U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety & Inspection Service
www.fsis.usda.govContent and Interactivity
FSIS protects the public health through food safety and food defense. Web presence is central to a strong educational component. Eye-catching graphics and plain language promote featured items on main pages, ensuring single-click access to high-profile content . Major landing pages use a task-oriented I Want To menu featuring interactive items (e.g., video news releases) to engage visitors’ interest. Visitors use “Ask Karen” virtual representative to ask safe food handling questions 24/7, extending the reach of consumer call center. More than 22,000 subscribers enjoy using customizable email alert system to keep track of changes in content important to them personally.
Design, Usability and Accessibility
Consistent top-of-page global navigation includes core elements common among USDA agencies, so learning transfers from one USDA site to another. Left navigation offers Browse by Subject and Browse by Audience pathways, each with a scannable list of five discrete choices. Layout is graphically appealing but clean, allowing quick downloads. Navigation elements are simple by design, making them accessible and search-engine friendly. Search is available on every page, consistently placed in the upper left. Five sub-collections help users narrow search results; users can also search all USDA. The standard page footer includes the popular Help elements A-Z Index and Site Map.
Evaluation and Metrics
Design changes must be data driven, so we collect data through multiple channels. Through Contact Us, visitors can offer comments on specific programs or activities. ACSI E-Government Satisfaction Index allows benchmarking performance against other sites. Segmentation analysis of ACSI data—by audience, visit frequency, or information sought—is used extensively, so changes made are those most likely to have impact. We review data with ForeSee Results representative regularly to target improvements. In March 2006, ForeSee named FSIS one of top three most improved Federal sites in year-over-year improvement. Q2 2006 scores rated FSIS tops among USDA sites in customer satisfaction.
Wildcard Category
Our team excels at value-added customer service: quick turnaround in an atmosphere where accuracy is vital. Inspection program personnel, government agencies, the regulated industry, and international organizations rely on the guidance documents we post. Consumers rely on our food-handling advice to protect themselves and their families. We make sure content has a professional appearance online, optimizing content for usability when that content was not created specifically for the Web. We provide customized usage reports for managers to help them evaluate the impact of their programs. We raise awareness of Federal web requirements and site usage through an Intranet team space.
