When it comes to things like features and usability, it is often seen that government and municipal websites tend to be behind other types of websites, like ecommerce websites or other business websites. This is mainly because government websites don’t really run with a commercial interest and that’s why design and other aesthetics take a backseat as far as government websites are concerned. But that being said, over the past couple of years, it has been seen that there is a need for government websites to change and evolve with the times for the greater good. Going for a complete redesign might be a little overwhelming and things can get a little too confusing if the admins don’t know what they should be aiming for. Read on further to know the top 3 government website standards that government websites should follow for the class of 2021. It’s high time for all government websites to follow these 4 government website standards or else there’s a risk of them being rendered unappealing for most of their visitors.
- Mobile-First Design: – It is hard to imagine websites in 2021 not having a mobile-first design but there are still many websites out there who don’t have a mobile-first design and most of these websites are government websites. Thus one of the most important government website standards that all government websites must implement in today’s day and age is to have a mobile-first design. It makes absolutely no sense for government websites to not have a mobile-first design but government websites get an overwhelming percentage of their audience from mobiles and tablets. More people use the internet from their mobile devices than they ever have done in the past and this trend is all set to continue, very well into the future. It has been seen that people of all age groups tend to use the internet more often from their mobile phones and tablets than from their personal computers or laptops. Thus it is one of the most government website standards that all government websites must absolutely follow in 2021. ‘Mobile-first’ should be one of the main government website standards for all government websites to follow because it is actually one of the best ways to connect with the new generation. Once the website has been successfully designed for mobile, the result will be that the website will be super fast, very simple and highly convenient to use.
- ADA Compliance :- In today’s day and age, ADA compliance is a very hot topic and it is one of the most important government website standards that all government websites must follow in 2021. Making the website ADA compliant is actually not as difficult as most people consider it to be. If and when you make your website ADA compliant, people suffering from disabilities will feel a lot more included, if and when they visit your site. Further, there is also the question of not getting involved in any potential legal quagmire because over the past couple of years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of lawsuits against websites that are not ADA compliant. So unless the admins of government websites intend to get forced into monetary settlements, they would do well to make their websites ADA compliant as this is one of the most important government website standards that all government websites must definitely implement in 2021.
- Modern Designs :- Once you have ensured that the website in question has a mobile-first design and is also ADA compliant, then you might want to improve things on other fronts like the overall design of the website. ‘Design’ applies to all websites, whether the admins of the same want to agree or not. Government websites might not really be driven by commercial interests and that’s true but they still need to ensure that the ‘design’ of their site is at least appealing in some way so that the end-users and visitors to the site have a good overall experience. Government websites should go for something simple, clean and elegant which makes the website come across as something very easy to use. No need for going for something flashy at all. Websites could go for mega-menus, video backgrounds, news centers and just a few other additions to make the website look a little more appealing and attractive.
The Bottom Line
These are the top three government website standards that all government websites must follow in 2021. If the admins of government websites feel that their website is not up to date in the year 2021, then they must ensure to follow the top 3 government website standards that have been mentioned above. On top of the government website standards that have been mentioned, admins should also ensure that their website is highly secure because around 45% of all government websites notice hacking efforts on an almost daily basis.
