With one week until Gold Mouse evaluations commence, many congressional offices are wondering what they can do to improve their website quickly. Here are some ways to make it better fast:

Update your links: When was the last time you checked if your links to information from THOMAS are up-to-date and accurate? Does the link to bills your Member sponsored go to a list from the current Congress? Linking to content is a great way to provide information without having to create and edit it yourself. But the trade-off is the need to periodically check to make sure the content hasn't been moved or changed.

If you have an official social media page, make sure you link to it on your website. Users come from a variety of sources, so it's a good idea to integrate your web presence whenever possible. If you are already using tools like Facebook and Twitter in an official capacity, make sure it is reflected on your website.

Use your web forms. Does your search box work? Is it searching your website, or that of a fellow Member? Is it searching the entire Internet? Is it giving the exact same results, even when two different words are used, or no results at all? In past evaluations, we've seen all of these problems. The only way to know for sure is to test it. The same goes for your contact forms and email newsletter sign ups.

These tips boil down to: take your website for a test drive. You won't know what to improve, and what easy fixes to apply to your website, if you don't look everywhere.

For more tips and guidance, visit our Building a Better Website page.