Businesses can learn some valuable lessons from the U.S. Government’s launch of HealthCare.gov website. The challenges began once the government launched the website for use, midnight of October 1st. Several problems occurred when users tried to access the site. For one, it struggled to handle the influx of users it had taken on since commencing, as well as failing at certain key points. Merit Mile’s Web Development Expert Craig Henderson stated, “The lesson learned from the failed rollout of HealthCare.gov is that system testing is essential. Any public-facing website, especially one dealing in sensitive personal information must be tested exhaustively prior to launch.”
The healthcare website asks users for sensitive personal info:
A website that is interconnected with other sites for agencies to gain personal information can be affected by firewalls, spam, hackers, etc. Reliability is key for users.
A site which involves purchasing personal data needs to go through strenuous amounts of alpha and beta testing, which validates the site and its products. “In this day and age of highly visited e-commerce websites, Victoria’s Secret web casts, and cloud solutions available from all enterprise-level hosting data centers, the notation that a website would crash due to unexpected traffic loads is simply a cover up for lack of planning and testing,” stated Henderson. Businesses and owners, web developments should avoid being rushed to go live, especially before an adequate amount of testing. Test over and over again, and when you think it’s ready for public use, the web programmer will test it again.
We live in a digital world, and creating something user-friendly is a key component. Use focus groups, sample test the site with a select group of consumers, and take all the necessary precautions needed. Learn from the downfall of the Government’s healthcare site instead of being one in the same. To learn more about all the necessary steps involved with web development, contact a Merit Mile strategist today.