With generic websites, MPs missing opportunity to connect

In this digital age, you’d think the internet would be the ideal way for Canada’s Members of Parliament to reach out to the people in their communities.

But MP websites are often not well-designed, not well-organized and the information for constituents is not always up to date. These issues are apparent regardless of which party the MP represents.

According to Mark Blevis, a digital public affairs strategist who specializes in digital communication and branding, an MP’s site needs to be well-designed, intuitive, easy to read and navigate.

"Nowadays, a website should be perceived as just as important to an MP as a constituency office," Blevis said. "An MP wouldn't have a constituency office with piles of papers scattered around, chairs and tables strewn wherever and people who don't know how to serve their audience."

"A website demands the same level of presentability, usability and accurate information," he continues.

Oftentimes, a template is used, resulting in many MPs having similar-looking, generic websites that all have the same accessibility and aesthetics — and the same problems.

There is a reason for this, according to Calinda Brown, legislative assistant for Nanaimo-Cowichan MP Jean Crowder.

I believe many MPs treat their website as an afterthought rather than an important, integrated component of their role as a politician- Mark Blevis, digital public affairs strategist

"MPs have limited budgets, which means limited staff," Brown says. "It is no surprise that many MPs do not have the resources to keep websites up-to-date when the number of constituents coming for help increases week-by-week."

And Brown adds, the websites do exactly what they set out to do.

"In the 10 years Ms. Crowder has been an MP, constituents and others have commented regularly about the content of her website," Brown says. "People use it to find information about speeches she’s given in the House, details of private members' bills that she is sponsoring and information about the services the Constituency Office provides."

Beyond websites

Blevis says the generic websites are a sign MPs don’t realize just how important an online presence is in this day and age.

"I believe many MPs treat their website as an afterthought rather than an important, integrated component of their role as a politician," Blevis says. "They also tend to think of what serves their own needs rather than those of their constituents."

"They fail to realize they’re competing against members or parties opposite and interest groups who can outplay them by doing their online presence one-up," he continues.

Beyond the basic MP website, Brown says Jean Crowder's office also uses the most popular social media platforms to further connect with the constituents.

"The Facebook page is an easy way to share photos of community events and details about those events," Brown says. "Ms. Crowder manages her own Twitter account and tries to tweet daily about her work as an MP."

In the end, Blevis says, it's all about conveying information in an easily accessible way.

"I would suggest making your online information easily digestible," Blevis says. "It's important that text read easily rather than academically, that the point be made clearly, that multimedia forms be incorporated into all online communications."

"Remember, it's not about the technology you use, but how you use it."

Jean-Adrien Delicano is a 4th-year journalism student at Carleton University in Ottawa. This story is part of a project by the Carleton School of Journalism on federal spending announcements in 2013.