September 2024 Edition | Volume 78, Issue 9
Published since 1946
Fish and Wildlife Agency Websites Analyzed
Digital Experience Assessment provides custom reports to agency leadership, communications, and IT staff
“For many new hunters and anglers, the path to the outdoors winds through the Internet.”
— Nicole Nash, Archery Trade Association
A recent nationwide assessment of fish and wildlife agency websites revealed that they generally perform well on desktop devices but often lack mobile-friendliness.
Performant, low-friction online experiences are crucial for fostering a strong R3 ecosystem.
Archery Trade Association
The Archery Trade Association spearheaded the study along with the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation and DJ Case & Associates to bolster state fish and wildlife agencies' efforts to provide key digital resources to hunters and anglers, especially newer participants. Site analysts looked at various objective and subjective metrics to measure performance, usability, and inclusivity across agency home pages and hunting/fishing landing pages for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“For many new hunters and anglers, the path to the outdoors winds through the Internet,” said Nicole Nash, ATA’s senior manager of outreach. “Welcoming, low-friction online experiences are crucial for fostering a strong R3 ecosystem. The digital experience assessments are designed to give agencies insight into what their sites are doing well and what steps might help improve what their visitors encounter when searching for hunting and fishing information.”
Each state fish and wildlife agency may request access to their tailored report. Reports are for the exclusive use of agency staff and are not shared publicly or with other agencies. A national report compiles and synthesizes data across all agencies.
Following are highlights from the national findings.
Good Accessibility Scores
On average, agency home pages and hunting/fishing landing pages achieved good scores for accessibility on both desktop and mobile devices. Web accessibility is the practice of making websites usable for everyone, regardless of disability or impairment.
Performance Could Use a Boost
On average, page load and time-to-interactive speeds scored low on mobile devices and only fair on desktop systems. Agencies with lower scores in these areas may want to engage their teams of web systems engineers and site developers to address specific findings detailed in Lighthouse audit reports. Request access to download your agency’s detailed reports.
Usability
Based on qualitative analysis, most agency websites scored fair for usability — as measured by navigation consistency, visitor task flow, cognitive load, and general intuitive use — though there were standout low and high scores.
Desktop Usability Rubric Scores
Mobile Usability Rubric Scores
Browsability
Hunting and fishing regulations are more accessible and user-friendly when users can choose to view them in a browsable format, rather than only as PDF documents. Approximately half of agencies currently provide regulations in this way. Agencies that rely solely on PDFs or flip-style formats might consider adding a more mobile-friendly approach to improve user experience.
Inclusivity
The assessment inventoried content to identify the representation of various demographic groups, including white, BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color), male, female, child(ren) under 18 years old, and participants with physical disabilities. The goal of the assessment is to provide a descriptive overview of the current representation of these groups without making judgments about its adequacy or appropriateness.
Uncover Actionable Insights
Nationwide metrics are informative, but the true value of the Digital Experience Assessment is in the reports tailored for individual agencies. These audits equip leaders, strategists, and developers with the data needed to optimize online interactions. Request access to your agency's report here.
Assessment Webinar
Assessment sponsors hosted a webinar in early October 2024 to provide information about individual agency reports and how to use them. Watch a recording of the webinar here.
The Digital Experience Assessment was made possible by a Multistate Conservation Grant (F24AP00313) from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.