Top 7 Tips for Creating a User-Friendly Government Service Website That Satisfies Citizens
Organizing a website by life situation, providing quick links, offering end-to-end services, and providing one secure login ID across all government entities, are some of the features government websites can provide to make the process more user-friendly for customers.
Countries with excellent government services make sure that their customers’ experience while completing the process of obtaining a government service is user-friendly. For these countries, government digital services are a strong focus on the national stage, and citizen-centric design is embedded in each process.
Many countries offer a one-stop-shop website or app for government information and digital services, enabling citizens to complete many of these online at any time.
When visiting their websites, seven user-friendly qualities stand out:
- Organized by life situation: Categories of information are organized by life situation or how customers live instead of by ministries or government entities. Many or all government entities have migrated to this new central website for its service offerings.
- Zero-click: It takes one click (or zero-click) for the customer to find what he or she is looking for. Often, there is a section called “Shortcuts” or “Quick Links” to help support this.
- Digital, end-to-end: You can complete a government service online digitally from ‘end-to-end.’ In other words, there is no part of the process where you must visit a physical government office.
- One secure login ID across all government entities: You can log in with your official National ID. It is one ID that applies across all ministries or government entities. There is often a link to click on to learn more about digital security, data protection, and data privacy.
- Customer satisfaction feedback: Often, customers can rate their experience on the government website or app directly, and the process only takes a few seconds to complete.
- Helpful benefits calculators: From benefits calculators to family support calculators, these government websites are making it easy for customers to understand which government benefits they are eligible for.
- Accessibility: The website or app is also accessible for people who are disabled or ‘people of determination.’
In this article, we look at the user-friendly setup of government websites in four countries: Singapore, Denmark, Estonia, and Finland.
SINGAPORE
Today, over 90% of Singapore’s government services are in digital form from end to end. They are organized easily by life situations in the app and website. You can log in with your national ID, the SingPass, to complete the government service.
Source: www.life.gov.sg
There is a personalized dashboard, and they also provide a family support calculator to increase user-friendliness.
Source: www.life.gov.sg
At the bottom of each webpage, you will see a smiley face where you can rate your customer experience in just a couple of seconds. When your cursor hovers over it, the rating section pops up.
Source: www.life.gov.sg
DENMARK
The country has a central, go-to portal for customers to complete government services (www.borger.dk), which is organized by ‘life situations’ for ease of navigation.
Source: www.borger.dk
You may also find all subjects listed on the main page without clicking even once to another section beforehand.
Source: www.borger.dk
The website allows for accessibility for those with disabilities.
Source: www.borger.dk
ESTONIA
Estonia boasts a one-stop-shop for government information and digital services, enabling citizens to do almost anything online.
Their services are organized by life event as well as by customer type.
Source: www.eesti.ee
Source: www.eesti.ee
Customers can log in to complete a government service through their ID card, Mobile ID, Smart ID, or EU eiD.
Source: www.eesti.ee
FINLAND
Government services are organized by life situation:
Source: www.suomi.fi/etusivu
An area on the main page for shortcuts:
Source: www.suomi.fi/etusivu
At the bottom of the homepage, you can learn more about data protection as well as accessibility and information in sign language.
Source: www.suomi.fi/etusivu
Related Stories
Economics & Finance
Global E-Commerce To Reach $1 Trillion by 2020. Now, We Need Global Rules
Economics & Finance
New National Cryptocurrency Licenses, Allowing Businesses to Start and Grow