Government websites should be built around helping people take action, not giving explanations.
Most local government websites are full of passive content. They explain what the government does (like programs, laws, rules) instead of helping people with how to do something.
If your website is like this, it’s not a digital service — it’s an online brochure.
When you shift from explaining to enabling action, your website becomes a service platform where residents can get things done quickly and confidently.
Here’s how to make that shift.
Know what people need to do
In their book Good Services, Lou Downe defines a service as:
“something that helps someone to do something.”
Think of it as an action. What do you help people do?
Services can be big and complex, like building a new apartment building. They can involve multiple steps, with many rules, phases, and levels of approvals to navigate.
Other services (or actions) can be as small and simple as finding a public restroom.
As a government worker, you might think of what you do in terms of a strategic plan or the goals of your division, department, or organization.
When you shift your perspective to what people are trying to do, you connect their goals to yours. An action is a bridge between the two.
- Person walking down a street: I need to pee.
- Government: We don’t want people to pee on the street.
- Action: Find a public restroom.
The action is your service.
Find your actions
Before you can make content actionable, you need to know what you actually offer. Go through your website and list everything that represents something a person can do.
Some are easy to find. For example, start with your forms.
Others are harder to find. They are hidden within passive content. They are buried in PDFs. They are somewhere on a map.
For example, you might have a page called “Common code violations” with a list of violations and definitions, like overgrown vegetation. But definitions alone don’t really help someone who got a violation notice. The action: Fix an overgrown vegetation violation.
Or, maybe you have a college in your town, so you have a page called “Alcohol awareness and parties.” It lists conduct laws and safe party tips. Reframe as: Host a party where the cops don’t show up. Now you’ve linked their goal and yours.
Start with a verb
The name of your service or action should start with a verb, not a noun. It should be in plain language. No jargon, acronyms, or branded program names.
The name should help people:
- Find what they need
- Recognize what they can do
It’s a small change that drives a major improvement in usability.
Turn passive content into action
Now, you need an action page. This provides the context people need, in the order they need it in. It tells them:
- What they can do
- Who it’s for
- What they need before they start
- How to do it
- What happens next
By redesigning content in this way, you’ll make passive explanations actionable, replace PDFs with real services, and eliminate dead ends. Your site will be relevant and helpful.
Final thoughts
Your website should help people do things, not just read about them.
- Start with what people need
- Find the action
- Help them do the thing
That’s how you build a government website that actually serves.