Massachusetts’s New Website Domain Policy
In July 2021, the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS), published a website domain policy for state government websites. This policy formalizes standards for web design, security, and usability, and its key guidelines include that constituent-facing sites should:
- Have a something.mass.gov domain
- Include a “brand banner” that identifies them as an official state website
- Be served over a secure protocol (HTTPS)
- Comply with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards and be mobile friendly
- Have a look and feel that’s similar to Mass.gov
- Collect analytics and feedback to inform continuous improvements
These measures borrow from innovations from agencies across the Commonwealth, other states, and the federal government. For example, the brand banner and something.mass.gov domain requirement replicate steps that other public sector organizations have taken to prevent scammers from impersonating government websites, charging bogus fees, and stealing personal data. By ensuring that government organizations are on a “.gov” domain, we can assure our constituents that they’re on an official government site and not a lookalike. The “something” in something.mass.gov is directed to use plain language like “paidleave.mass.gov” or “unemployment.mass.gov.” By using words that clearly explain what the site is for and avoiding acronyms and names that sacrifice clarity for charm, we help users feel confident that they are where they intended to be. You can see the new Massachusetts brand banner below, on Mass.gov, or check it out on the Mayflower components library.
The guideline that sites should collect analytics and feedback is not just a recommended best practice. Many recent public sector digital projects that employed user research, analytics, and feedback have resulted in increased constituent satisfaction with online services. In one such project, the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) set out to make it faster and easier to apply for food assistance online. At the time, claimants and social workers checking eligibility online were getting stuck in endless loops, and applications took more than 20 minutes. DTA set improvement targets, used web analytics and feedback to measure progress, and reduced the average application time to 8 minutes and eligibility checks to just one. Collecting data is critical to continuously improving the constituent experience.
To make it easier for agencies to develop web projects that adhere to the policy, we created a library of reusable design assets called Mayflower, an idea adopted from the federal government. Agencies can use these components right away, cutting out hours of planning, coding, and meetings. We have already seen success in sites taking advantage of the tool. To get a better sense for what the future of Massachusetts government’s digital experience will be, take a look at the Massachusetts Immunization Information System’s myvaxrecords.mass.gov, the Department of Family and Medical Leave’s paidleave.mass.gov, and of course, www.mass.gov and search.mass.gov
We’re excited about how these new guidelines are beginning to transform Massachusetts’s digital ecosystem. Mass Digital is dedicated to helping agencies in state government find ways to follow the guidelines and improve the constituent experience. We hope that organizations will be able to use our services and products to accelerate their digital transformations, and we’re looking forward to helping our partners think through the logistics of digital projects such as navigating RFPs, gathering requirements, and learning about an existing product that can be implemented instead of building something custom. Learn all about our services.
