools from Google and other industry leaders.

Other factors, such as search functionality and content readability, require professional testing and assessment.

Results are compared against findings from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and standards such as the

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Methodology

This National Benchmark report establishes a baseline for the performance and experience of every single Council website, more than 550, across Australia.

What makes a “good” Council website? Like art, web design is highly subjective. We measured how well Australian Council websites rated for each of eight unique criteria to help determine whether or not they are delivering privacy, accessibility and performance for residents.

Receiving high marks on these metrics alone does not guarantee

a great Council website. The results do, however, measure the

fundamental sturdiness of the platform you create for people

and services to meet online. A website that doesn’t meet these

basics is like a telephone without a dial-tone.


7

Prioritisation of Top TasksDoes your website clearly direct residents

to the most frequently used services?

Page Load SpeedHow long to does it take for

your website to load?

Search ExperienceCan the public find what they

need in their own words?

AccessibilityDoes your website ensure equal access

to all users, regardless of disability?

Content ReadabilityWhat level of education of required to

read the information on your site?

PrivacyDoes your website protect your

visitors’ personal details?

Mobile FriendlinessCan the public use your site

on their mobile devices?

Search Engine OptimisationSearch Engine Optimisation - Can

the public find your information

via external search engines?

Does your website specifically direct residents to the most frequently used services?

Most people don’t browse Council websites

like they would a news site or online store.

They visit Council websites with a clear goal

in mind, whether that’s paying for an animal

registration, applying for a building permit

or checking the day for garbage pick-up.

A clearly visible set of tasks on the homepage

indicates that the website has been designed to

be transactional, not just informational. Putting

the most common tasks on your homepage

quickly delivers the services that your residents

need most, dramatically reducing time spent

searching or navigating through extra pages.

Method of Measure

We manually evaluated whether each

Council website prominently displayed links

to frequently used tasks or services.

Excellent

Six or more common tasks are prominently

displayed above-the-fold (before scrolling).

Pass

At least three tasks are linked

somewhere on the homepage.

Fail Minimal or no top tasks.

Prioritisation of Top Tasks

Benchmark Metrics —Pillars of Council Websites That Work


9

25%

51%

24%

Fail

Excellent

Pass

Can the public find what they need in their own words?

Search has become default functionality for any

website. Being able to search a website gives the

public a quick way to find exactly what they need,

which is especially important on government

websites that provide hundreds of different

services. What’s more, many services are referred

to differently by Council, as compared to residents.

Effective search gives residents an easy way to

find information and services without having

to understand which Council department is

responsible for it. Great search functionality

goes even further and helps residents find what

they need by suggesting content as they type.

This is particularly helpful when the resident’s

query (“rubbish collection”) doesn’t match the

official service name (“waste transfer recovery”).

Helping people find the correct entry point for

their transaction minimises frustration and

builds trust between Council and residents.

Method of Measure

We manually assessed whether each Council

website featured a search-box in a prominent

location on the homepage and how it

responded to a typical search request.

Excellent

The website’s search functionality was

displayed prominently while also suggesting

results as the resident types a request.

Pass

The website had a search-box prominently

displayed near the top of the homepage.

Fail The website featured no search whatsoever.

What level of literacy is required to comfortably grasp the content on your site?

Unlike a private business, government serves

everyone. People who cannot understand the

information on a Council website have little

chance of completing transactions unaided.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics

44% of the adult population, some 8.5 million

people, have basic or below basic literacy

skills - reading at a 7th or 8th grade level.

Website text must be clear and concise. Avoiding

technical jargon and other complex words makes

your text as easy to understand as possible. Your

readability score can tell you how many people

will be able to comprehend your content.

Method of Measure We analysed a content-heavy page with

important information from each website to

determine its readability score and accessibility.

Excellent Critical content is written at or

below an 8th grade level.

Pass Critical content is at or below a 12th grade -

or high school graduate’s - reading level.

Fail Critical content cannot be understood

by residents with less than a high school

reading comprehension level.

Search Experience Content Readability


1110

5%

23%

72%

Fail

Excellent

Pass

40%

8%

52%Fail

Excellent

Pass

Can the public use your site on mobile devices?

Australians love smartphones. Almost 80% of

us have one in our pockets, and smartphones

are the only source of internet access for one

out of every five people. According to the Pew

Research Center, “40% of smartphone owners use

their phone to look up government services.”

Websites that are fully viewable and work well on

any device are described as “mobile responsive.”

People are five times more likely to leave a site if

it isn’t mobile responsive. As people increasingly

rely on a mobile phone for internet access,

mobile responsiveness will be a bridge or barrier

for residents accessing Council services online.

Method of Measure

To measure mobile friendliness, we

used Google’s performance analysis

tools to generate a 0-100 score.

Excellent Scores above 90. The website has been built to

scale up or down and is usable on hand-held

mobile devices, tablets and desktop computers.

Pass Scores between 75 and 90. The website is

generally mobile-friendly, but significant

improvements could be made.

Fail Scores below 75. There is poor optimisation

for mobile or tablet devices.

Mobile Friendly


1312

38%

53%

9%

Fail

Excellent

Pass

How long does it take for your website to load?

Fast loading websites perform better on

every front. They are easier to use, facilitate

more interactions and increase engagement.

According to Google, half of all visitors will leave

a mobile site if the page doesn’t load within

three seconds. When visitors have to wait for

your website to load they begin to associate

their Council with inaction and frustration.

