Web Management 101

Forgive me for reminiscing a bit…  It’s hard to believe that it was 17 years ago this month that I became HUD’s first web manager.  I was handed a brand new communication tool (one that was totally under the radar of most executives) and pretty much told to figure it out.  So I did.  With the help of a bunch of visionaries at HUD and at other agencies, who - like me - were eager to be pioneers in serving online.  We quickly figured out that this “web” thing would revolutionize the way government interacts with its customers; so we focused on citizens, used common sense, and took risks to do the right thing for the people we serve.  What a ride!

Early on, I was asked, “how do you manage a government website?’  So I started a list of “DOs.” I’ve tweaked this list many times, over the years, incorporating changing priorities, new technologies, and an increasingly sophisticated audience.  But the basic principles have stayed pretty much the same.  Here’s my, “web management 101.” 

1.        Listen to your customers.  There’s a reason this is number one – it’s the most important thing you do.  Make time for it.  Identify your customers and listen to what they have to say so you understand their wants and needs.  Get out of your office and talk to customers in person.  Read webmanager email.  Watch and learn from usability testing.  Go to public meetings and presentations - listen to what people are asking.  Analyze your stats.  Read letters to the editor in newspapers and blogs and Facebook pages and Twitter postings.  Listen for trends.  Listen for ideas.  Listen for frustration.  Never lose touch with your customers, no matter how far you rise in your organization.

2.       Talk like your customers talk.  When you write or edit content or create videos or publish Tweets or Facebook updates, use words, phrases, and descriptions that your customers use and understand.  Speak their language – don’t make them learn yours.  Make it easy for them.   

3.       Focus on your customers’ top tasks.  Highlight and pay attention to the things THEY WANT TO DO AND KNOW.  Respect them.  Help them do what they want to do, when they want to do it.  Eliminate all that other junk they don’t care about.  It gets in their way.

4.       Connect the dots.  Work with other agencies (federal, state, and local) to consolidate and link your customers’ top tasks.  Find out what other agencies have to offer on the topic.  Merge, consolidate, eliminate duplication, link, create logical sequences, and anticipate next steps and questions.  Do the work.  Don’t force your customers to figure it out.  Serve.

5.       Make it easy for your customers to find what they want.  Oh, so many wonderful ways to do this now.  Use them.  Wisely.  Search engine optimization.  Social media - Twitter is a terrific resource to let your customers know where to find what they want (and Twitter forces you to be concise!).  Make your services mobile.  But circle back to number 3 – focus on top tasks.  Just because you CAN make a mobile app doesn’t mean you should.  Make sure it’s something your customers want/need.

6.       Measure and improve.  Use data to find out what’s working and what isn’t.  Fix what isn’t.  Usability testing is the best way to do this, but also look at statistics (How many start the task? How many complete the task? Why do they fall out?) and customer satisfaction surveys and other measurement methods.  Spend more time analyzing data and improving your site than you do collecting data.  Improvement is the goal here – not data.

7.       Organize around "customer service."  Make sure you have everyone in the customer service food chain involved in producing your website.  That means:  key agency officials (including customer service officers and plain language officers), key program managers, key communicators (including web managers, new media managers, and public affairs officials), key technology experts,  key contractors and/or contract managers, and key field officials (because those folks in the field offices are out there on the front lines of customer service).  Involve people in charge of all service delivery channels.  Define roles, responsibilities, relationships, and rules; and make sure you review how it’s all working, regularly.

8.       Follow all the rules.  No excuses.  GSA has a superb website called “Howto.gov” that has it all, for federal government websites.  State and local governments have their own rules.  Those rules are there for a reason.  They protect your customers and make sure they get great service.  Know the rules.  Follow them. 

9.       Have a plan.  Things change so fast in the world of customer service that it can make your head spin.  Don’t let yourself get into a reactive mode.  Have a plan.  Know where you want to go.  Fix problems.  Adapt.  And let everyone know (inside and out) where you’re going and what you’ve accomplished.  Celebrate successes.  Update your plan frequently, so you can embrace change and not get caught by it.

10.   Help each other.  If you don’t remember anything else, remember this:  the public judges all of us by their experience with any of us.  Believe me – it’s true.  You’re only as good as everyone else is.  So stifle those competitive urges.  Use that energy to collaborate to make government the best.  Work across your agency to make sure all service delivery channels operate seamlessly.  Join the government Web Managers Forum.  Share successes and lessons learned.  Go to conferences (the big annual conference is coming up – have YOU registered?).  Share, learn, adopt.  Be a mentor to a new web manager or a promising wannabe.  GovLoop is sponsoring a wonderful mentoring program – volunteer.  Get to know your colleagues, and help them be successful.   We serve best when we serve together. 

