Time for governments to transform online experiences, says survey

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Time for governments to transform online experiences, says survey

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Citizens want governments to transform online services to be more like the private sector, according to a global study released by Adobe and WPP’s government and public sector practice. The research found that governments in the countries represented in the survey need to look beyond a presence online, and more on delivering experiences that are personal and relevant to the user, in line with the experiences widely delivered by private organisations.

While the need for modernisation of government services is recognised across countries, this study examines citizens’ perspectives on what impacts their interactions with government online. Some of the most popular specific improvements to government services requested were: pre-filled tailored information; instant online communication for help; and being offered additional relevant information. “We know trust in government is generally low, and that positive digital experiences increase citizens’ trust,” said Jace Johnson, vice president, global government relations and public policy at Adobe.

To understand what drives a positive experience of online public services, researchers explored five dimensions of experience: citizen journey, mobile, design, relevance and relationship. Researchers found that citizens ranked the more advanced and emotive dimensions, including relevance, relationship and design, as “most important” to their overall satisfaction with online government services. Yet across countries, respondents said their governments are performing better on the more functional components of experience — citizen journey and mobile functionality.

Telecom market perceived as too complex by consumers

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Consumers perceive the telecom market to be too complex. With six in 10 smartphone users grappling with the complexity of mobile data plans, there is considerable misalignment between what users buy and what they use. With only three in 10 smartphone users satisfied with the way their operator presents plans online, the digital telecom experience is neither simple nor effortless. This is one of the six calls to action from consumers that operators need to act upon to provide a foundation for adoption of 5G technology, according to an Ericsson report titled towards a 5G consumer future. The report represents the views of 800 million smartphone users.

Consumers also aren’t counting on unlimited data plans, but are looking for a sense of the unlimited. The average smartphone user has 31 gigabytes of unused mobile data left over per year. Two in five consumers would like to use this excess as currency and expect to be able to save, trade or gift unused data.

Faster broadband speeds and fair wireless contracts are considered more important than the data buckets that dominate the market. Also, contrary to the belief that consumers are uninterested in 5G, globally the idea of 5G services appeals to 76 per cent smartphone users; 44 per cent are in fact willing to pay for 5G. Over a third expects 5G to offer capabilities beyond speed, network coverage and lower prices: improvements such as better battery life and the ability to connect not only devices but also Internet of Things. Moving towards a 5G future, consumers are calling on operators to avoid baseless marketing slogans and instead focus on real network experience.