Providing a smooth and fast experience online

encourages people to pursue self-service

options on the website, and cut the number

of complaints you receive. In short, faster

load times improves resident satisfaction.

Method of Measure

Since the performance of a network connection

varies considerably, we analysed page speed

based on how closely the website complies

with Google’s best practices for ensuring

speed and performance. We averaged the

0-100 scores for mobile and desktop speed to

create a single speed score for each Council.

Excellent Scores above 70.

Pass Scores between 40 and 70.

Fail Scores below 40.

Is your website secure?

As society’s digital footprint continues to expand,

the threat of malicious activity online becomes

more pervasive. Both Chrome and Firefox, the

two most popular browsers, have begun to

flag insecure websites and warning visitors to

proceed with caution. To preserve essential

functionality and ensure that online transactions

remain private, Council websites should encrypt

all data exchanges with their residents.

Why is encryption important to local government?

Given the amount of personal data required

in government transactions, the risk to the

public can be significant. If no effort is made

to protect the data of residents, everything

from their name, address, passwords and

payment details can be eavesdropped.

Method of Measure

The use of encryption was defined by a Council’s

implementation of an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

certificate; most readily apparent if the website

connects at HTTPS:// instead of HTTP://. We

tested existence and quality of the encryption

using the SSL Labs tools from Qualys.

Excellent A+, A or A- rating from SSL Labs.

Pass B, C or D rating from SSL Labs.

Fail There is no SSL implemented or received

a failing grade from SSL labs.

Page Speed Privacy


1514

Where does your website stand? See how your Council website ranked against these key criteria, visit www.opencities.com/benchmark 86%

5%

9%

Fail

Excellent

Pass

21%

10%

69%

Fail

Excellent

Pass

Can the public find you?

Nine out of ten Australians use the internet every

single day, and the most common activity is

search (89%) ahead of browsing social media sites

(81%) and checking email (62%). A well designed

Council website helps search engines connect the

public with essential information about services.

Although search engines have become

exponentially sophisticated, they can’t evaluate

the virtue of a website the same way a human

can. Search engines look for signposts like the

structure of written content, broken links, XML

sitemaps and many more to analyse whether it

is likely to be a valuable resource. Considering all

of these factors when designing a website is a

practice called Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

SEO helps search engines figure out what each

page is about and how useful it will be for visitors.

Method of Measure

We tested each website for 10 elements of

tagging and metadata optimisation. As some

are more influential than others we weighted

the most important ones. A final score between

0 and 32 tells us if the website architecture

correctly aligns with that of search engines.

Excellent 20 and above. The majority of elements are

present and correctly implemented.

Pass Between 10 and 20. Most elements are

present or well implemented.

Fail Below 10. Most elements are not

present and poorly implemented.

Does your website ensure equal access to all users, regardless of disability?

Accessibility guarantees equal access to

information and services online regardless of

a residents’ developmental abilities or physical

impairments. Approximately 4.3 million people, or

20% of the Australian population, have a disability

that impairs online use. Accessibility is all about

inclusion and ensuring that nobody is left behind,

irrespective of their physical and mental abilities.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes it

unlawful to discriminate against people with

disabilities and promotes equal rights, equal

access and equal opportunity for people with

disabilities. The more accessibility errors, the greater

the Council’s exposure to discrimination cases

and litigation. Not only is it a legal requirement

to make government websites accessible, it

improves the quality of the website for everyone.

Method of Measure

We measured each website’s accessibility by

testing for compliance with ‘A’ and ‘AA’ rating

of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

(WCAG 2.0). Websites with fewer accessibility

errors are far more likely to be compatible with

assistive technologies like screen readers.

Excellent Fewer than 10 errors.

Pass Between 10 and 20 errors.

Fail More than 20 errors.

Search Engine Optimisation Accessibility


1716

53%

23%

24%Fail

Excellent

Pass

37%

4%

59%

Fail

Excellent

Pass

We can build better Council websites. Together.

Captured in the pages of this National Benchmarking Report is the current state of digital local government services. These results tell us what we’re doing right, and where we need to focus our efforts moving forward. Our technologies now power one in ten of all local government websites in Australia, and they epitomise the principles outlined in this report: easy to read and navigate, highly accessible and available on any device.

We conducted this research to survey the digital

landscape, and to reaffirm our hypothesis

that we are all facing the same challenges.

As we custom built one website after

another for our clients, we noticed local

government continuously facing the

same challenges and reinventing the

same wheel over and over in isolation.

That’s why we decided to stop focusing on

custom development, and start working

together with Councils to create an inclusive

digital platform that continually captures,

incorporates and shares all of the tools and

functionality that a modern Council needs.

The result is OpenCities, a turn-key solution

that captures 10 years of local government

digital learnings to empower Councils to

transform how they communicate, engage

and deliver services to their community

- without any custom development.

More than ever, local governments everywhere

face the shared challenge of engaging the

public via meaningful digital interaction.

This report creates a common yardstick,

showing us that local government as a

whole faces the same challenges that

we encounter, and have overcome.


19

www.opencities.com [email protected]

+61 3 9913 0020

How does your Council website perform?

Use the link below to receive the personalised online report for your Council, rated on each of the eight criteria. Compare your results to other Councils,

or receive a digital version of the full National Benchmarking report.

www.opencities.com/benchmark

building better council websites · effective search engine optimisation (seo) is definitely the...

Documents