Managing a government website isn’t rocket science.  Put customers first, use common sense, and show a little gumption to do right things; and you’re halfway there.  Take these 10 actions – over and over, better and better – and you’ll serve the public well. 

What's In A Name? Clarity

Gerry McGovern’s recent blog post about “content strategy” got me thinking about the importance of words and – specifically - names.  If you don’t know Gerry (and you should), he is an internationally known web content specialist.  And one of his major products is helping his customers understand that the words they use have everything to do with great customer service.  It’s the same thing my plain language colleagues espouse.  Word choice is critical to comprehension…understanding…clarity.  The names we use to describe our work, our initiatives, even our websites, can make the difference in communication, support, and credibility.

So, here are three examples where better names could make a big difference in our bosses’ and our customers’ understanding about what we do.

1.  “Content strategy.”  Being strategic is absolutely the right thing to do, as you work to improve your communications.  But I think Gerry is right on this one – the term “content strategy” doesn’t resonate with executives.  It doesn’t make that executive think immediately, “Oh, that’s something I care about – these people can help me do what I want to do.”

Getting content right is essential because that’s how we communicate with, and serve, our customers.  So if we want to give that effort a name, why not call it what it is:  our “customer service strategy?”  Or, at least, “communications strategy?”   Those names tell our bosses – and the public – what we're doing in terms they understand.  It tells them we’re doing something they care about.    

When you have that 5-second window of opportunity - on the elevator or walking in the front door or standing in the cafeteria line with that agency executive – try it out.  Watch executives’ eyes when you say, “we’d like to talk about our customer service strategy.”  They’ll understand exactly where you’re going - and they’ll want to work with you to get there. 

2.       .gov domain.  Here’s a different spin on the importance of a name.  One of the .Gov Reform goals is to get federal agency websites on the .gov (or .mil or .fed.us) domain.  Why?  Well, for one thing, those domains have instant credibility.  User testing has shown over and over that citizens/customers recognize the .gov and the .mil domains to be official, authoritative government websites.   Those domain names bring clarity.

The .gov domain name works for state or local government websites, too.  Though .gov was reserved for the federal government initially, that changed in 2003.  So state and local governments:   visit the GSA website to find out how to get your .gov domain.

This should be a no-brainer.  Your domain name can bring clarity.   And trust.

3.       “Digital government.”   I’ve been reluctant to bring this one up because so many of my colleagues use this term.  I mean no disrespect to you.  But, gosh, “digital government” bothers me.  For the record, I never liked the term “e-government” either.  I don’t think we should organize or think about government by delivery channel.  And I don’t think it conveys the message we want it to.  Mention “digital government” to executives, and I’m betting many of them think “technology” - not “customer service” or “customer experience” or “communications.”     

Why isolate the internet (websites and social media) and cell phones from the other ways we deliver customer service?  When there’s growing acceptance of the need to  deliver service across channels, seamlessly, why discuss or target or organize around only some of those service channels?   

Name it “Customer Service” or "Customer Experience."  Those are terms that bring clarity about what’s important to us and what we’re trying to achieve.  It says we’re putting customers first and keeping them at the center of our attention.  It helps us remember to deliver services all the ways our customers want, need, and use them. 

OK – some of you are shaking your heads. “Oh, Candi – you’re making much ado out of nothing.  These are internal terms – we know what we mean.”  Maybe so.  Maybe not.   I still hear complaints all the time about bosses who don’t “get it” about what web teams are trying to do.  Maybe it’s because they don’t understand the words we use to describe it.

But here’s the other thing…and it’s equally important.  We want to be open government.  We want to be transparent.  We want to engage citizens and involve them in their government.  That means we have to talk to them – and among ourselves, because they are listening – in words that mean something to them.  

Pardon me, Mr. Shakespeare, but there IS something in a name.  Comprehension.  Communication.  Understanding.  Clarity.

Related Posts
Web Improvement Plans Must Start With Commitment to Customer Service
Web Managers:  Time to Look for aNew Job
Are We Ready to Provide Great Customer Service in Government?

