Research
Using Social Media for Better Customer Service (10/26/2010) – Social media can reshape how government provides service to their customers. Accenture outlines a simple framework for integrating social media into an organization’s customer service strategy. https://microsite.accenture.com/consulting/Pages/The-Evolution-of-Customer-Service-Harnessing-the-Potential-of-Social-Media.aspx?c=MyOutlook_Link1&n=emc_10262010
Effectively Managing Government Records (10/28/2010) – New report from IBM Center for the Business of Government provides a framework for understanding records management issues in a Web 2.0 world. Includes recommendations, best practices, and practical advice from across government. http://www.businessofgovernment.org/report/how-federal-agencies-can-effectively-manage-records-created-using-new-social-media-tools
News
CDC Releases Social Media Toolkit – Features chart that lists Gov 2.0 tools and the relative effort needed to support each one. For example, podcasts, widgets and e-cards can be done on small budgets with little staff time
http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/ToolsTemplates/SocialMediaToolkit_BM.pdf
12 Best Government Websites (and Worst) (10/23/2010) – Many government websites are as modern and inviting as those of top companies. The 12 websites highlighted by InformationWeek include DHS.gov, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Airforce, NASA and USA.gov. Criteria is mostly based on design rather than functionality and services – see if your site made either list! http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/government/info-management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227100057
Why Focus Groups Don’t Work (11/01/2010) – One of the biggest problems in getting to know your customers is that they don’t know themselves. Users’ opinions about a site or product are very rarely consistent with how they behave when they actually interact with it. http://www.cmswire.com/cms/web-engagement/web-engagement-why-focus-groups-dont-work-009045.php
Governments Need to Start with Mobile Sites, Not Native Apps (10/22/2010) – Are .gov iPhone apps “empowering the empowered?” Given that such apps require an Internet connection and an expensive iPod Touch or iPhone, do they essentially add to a digital divide? http://radar.oreilly.com/2010/10/is-there-a-government-app-for.html
@Lisa – Thank you for the focus groups article! I am trying to redesign a website and the web team constantly wants us to do focus groups. I have several SMEs who know our customers and we just don’t need to do a focus group because we have years of emails and phone memos that detail exactly what people want out of our website.
Thanks for letting me know Bill. This is the type of specific info I need to justify to my bosses spending time on this each week.