Adobe Stock – Adobe study reveals 1.7 billion reasons for Australian governments to improve digital experiences for citizens

Guest Research: New Adobe and Deloitte research reveals the majority of Australians have a preference for digital engagement with the government, including 76% of Australians who want or are open to, a personalised digital experience.  Australian Government websites clocked 1.7 billion visits since the beginning of the pandemic, signalling more than a billion reasons to deliver relevant digital experiences through the government’s digital front door.

Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) and Deloitte today released the Blueprint for Enhanced Citizen Experiences report, revealing the majority of Australians now have a preference for digital engagement with government, and for that engagement to be tailored to them. Since the pandemic began, websites across the government have had 1.7 billion visits(*), and now new research reveals that three in four Australians (76%) are more or equally likely to use government websites if they are personalised and tailored to their unique digital profile.

The report found that almost nine in every 10 Australians looked for government services online in 2020 and that Australians (aged 15-and-over) transacted with government on average more than once a week. However, when people did seek information from government sources including websites, call centres and in-person, many reported a range of frustrations. Some 75% cited long hold times, 59% said they were unclear when they would get the requested information, and one in two people (53%) said there are too many passwords to remember.

When asked about preferred communication channels, over half (56%) of Australian adults stated their preferred access to government information is online. However, one in two (50%) still encountered inconsistent information across departments and agencies, and 22% said they had to check multiple sources when searching for government information.

“This report underscores the importance of enabling the kind of personalisation that citizens are calling for and future data legislation should support such efforts. . It also highlights the current absence of a unified ‘digital front door’ to government services and information.  Australians are needing to invest too much time researching for important information published across disparate departmental websites.”

“The data states three in four Australians today want a personalised digital experience from the government. By reading the signals that citizens elect to share online, the government can personalise an individual’s digital experience based on their needs and digital profile, while honouring user choices ” said Suzanne Steele, Vice President of Adobe Australia and New Zealand.

The existing deficit in a citizen’s digital experience may explain why so many Australians are still turning to non-government sources like search engines, businesses or media articles for government-issued public information. Real-time government information has been vital during the pandemic, in particular around case numbers, contact-tracing, restrictions and many citizens have become more reliant on government than ever before.

Forty-one percent of people surveyed relied on search engines when looking for government-issued public information, and only one quarter (27%) of Australians said they went first to government websites. In 2020, 70% of Australians went looking for public health updates, yet only 24% said they accessed that information directly from government sources.

Another key finding from the report is Australians ranking ‘trust’ as the most important factor when seeking public information. Three in five people (60%) surveyed placed ‘trust’ as number one in their top three important considerations when trying to access public information. The next two most important considerations were ‘easy-to-understand’ (54%) and ‘most-up-to-date’ (53%). Since the pandemic began, citizen trust in the Australian governments and agencies has been reported as being on a strong upward trajectory.

“There is a commonly held misconception that citizens are reticent to share information with governments and don’t want personalisation, but our research states otherwise. In fact, eight in 10 Australians (81%) said they are more or equally likely to use a government service if it remembered previous interactions on all government websites, and 77% said they are more or equally likely to use a government service if it used their location to provide information specific to their needs.

“Government must move from a one-size-fits-all approach to deliver the right information at the right time to individual citizens. Beyond driving efficiencies for both parties, this shift to personalisation has the potential to strengthen public service outcomes and continue to build on already increasing levels of trust in government,” said Steele.

Deloitte Australia Chief Executive Officer, Richard Deutsch, said the report conclusively reveals that digital has become the medium of choice for Australians seeking government services and information.

“The current focus on the digital economy presents a timely opportunity for government to better meet the needs of its citizens. The next step in the government’s digital transformation is to provide each citizen with a more personalised digital experience, directing them to the information they need based on who they are by reading the signals that citizens choose to share online. Government can instill greater trust as they support each Australian with relevant information and more efficient service delivery, and citizens can feel more assured they will get the outcomes they seek and spend less time doing so. Therein, a compelling value exchange,” said Deutsch.

Access the full report here.  

About Adobe

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

(*)SimilarWeb traffic: Government websites Feb – January 2021

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