I've Said It Before and I'll Say It Again...5 Principles of Customer Service

We get so busy in our work that we sometimes lose sight of those basic principles that are the foundation of great customer service.  So every once in a while, it’s good to go back to those roots…to sit down and reflect and make sure you’re really using your time to do what’s important for your customers.

I’ve gone over these many times in this blog, but here are 5 basic principles of customer service that always bear repeating.

1.  Know your audience.  This is where you start.  This is the first step, and you can’t skip it.  Who are you trying to serve?  Who is your audience?  

Don’t forget about those unanticipated customers – the ones who show up and without an invitation.  I remember when my friend, Sam Gallagher, put up a website for his community association.  His intended audience was the people who live in the community.  His biggest audience turned out to be people who might want to move to the community or who want to know more about the community.  With a little tinkering, he was able to address the needs of both audiences, for the better of the community.

Audiences can shift.  Customers can change.  Circle back to this question often.   

2.  Listen, respect, and follow.   You know who you’re serving.  Now, find out what they want.   How do you do that?  You listen to them – I mean really listen to them.  Constantly. 

You can/should do that in many ways.  Watch your stats, read your email, and do your usability testing.

Use social media.  I’ve long believed the real value of social media isn’t pushing out information but listening to your audience.  Hearing their questions and discussions, learning more about them… what worries them, what pleases them.  Remembering the words they use so you can communicate with them better.  

And you can’t just sit in your office (especially if your office is in Washington, DC).  If you really want to know your customers, get out and talk to them.  Go where they are.  When I was HUD’s web manager, we piggy-backed on conferences and meetings where the agency had a presence – events both for business partners and for citizens.  We set up our computer, showed people what we had, and asked them what they wanted.  I can’t tell you how many times we got new ideas or corrected our misconceptions, by talking to our customers.

But listening is only the first part.  Respect what they tell you – especially when they tell you you’re doing it wrong.  And then fix it.  Customer feedback isn’t an annoyance – it’s an opportunity.

3.  Give them what they want, when they want it, in ways that make sense to them.  To serve well, you need to know how your customers behave and how they communicate.  Where and when do they want your service?  Do they look for your services online?  Or do they prefer to use the phone?  Or mail?  Or do they use multiple delivery methods…maybe request a brochure, then do something online, then phone a call center for clarification, and then go into an office to complete the task?  You have to design – and refine – your services to help your customers find and use them just as easily as possible.  That means “easy” for them – not you. 

Use the words they use.  And keep it direct and to the point.  Make sure they understand what they’re supposed to do to complete the task and what they’re supposed to do with the results.  Offer them help if they get stuck.

If you want satisfied customers, understand what they want to do and when they want to do it.  And make sure your information and instructions are absolutely clear to them, so they can get it done and move on in their busy lives.

4.  Measure what matters.   In 1995, when I became HUD’s web manager, it was a big deal to be able to tell the Secretary how many people came to our website.  Woo hoo!  Our audience increased by 150% in the past 6 months.  What did that measure?  Maybe how well we were marketing the site.  More likely, it measured how well the computer companies and internet service providers were increasing their business.  It didn’t tell us a darn thing about how well we were serving our customers. 

We soon figured out it’s not the quantity of the audience that matters – it’s the quality of their experience.  Could they find what they wanted?  Could they use what they found?  Did we do what we were trying to do?

Measure what matters.  How long does it take customers to find your top tasks?  How long does it take them to complete those tasks?  Do they get the right answer/a successful outcome?  Did they understand the words the first time they read them?  Did those improvements you made reduce the time it takes to complete the task and/or increase the success rate?

Don’t waste your time and money.  Throw out statistics and measures that don’t help you answer these questions.  Measure what matters, and use the results to improve your services.

5.  Be consistent.  Consistency is the hallmark of great customer service.  Customers need to get the same answers, no matter how or who they ask.  They need to get the same respectful treatment, whether they use the web, the phone, or the mail.  So if you’re a web manager, you have to know what the call centers are doing, what the publications are saying, what social media is learning, and what correspondence units are hearing.   You have to compare notes and figure out how you can work together to make the customer experience as easy and effective as possible, especially when customers use multiple channels.  Keep your focus on the customer – and not on the delivery channel.   Be consistent.

Do yourself – and your customers – a favor.  Carve out time - once a month or once a quarter- to think about these 5 principles.  What’s changed?  What’s new?  Is everything on that “to do” list of yours related to these goals?  Could you be using your time better, to achieve what’s really important to customer service? 

