Glarus presents itself best on the Internet

The latest study by the Bern Institute for Applied Argument Research (IFAA) has named the best cantonal websites in Switzerland for the seventh time in a row. The canton of Glarus currently has the best online marketing, followed by Lucerne, Nidwalden and Zurich. In the survey, seven out of 26 websites were rated as measurably better. A further six cantons have improved slightly. According to the study, 13 have remained poor since the last survey in May 2006, including the cantons of Valais, Schwyz, Thurgau and Graubünden. With its periodic measurements on the Internet, the IFAA examines the impact of government websites worldwide. The study examines the extent to which supply and demand match on the Internet. The content of the websites is compared with data from over 20 different national and international search engines. The IFAA also examines how well these sites are structured technically. User-friendly linking and content aspects play just as important a role as changes in the overall scope. The most important new topics on the cantonal websites in the last six months mainly concern the state bodies and numerous offices. Various federal offices are linked directly with corresponding references much more frequently than before.