Research Paper on E-Government Website

Introduction

Many global institutions have embraced the need to go online for most of their operations. In-person activities and services have become dominant in their quest to be availed online. In addition, the advancement of technology has prompted service bodies to increasingly adopted website available services. Some of such institutions are financial sectors and travel agencies transactions. Governments have not been left behind. Instead of making frequent travels to government offices to access services, individuals can now access essential facilities online. For example, one can easily obtain health insurance within government websites at ease. Also, such sites are vital in informing the daily legislations that the government has adopted. The current paper seeks to explain the best practices in a government website and analyze one e-government website and provide a critique for its functionality.

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Above all, an efficient e-government website should be mobile friendly. In this case, the site should accommodate all types of users who need to access it using various gadgets. For instance, some may need to access it through smartphones while others may use tablets. In such a situation, the site should be responsive enough to be accessed via these devices. Responsive design should be implemented to ensure that content on the website is scaled to fit the size of a phone or tablet screen (Thompson, 2016). The other attribute that signifies an active government website is its ability to detect locations from where it is accessed (Ruff, 2016). With this ability, it has to ask all those accessing it their location before navigating to the main site. In addition, it needs to offer live help to everyone who uses it. The other essential feature is the notification tab. It provides for an option for individuals to subscribe for emails and reminders regarding the services that are offered by the government.

Mississippi E-Government Website

Mississippi operates an e-government website under the link https://www.ms.gov/. From the website, it is clear that it provides for a live help option. It pops up immediately one enters the website. The choice is significant as one is assured of immediate help in case of an impending issue. The live chat is also used for texting the government staff that operates within site thus enabling people to access government services without much struggle. The other essential feature in the website of this state is the location identifier ("Popular Services", n.d). The service allows all users to identify their location before navigating to the website's dashboard. With this feature, one is shown all nearby government offices that offer the same services that are provided on the site.

Also, the Mississippi e-government website offers notification services. It enables users to subscribe to emails, and texts get alerts on new facilities. It is one of the most essential in that individual's access crucial information regarding weather changes, traffic snarl-ups and other relevant information.

Despite the Mississippi e-government offering essential services, some improvements should be made. One of them is the site's appearance. One navigates easily into the site without noticing it. The background color of the website should be appealing to ensure that it attracts the user. Also, the use of graphics is also essential. For instance, the tab that shows the infrastructural issues should be depicted with a real-life example of infrastructural graphics such as cars, communication lines, and other leading pictures. In essence, the Mississippi e-government website is an outstanding one although the appearance of the site is wanting.

Conclusion

All in all, websites need to provide for all services that are offered by their institutions. Reliability and responsiveness are critical aspects of such sites. E-government websites are essential in the provision of public services. In this case, navigation should be smooth and at the same time provide for all services that concern them.

References

Popular Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ms.gov/

Ruff. T. (2016, August 17). 5 Attributes of a Good Government Website (Industry Perspective). Retrieved from http://www.govtech.com/opinion/5-Attributes-of-a-Good-Government-Website.html

Thompson, P. (2016). What Makes an Award-Winning Government Website. Retrieved from https://www.govloop.com/community/blog/makes-award-winning-government-website/