These principles are your foundation.  Maintain your foundation, and you’ll have a solid customer service strategy.

Related Posts

Customer Service Mantra:  Listen,Respect, Follow

How Does Your Website Stack Up?

Keep It Plain

Courage to Do What We Know We Need to Do 
Metrics That Matter

Submit a Video and Win A Place in Line for FREE Usability Testing

What’s the very best thing you can do for your web customers?   Test the usability of your website.  Honestly – I can tell you from personal experience – there is no statistic or survey that will tell you as much about how good – or bad – your site is as watching people use it.  And guess what?  Testing doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.  The folks at GSA have you covered.

The First Fridays program offers government agencies a half-day of professional usability testing – for FREE!  After a morning of in-depth testing with real web customers, you’ll meet over lunch with the First Fridays team and identify quick-fix solutions to the top three problems.  Not only do you get your site tested by professionals, but also you learn how to your own testing.  Did I mention it’s FREE?

My friend, Nicole Burton, coordinates the First Fridays program; and it’s already been a huge success, helping many agencies spot the problems with – and come up with solutions for – their sites.  In fact, the program has been so successful that the line to get in on it is long.  They’re already booked for much of 2012.

But wait – don’t despair!  You have an opportunity to assure your spot in the 2012 First Fridays queue.  GSA has issued a challenge – submit a short video telling GSA why your site needs to be tested this year.  If your entry is chosen, you’ll be assured of a free usability test, this year.

Head to the “Win a Free Usability Test Video Contest” site and find out how to participate.  This Challenge is open to any government agency (federal, state, local) with a public-facing website or app.

A team of five usability judges (including my personal usability guru Steve Krug) will view the videos and entry forms and choose one winner.  There’s more.  The public also will view the entries and will pick a winner.  Both winners are will get the full First Fridays treatment, during 2012.  All FREE.  That’s a great deal for you and a great deal for your customers.

Be sure to read the rules about First Fridays.  You’ve got to work with the GSA team and make sure the owner of your site/app is onboard with attending the session and committing to improvement.  But how hard is that?  Don’t we all want our sites/apps to be as effective as possible at delivering great customer service?

I recently did some usability testing with a group that was just sure its site was great.  Their customers told them so.  They had the stats to show it.  Each of the testing participants had used the site before and thought the site was great.  And guess what?  When we gave those participants common problems to solve, using the site, every single one of them had a hard time.  Mouths dropped open. 

Watch people use your site.  Take advantage of the terrific First Fridays program.  Submit a video for the First Fridays Challenge and assure your place in line (entries are due February 29).  You’ll be glad you did…and so will your customers.

Clearmark Plain Language Awards Are Important to Customer Service

I’ve said this hundreds of times:  if we don’t communicate effectively, we don’t serve effectively.  It’s as simple – and as difficult- as that.  If customers can’t understand what you have to offer, can’t understand where to find it or what they’re supposed to do with it, then they can’t use your services.  And you’ve failed. 

Nominations for the annual Clearmark and Wondermark Plain Language Awards are being accepted now.  They recognize the best-and worst-documents, legal writing, and websites (electronic media) in government, non-profits, and the private sector.  Entries are judged both on design and language, because both of those elements contribute to clarity.

So why are these awards so important to customer service?  Because they give us – you- wonderful examples to follow.  Take a look at last year’s Clearmark winners, and you’ll see what plain writing should be.  And those Wondermark winners shine the light on what you don’t want to do.

There is a small fee for submitting Clearmark nominations - $75 for government entries and $100 for non-profit and private entries.  But you get something pretty terrific for that money, win or lose.  You’ll get a summary of the critiques of each of the judges who review your entry.  These are some of the most experienced and widely recognized plain writing experts around the world (I say this with due modesty, since I’m among them); and you’ll get a thorough assessment of what’s good, and what could be better, from a panel of these authorities.  I’m guessing some of you pay consultants a whole lot more than that to advise you on your documents or websites…this is a real bargain.

I encourage you to submit your best documents, legal writing, and/or websites (or other media) for Clearmark Awards.  Deadline is March 3, 2012.  And if there’s a document or website that’s been driving you crazy, nominate it for a Wondermark Award (there is no fee for Wondermark awards, and you have the option to be anonymous). 

