The White Horse Digital Futures Group’s exclusive report provides feedback for 30 citizen-focused government mobile applications, plus mobile development guidelines helpful for public or private organizations.
“The number of smartphone users in the U.S. is approaching the 100 million user mark. Government bears a responsibility to ensure… (they) use available resources effectively and produce better results than many of those being created today.”
A new report from digital marketing agency White Horse critically examines the mobile medium’s role in delivery of government services, with an eye toward 30 citizen-focused mobile applications representing the most and least reviewed apps from government agencies.
The featured 30 federal agency apps include popular mobile applications such as the NASA App, FBI’s Most Wanted, The White House, Meanderthal, and US Postal Service Tools. Some of the less popular mobile applications are Smithsonian Collections Search , EyeNote, My Dietary Supplements (MyDs), Embryo, Quit Guide, and an offering from the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms division entitled “ATF.”
A primary finding is an over-reliance of federal agencies on mobile applications, while mobile web experiences are neglected. “Although mobile platforms are one of the critical new ways in which citizens, government employees and others access and use information from the government,”says author Will Reese, “developing a successful experience on mobile platforms is not something to be done haphazardly or as a stopgap measure.”
The report rates each app with a “Keep / Change / Toss,” as well as specific feedback for what could be improved or why the mobile application environment is not ideal for specific content. General recommendations for ensuring the development of successful mobile experiences are also included, as well as a a “Mobile Experience Funnel” guideline for mobile development.
The free report, entitled “Mobile Development Guidelines for Government Agencies,” is available at the White Horse Resource Center: http://www.whitehorse.com/resources
Other applications featured include: US Army News & Information, 9/11 Memorial, FCC Mobile Broadband Test, Smithsonian Channel, My TSA, Library of Congress – Virtual Tour, IRS2go, Science 360, USA Jobs, Leafsnap, AIDSinfo HIV/AIDS Glossary, Per Diem for Continental U.S., Health Hotlines, Recovery.gov, NSA Career Links, BMI Calculator, Find a Health Center, NCI @ NIH Summer Internship, and Tactical Breather.
This report is part of a series of mobile marketing research reports produced by White Horse’s Digital Futures Group. Led by a cultural anthropologist, Will Reese, Ph.D., the Digital Futures Group analyzes consumer behavior in new technology adoption, with an emphasis on mobile experiences. Other reports include: “In-Aisle Mobile Scorecard,” and “Lost in Geolocation” which are also located at: http://www.whitehorse.com/resources
About White Horse
White Horse is a 31-year-old woman-owned digital marketing agency relentlessly committed to delivering the optimal consumer experience across all digital channels. White Horse services include digital strategy, Web development, digital marketing, technical engineering, social media, mobile, and audio/video production. View the White Horse portfolio.
http://www.whitehorse.com | Twitter: @whitehorsepdx | White Horse on Facebook
WBENC #252895 EDWOSB
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.