Charity websites quality dips

Finance | 1 Sep 2007

The overall quality of charity websites has declined in the last year, according to new research that evaluated 120 sites. The Charity Website Benchmarks 2007 report, commissioned by e-Consultancy and conducted by iConcertina Creative, awarded an average mark of 2.5 out of 5 to the 120 charity websites evaluated, compared with a figure of 2.67 in 2006.

In particular, the report highlighted a severe lack of attention to accessibility issues, with an average score of just 1.6 awarded for this area. Indeed, just 22 per cent were compliant with guidelines on accessibility for those with disabilities, while 57 per cent of websites made it "impossible" for one or more user groups to access.

One area where those surveyed have significantly improved is communication, up to an average of 2.73 from 1.26 the previous year. Charities were found to be making increased use of the various communication channels available such as blogs, with information also being kept more up-to-date.

iConcertina Creative's managing director, Adrian Melrose, said: "Despite signs of progress, there are too few charities who manage to meet most of the criteria. Given the amount of coverage about accessibility across all media, they should be making more of an effort or they risk losing credibility."

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