As important, I encourage you to review past award winners and be on the lookout for this year’s winners.  See what makes them worthy of acclaim (or shame).  Use that knowledge to improve your own writing.

If we don’t communicate effectively, we don’t serve effectively.

Time to Lasso That Elephant!

The .Gov Task Force has issued the State of the Federal Web report, summarizing its surveys and the national brainstorming effort it sponsored.  It’s a terrific report, full of great data and even better analysis.  If you care at all about how customer service in the federal government functions (or should function), this is a “must read.”

Are there any surprises here?  Heck no.  Many of us – both inside and outside government – have been yammering about the proliferation of government websites, the lack of consistency, bad writing, and the need for easy-to-use “top tasks,” for years.  The good news is that now we have the data to support it and a Presidential initiative to fix it. 

So, what’s the one absolutely compelling need that jumps out…the elephant in the room?  Governance.  Governance across agencies.  Governance across government.  It’s time to wrestle with those 5 “R’s” of governance, establish consistency, and really improve customer service through the web.

What are the 5 “R’s” of governance? 

1. Roles – who, by title, must be involved? 
2. Responsibilities – what must they do?
3. Relationships – how/when must they interact?
4. Rules – how will they operate (policies, publication rules, and operating rules)?
5. Review – how they will make sure that the first four “R’s” are followed and improved (accountability; management controls)?

Roles, responsibilities, relationships, and rules do not have to be (shouldn’t be) reinvented agency-by-agency.  There are clear models of success out there (just check out Howto.gov).  Embrace them.  We need to stop the tug of war between communications and technology and customer service and figure out who has the lead and how it needs to be organized, keeping the customer at the center.  It's time.

But the biggie – the one that, without it, all else fails – is “Review.”  We need good controls to make sure we’re adhering to “R’s” 1-4.  Certification processes are great.  But if no one spot-checks to make sure those certifications are accurate, who cares?  If we don't do something about noncompliance, why should anyone comply?  Content management systems can help.  They can enforce design and approvals.  But they can’t fix bad writing.  They can't make sure top tasks are easy-to-use and easy-to-find. 

You’ve got to have effective review processes to make sure everything (and everyone) is working according to plan.  And there have to be repercussions if it isn’t (you lose your posting rights, you have to take more training, we find someone else to fill your responsibilities, etc.). 

The .Gov Task Force is working on a governmentwide web strategy to address the findings documented in the State of the Federal Web report and chart a course for the future.  They’ve done a superb job handling this critical initiative, so far; and I look forward to seeing what they do now.  It’s a task fraught with peril - there’s so much to be done.  This strategy has to be very focused and very practical.  But this group looks like it’s up to it.  And if they lasso that darned elephant, we’ll see real improvement in customer service.

Related Posts
Governance Is Infrastructure for Great Customer Service
Web Improvement Plans Must Start With Commitment to Customer Service
Let’s Start A Customer Service Revolution!

Governance Is Infrastructure for Great Customer Service

Federal agencies have posted their Customer Service Plans, to comply with President Obama’s Executive Order, “Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service.”  Agencies specifically were to create a signature initiative that improves online service.  Many of them are pretty good.  Check out all the General Services Administration has on its radar, for example.

But when you put the Customer Service Plans next to the interim Web Improvement Plans, they seem inconsistent.  In many cases, you wonder:  did the person who wrote one talk to the person who wrote the other?  No, they probably didn’t.  Why not?  Because they weren't under one governance structure. 

If we’re going to improve customer service in government, we’ve got to have strong governance.  Governance brings consistency, and consistency is essential for great customer service.

I think of “management” as a hierarchical structure with official delegated authorities.  “Governance,” on the other hand, usually is a group of management officials or hierarchies who must collaborate and cooperate across the agency to be successful.  A governance structure doesn’t have to be hierarchical – it can be collaborative.  But everyone in the structure (and everyone in the Agency) has to understand it clearly.  Good governance often is hard to pin down and harder to achieve.  But it is absolutely critical to improving and maintaining great customer service. 

So here we go again…governance.  What is it?  It’s the infrastructure that enables efficient, effective, collaborative cross-agency (or cross-government) progress.   I use 5 “R’s:”

1. Roles – who, by title, must be involved? 
2. Responsibilities – what must they do?
3. Relationships – how/when must they interact?
4. Rules – how will they operate (policies, publication rules, and operating rules)?
5. Review – how will they make sure that the first four “R’s” are followed (management controls) and opportunities for improvement are spotted (evaluation)?

