The new web communicator
The Web offers one of the most significant opportunities to communicators in modern history, but requires a total redefinition of what communications is.
Traditional communications is one-way, passive and past-tense. It is all about telling people what you have done, what you are doing, or what you are about to do. There is a core belief […]
Great websites do, not say
Never tell people what you’re going to do for them on the Web. Just let them do what they came to do as quickly and simply as possible.
“Welcome to our website.” What? I’m in a hurry. I don’t want to pass meaningless pleasantries with your website. I don’t want to shake its hand. Or talk […]
Government website survey: from organization-centric to citizen-centric
Government websites are organization-centric, complicated and confusing, according to a survey of government web professionals in the United States, New Zealand and Canada.
Between August and October 2007, over 230 government web professionals in the United States, New Zealand and Canada rated their websites based on a list of phrases. There were 22; 11 positive (customer […]
Government websites must focus
Government websites must specialise and deliver better services to specific audiences, not try to be everything to everybody.
A number of years ago, I did some work with a department of education. It was reviewing its web strategy and had come to a decision. In its new version, it would not have content for students. The […]
Local government: local tasks made easy
The best thing governments can do on the Web is get out of the way. Save the citizen time by making basic government tasks fast and easy.
Salford recently received the UK Local Authority Website of the Year 2007 award. It’s not surprising. Salford is a very practical and functional website. The homepage is full […]
