WEB PORTALS AND THEIR ROLE IN E-GOVERNMENT

This paper examines how state governments are using web portals to enhance electronic service delivery. We report the preliminary results of a study that investigate the steps that state governments are taking to create high functioning web portals by strategically designing the functions and features of their websites. We examine the functionality of all fifty state web portals by evaluating their features and the content across four dimensions: openness, customization, usability, and transparency. Reporting the results of a content analysis of the portals, we find that the nearly every state web portal is in the early stages of development. Most web portals have few high-functioning features and mostly serve to provide information and few online services, transaction capabilities, and openness. Nine states are moving beyond this and are making development decisions that enhance the portal's ability to service citizens with many high-functioning features. These states include California, North Carolina, Maine, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Kansas, Texas and Virginia.