A couple of years ago, I tacked on two other critical “R’s:”

Reason – what are you trying to achieve?  What’s the purpose?  Yes – there may be multiple purposes (deliver services, provide information and data, involve the public, share the Agency’s plans and accomplishments).  But when push comes to shove, what comes first (and second and third and…)?  Everyone needs to know so when it comes to decisions about strategies, priorities, and resources, you're on the same page.

Roadmap – a plan.  If you don’t have one, your customer service efforts can go awry really fast, and you can waste precious resources (not to mention making your agency look bad).  Everyone needs to be going in the same direction, toward the same goals. 

My friend Nicole Burton, who runs GSA’s First Fridays program (they do FREE website usability reviews for agencies) tells me that governance issues are at the root of many of the problems they identify.  Right hand doesn’t talk to left hand, even though they’re working on the same customer tasks.  Fiefdoms compete or duplicate efforts.  No central oversight to make sure the site represents the best of the entire agency and that it works seamlessly, even though content comes from different parts of the agency.  Bad governance shows.

Where to start?  Begin by assembling the right people:

• A high ranking management official who has authority to trump all others in the governance structure, if there are issues.  It could be the agency head or deputy agency head or some other program-neutral official.  It must be someone who is clear on the agency’s customer service objectives and keeps abreast of the actions.
• The designated Customer Service Official
• The Chief Communications Officer (because we cannot serve effectively if we don’t communicate effectively)
• The designated Plain Language Official (because we don’t communicate effectively if we talk gobbly gook)
• The designated Open Government Official (because being transparent and participatory and collaborative is a big part of great customer service)
• The Chief Information Officer
• The Chief Web Manager
• The New Media Director
• The head of publications
• The head of call centers
• The head of the agency correspondence unit(s)
• The manager responsible for field operations (because a whole lot of customer service happens out there in field offices)
• The Chief Procurement Officer (because contractors often are a critical part of our customer service efforts)
• Top content owners – the executives in charge of program areas or bureaus or other major organization components

Yep – that’s a lot of people.  Each of these people has a stake in the goal.  These players must be involved in your customer service strategy and operations – working together, going in the same direction - or your customers will suffer. 

Next, figure out what each must do and how (and when) they must interact.  Write that down, so everyone knows.  Start with what you have and then fill in the holes or make fixes.  I’ve got a little governance self-assessment worksheet that can help.  Don’t forget to figure out those “review” processes to make sure it all works.  And figure out consequences – don’t wait for things to break down. 

We could be witnessing the beginning of culture change that will make customer service a permanent driving force in government.  But it takes a good infrastructure - good governance – to make it work. 

Web Improvement Plans Must Start With Commitment to Customer Service

The initial drafts of federal agency plans to improve online customer service have been posted.  Agencies were asked to report on what’s happening currently, as the first step toward developing their plans; and I must say, the results are – well – disappointing.  If you want to know what’s wrong with government websites, just scan a few of these draft plans.  They’re all over the place.

In case you aren’t up to speed, the White House announced the .Gov Reform effort in early summer.  It emanates from the President’s Executive Order, “Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service” and the Campaign to Cut Waste.  Specifically, the .Gov Reform task force is inventorying government websites, assessing the status of web operations, and developing a governmentwide web strategy.  As part of this effort, agencies are to develop a “Web Improvement Plan that communicates their strategy for managing web resources more efficiently, improving online content, and enhancing the customer experience of Agency websites.”  These draft plans are the first step. 

OK, take a look at these “plans” and see what you think.

I reviewed 14 Cabinet level agency reports and the White House web team report.  For the most part, these are very process-oriented.  Few mentioned overarching goals or a vision for online customer service.  The lack of consistency across government is quite apparent.  Look at their descriptions of “governance,” for example.  Several talked about budget procedures and technical requirements, without mentioning the who, what, and why of their governance structures.  Do they know what “governance” is?

Only a few (I counted 4) said they factor in usability testing to help them make sure they’re meeting customers’ needs.  While customer satisfaction surveys, statistics, email, and focus groups can help – and certainly should be part of the metrics agencies use to improve their sites – the number one way to make sure your website works is watching people use it. 

And the biggest omission?  Customers.  Knowing them.  Listening to them.  Focusing strategies on their needs. 

There are some bright spots.  

