Laura Sharman 03 March 2014

Councils ‘struggling’ to keep up with rise in mobile access

Local government websites are ‘struggling’ to adapt to the rapid growth in the use of mobile phones to access services, according to a new survey.

Socitm’s Better Connected survey found that only 31% of council sites achieved the Better connected standard for mobile access, even though a third of visits come from mobile devices.

The assessment also found that tasks tested on mobiles were only half as good as those tested on desktop devices. Socitm said this suggests councils are finding it difficult to match the quality of experience on the desktop with that on mobile devices.

This is the first year that testing of website performance on mobile devices has been fully incorporated into the assessment. Four of the 14 top tasks tested for the 2014 survey were done so exclusively on mobile devices.

Of the 14 tasks tested, the ‘apply for a copy birth certificate’ worked the best, while ‘Find out about care homes for elderly relative’ performed poorly. While there has been improvements this year in the use of search, accessibility has declined.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Tea Time Club Assistant

Durham County Council
£24,027 pro-rata
Tea Time Club Assistant  Grade 1 £24,027 pro-rata Permanent 10 hours per week Required from September 2025 Would you like to work with a group of won Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Licensing Assistant

Durham County Council
£26,403 £28,598
The Community Protection Service is looking for 2 Licensing Assistants to join the Business Compliance Team    1 x Temporary for 1 year 1 x Temporary Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Lunchtime Supervisor

Durham County Council
£24,027 pro rata
Lunchtime Supervisor  Required from 1st September 2025 Grade 1    £24,027 pro rata Permanent We are seeking to appoint a Lunchtime Supervisor to join Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Child Protection Chair (Registered Social Worker)

North East Lincolnshire Council
Up to £48,710 dependent upon experience
We are seeking an Child Protection Chair who is a registered qualified and experienced Social Worker. North East Lincolnshire
Recuriter: North East Lincolnshire Council

Organisation and Service Designer

North East Lincolnshire Council
NJC34 £43,693
If you’re someone who can blend creative storytelling to inspire customers, staff and leaders North East Lincolnshire
Recuriter: North East Lincolnshire Council
Linkedin Banner