BetaGovThe Marron Institute of Urban Management
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New York, NY 10011betagov.org
We are fast. We are free. And we focus on research that matters to . BetaGov focuses on practitionerledresearch that tests locally generated advances in education, criminal justice, health, and human services.We support more than 200 randomized controlled trials across a dozen states. One trial at a time, we arechanging the way knowledge is created in the public sector.
Why BetaGov?
*BetaGov trains agency personnel tobecome researchsavvy “Pracademics”who lead trials.
Testing methods for increasing responsivityand customer satisfaction via website design
Agency: Florida Department ofEconomic Opportunity
Trial Duration:03/13/17–04/09/17
Pracademics*: Gregory Moore,Robin Hess, Melinda Vealey
ContextA userfriendly website can assistclients in accessing necessaryinformation, which may increasetrust in the agency's services.Furthermore, the website can helpinform service delivery and reducemisunderstandings, therebyreducing staff burden.
Key FindingThe redesigned website is moreuserfriendly. Clients access thewebsite and FAQ pages foranswers, instead of calling theservice center, reducing staffburden.
BackgroundPublic agencies use online platforms to offerimportant resources and services. Websiteinformation should be easy to locate,access, and understand. A welldesignedwebsite reduces burden on staff byproviding answers to frequently askedquestions, increases public trust in theagency’s performance, and increases userparticipation and satisfaction. To improveaccess to Reemployment Assistance (RA),the Florida Department of EconomicOpportunity (DEO) redesigned their externalRA website.
Trial DesignInitially planned as a randomized controlledtrial whereby users would be randomlyprovided with the existing or redesignedwebsite, the DEO opted to test two websites— the original for two weeks followed by theredesigned website for two weeks.Outcomes included identification of featuresclients most wanted to use, optimalnavigation elements, and effectivepresentation of information. Changes areshown in the table. Data were collectedduring two consecutive twoweek timeperiods, including dropoff rate by pagedepth (time spent on page), websitecomments, FAQpage viewership, clients’
willingness to recommend the site, and callsreceived by the service center.
ResultsPage dropoff rate remained similar,although users spent slightly longer onsome pages of the new website. Comparedto the original, the redesigned website hadfewer comments, higher FAQpageviewership (by 11%), and received almost5,500 fewer weekly calls to the servicecenter. Findings also indicate that users aremore willing to recommend the redesignedpage to others. The DEO’s redesignedwebsite successfully addressed importantcustomerservice concerns. Although not arandomized controlled trial, this suggeststhat an easily navigated website improvesservice efficiency and client satisfaction.
Website Redesign fora Government Program
Changes from Original toRedesigned Website
Landing page
FAQ page
Servicecenter banner
Logon portal
Tax information
Contact Us widget