• Health and Human Services admits to having no strategy, but their thoughtful analysis of the problems makes me hopeful they’ll develop a strategy that really will improve customer service. 
• EPA is a winner, with its “One EPA” strategy to make web content consistent across the agency (and consistency is fundamental to great customer service). 
• Labor talked about using GSA’s “First Fridays”program to help them assess the usability of their website and make improvements.  Way to go!
• Some of the large agencies, with many sub-agencies, are beginning to pull policies and procedures and people together to work toward – there it is again - consistency.

But on the whole, these “plans” tell me there’s much to do to improve the way the federal government is serving customers online.

So…a few suggestions.

First – to those of you outside government who value transparency and who care about making government customer service better: read these plans and then speak up about what you see.  Let the .Gov Task Force know what you think (Alycia Piazza is listed as the contact for more information about the effort).  Blog, Tweet, stir up discussion.  Let’s help the govies make online customer service better by pointing out where they can improve.

Second – to the .Gov Task Force:  These reports are a reality check.  I think the notion of “improving customer service” has not sunk in.  Maybe you should back up and help agencies get up to speed.  I’d bring in Gerry McGovern, who has worked with governments and top companies all over the world to improve online customer service, for a half day.  Put him in front of all the agency Directors of Communication, Directors of Public Affairs, CIOs, designated customer service officials, and top agency web managers.  Help them understand the principles of online customer service so they can set priorities and create strategies that really will change the way government serves its customers.  While the governmentwide web strategy you’re crafting should help get agencies on the same path, I think it’s important they’re doing it with a good understanding of the vision.

Third – to the Federal Web Managers Council:  I think you need to jump into this effort in a public way.  Soon.  This would be a great time for you folks to issue another white paper, laying out what these strategic plans could/should look like, or - at least - reintroduce your previous white papers.  The CIO Council is out there pushing.  You should be, too.  You’ve been talking about it for years.   You have a wonderful opportunity here.  Step up to the plate.

The recent National Dialog on Government Websites produced some terrific ideas and got a lot of people – inside and outside of government – excited about the possibilities of the .Gov Reform initiative.  But change starts with a commitment to improving customer service.  These plans do not reflect that commitment.  Fix that, and you’ll be on your way.

Related Posts
Courage to Do What We Know We Need to Do
Get Organized for Great Customer Service
Governance Blues? Build the Blocks
Metrics That Matter

National Dialog on Government Websites Is Over – What’s Next?

So the 2+ week National Dialog on Government Websites is over.  It ended last night with 436 ideas, 1,663 comments, and 8,259 votes submitted by 992 contributors.  If you didn’t get a chance to participate, the whole thing is archived for reference.  Take a look – I think you’ll be impressed by the quality of the discussion.

Now, the obvious question is:  what’s next?  Well, the .Gov Reform Task Force will be reviewing the results and using it to help shape government web policy.  Here are 3 outcomes I’d like to see.

1. Require agencies to create an annual content review process, and require the agency head to certify to OMB that all web content is current and accurate.  One of the big reasons we’re in this mess with too many government websites is that agencies aren’t held accountable for their content.  Ask just about any government web manager, and they’ll tell you there are huge sections of their websites that are seldom (maybe never) used or reviewed.  Agency managers have to be held responsible for the content they publish.  And there have to be consequences for content neglect (lose posting rights or set a trigger to remove any content not used/reviewed in 1 year or some other appropriate action).  We’ve got to get a handle on government web content, and accountability is part of the answer.
2. Require agencies to archive important – but obsolete – content for future reference.  Lots of discussion on various ideas in this Dialog about separating “evergreen” content from content with a short shelf life and archiving content.  We have to balance content management demands with the principles of transparency and open government.  I think the archives.hud.gov website that my friend, Sam Gallagher, created is a terrific solution to this problem.  He moved important historical content from the "live" site to the archive site - content like speeches and initiatives from previous administrations; dated content like funding announcements and grant applications; press releases; statistical reports older than 1 year; and information about obsolete programs.  You can get to the archives site from HUD’s home page, and you can search the archives.  Content on the archives site is clearly marked “archived” in the header, and the date archived is at the bottom of the page.  It keeps important content available to the public, but it separates it from content that needs to be reviewed and managed.  It’s one great solution to the problem of clutter and bloated websites.
3. Establish a customer service strategy that addresses both the front end – creating/improving services so they’re easy to find and easy to use – and the back end, customer support.  Lots of ideas fit into this great hope: rewrite websites using plain language, organize around topics and customer groups instead of agencies, simplify online services, require usability testing before launch, and more.  One idea that captured my attention is to establish an ombudsman to help customers who get stuck or confused.  Gerry McGovern published a spot-on article this week that predicts “the future is about service,” and he talks about the value of customer support.  We’ve also got to humanize our services; and several ideas – have a human on the other end, use real-time chats, and others – got at this notion.  But overall, we’ve got to stop thinking in terms of delivery channels and start thinking in terms of service.  We need to focus on "what," instead of "how."  We must understand how customers consume our services.  We need to make sure they get the same answers and seamless service, whether they use the web, the phone, a letter, a publication or – as often happens – a combination.  I’d like to see the White House and OMB and the Federal Web Managers Council and the CIO Council and GSA get behind a clear strategy that looks at the big picture of service, which includes – but is not limited to – websites.

