Citizens expect to be able to deal with public authorities easily and efficiently online. But the reality is often different: Many government portals make users feel insecure due to long loading times, complicated forms and unclear instructions. Added to this is a lack of accessibility, which excludes older, less tech-savvy or physically impaired citizens in particular from using them.
To ensure that digital services are accessible to everyone, public authorities need to test and continuously improve the user experience. This is where crowdtesting comes into play. With real users and proven usability test methods, it helps to make digital services suitable for everyday use and user-friendly.
Why are digital government services often faulty?
Many online services provided by public authorities are technically complex and must comply with legal requirements. However, user-friendliness often falls by the wayside. Common problems are:
- Lack of Usability Tests: Public authorities often only test digital services internally. Without usability testers, it remains unclear how comprehensible and practicable the services really are.
- Lack of Accessibility: Blind, visually impaired or mobility-impaired people cannot use many applications without problems.
- Unstructured Processes: Instead of using the advantages of digital technologies, analogue processes are often simply transferred into a digital form - without optimization.
- Lack of Performance Tests: Loading times, technical errors and incompatibilities with certain browsers or devices significantly impair user usability.
How crowdtesting and usability testing improve digital government services
Crowdtesting enables comprehensive usability tests under real conditions. Real users from different age groups and with different technical skills and various end devices test the applications and provide direct feedback. The following aspects are particularly important:
- Test Accessibility
Digital services must be accessible to all. Test usability testers with different restrictions:
- Are the services optimized for screen readers?
- Can forms be operated using a keyboard?
- Are there alternative operating options for people with limited motor skills?
- Usability Testing in Practice
Users test government portals for:
- Navigation: Can users find their way around quickly?
- Comprehensibility: Are formulations clear or full of official jargon?
- Efficiency: How many clicks does it take to submit a form?
- Optimize Performance and Compatibility
Usability tests also include technical testing:
- What loading times should users of the portal expect?
- Are there technical difficulties with certain operating systems, on smartphones, tablets or certain browsers?
- Are forms saved temporarily or are entries lost if the connection is lost?
- Testing Emotional Acceptance
A functioning service alone is not enough - users must also feel good about the user experience. Analyze crowdtesters:
- How secure do I feel when registering with my personal data?
- Is filling out a form understandable and equipped with tips, or do I feel overwhelmed and don't understand the form logic?
- Can I find my way around without instructions?
Which usability test methods are suitable for government portals?
There are various methods for testing usability and user experience. These have proved particularly effective:
- Remote Usability Tests: Testers use the application from home and provide direct, live feedback as part of an interview format.
- Think-Aloud Videos: During a video recording, users speak out loud what is on their minds when using the portal. This allows problems to be identified at an early stage.
- A/B Tests: Two versions of a portal page are tested to identify the better version.
- Written UX Study: The testers receive application scenarios and while they run through them, they answer written questions about the user experience of a government portal.
- Accessibility Tests: The testers evaluate whether people with disabilities can use the service without any problems.
Why msg.passbrains for crowdtesting?
With msg.passbrains, public authorities can ensure that their digital services are suitable for everyday use. Our community of usability testers identifies problems at an early stage and provides practical feedback.
- Diversity of Testers: Different age groups, technical skills and backgrounds enable representative test results.
- Usability Testing under Real Conditions: Our testers use government websites on real devices in realistic usage scenarios.
- Scalable Test Scenarios: Whether 10 or 1,000 test persons - with msg.passbrains, digital government services can be tested on a large scale.
- Fast Optimization: Authorities receive detailed reports and specific recommendations for action to improve their platforms.
User-centered Digital Transformation for Public Authorities
The digitalization of government services has enormous potential - but only if it is implemented correctly. Authorities must not only digitize, but also actively improve the user experience for citizens.
Crowdtesting offers the opportunity to test digital offers with real users and thus avoid frustration. With the right usability test methods, navigation, comprehensibility and performance can be optimized.
With msg.passbrains, public authorities benefit from practical, flexible and scalable UX tests that guarantee real quality assurance. This is how digital transformation succeeds - efficiently, user-friendly and barrier-free.
Test the user experience now - with msg.passbrains.