The .Gov Task Force has a huge challenge.  I’m both excited and optimistic about the results.  So what can we do to help?  Keep talking.  Keep thinking.  Keep contributing.  If you’re a webbie inside government, get involved in the government Web Managers Forum.  For those of us outside government, let’s keep blogging and Tweeting and seizing opportunities for participation.  The National Dialog on Government Websites shows that – together – we can figure this out.

PS – Huge congrats to GSA’s Sheila Campbell, Lisa Nelson, and Alycia Piazza and others who managed the Dialog.  Well done!

Great Ideas! What Do You Think?

The National Dialog on Government Websites has been a resounding success.  In fact, it’s gone so well that the .Gov Reform Task Force and GSA have extended the discussion to midnight Tuesday night, October 4. 

There’s still time for you to get in there to comment and vote on the ideas others have proposed and submit your own. 

So many great ideas!  How do you feel about these?

• Create content around topics and customer groups – not organizations.  Start working across government to combine, consolidate, and trim content around themes.  Stop making customers hop from agency to agency, to gather all the information government has to offer.  Yes, there are barriers.  But isn’t this the right thing to do for our customers?
• Require accessibility AND usability testing prior to launching a website (or a redesign or any significant content additions).  We’ve come a long way since 1995 – we have a body of research that tells us what makes a positive customer experience.  Should we be required to use that research to make our websites easier for customers to use before we post them?
• Simplify online services.  Well, duh – yeah!  If you agree, vote.  If you don’t agree, tell us why. 
• Differentiate between short-term and long-term content (my terms here).  Some content is timeless and needs to be easy to find.  Some content has a short shelf-life, but we keep piling it up (leaving it there), making it harder and harder to find those evergreen gems.  Should we set up archive websites, moving that important – but quickly obsolete – content off the active website so it’s easier for customers to use?  How can we deal with this problem?
• Create a federal website content strategy.  Do we need to stop managing on an ad hoc basis and start developing and implementing a thoughtful, comprehensive strategy for our websites?
• Standardize CMS and templates across government.  Oh boy – here’s a hot one!  Strong opinions on both sides (I say, “yes!”).  Many pros and cons, and lots of hurdles.  What's the right answer for our customers?
• Establish a “customer bill of rights” as a set of core principles for customer service.  I’ve been talking about this for years.  But what do you think?
• Customers should be able to find government information by location.  We addressed this 10 years ago at HUD – our customers told us they want to know how to buy a home or find rental housing where they live or want to live.  They want that local connection.  So we hired local web managers and built sections of the website for every state.  It was a huge hit.  Should we be doing this across government?  I think so.  How about you?
• Less content – more services.  Should we be focusing more on creating/improving great online services and less on writing more “content?”
• Require a content review process.  Should every agency have some sort of process to make sure content is current and accurate?
• Should all federal government websites use USA.gov’s search engine?  Why reinvent the wheel?
• Agencies should make sure they have processes to act on customer feedback, questions, and input.  Customers hate it when they lob in a comment or question and never hear or see government’s response.  It’s a huge part of “open government.”  What can/should we do to make sure we interact with customers?

I’m telling you…this discussion is a cornucopia of great ideas and even better discussion. 

409 ideas.  1,476 comments.  939 participants.  As of today.  Have you weighed in?  There’s still time.  This is important, folks.  Don’t keep your ideas and opinions to yourself – share them.  Let’s figure this out.  We serve best when we serve together. You’ve got until midnight Tuesday night.  Join the National Dialog on Government Websites!