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CRA Web Site Business User Survey

Prepared for the:
Public Affairs Branch
Canada Revenue Agency
FINAL REPORT
March 2007
POR# 204-06
Contract # 4655879347

Prepared by:
Phoenix Strategic Perspectives

Le rapport complet en français sera fourni sur demande.

To request a full copy of this report, please contact Library and Archives Canada at:
613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 or www.collectionscanada.ca

Media Enquiries:
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
4th Floor 555 MacKenzie Avenue
Ottawa ON K1A 0L5
media.relations@cra-arc.gc.ca

Executive Summary

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) commissioned Phoenix SPI to conduct research related to the business portion of the CRA Web site. The main purpose was to obtain up-to-date information on visitors who come to the agency's Web site for business reasons and to collect benchmark data about business users' awareness of, use of, and satisfaction with offerings for business on the CRA site.

Methodology

A mixed methodology was used for this research, involving both telephone and online data collection. In addition, a set of pre-test focus groups was conducted to ensure that respondents understood the questions and were able to supply the information requested, and that the questionnaire measured what it was intended to measure. The telephone survey provided reliable data for the CRA's usage and satisfaction measures among its principal business audiences – small businesses and third-party intermediaries (i.e. accountants, tax preparation firms, etc.) – and the online Web site survey provided a profile of visitors to business sections of the Web site. This was the first time the CRA conducted an online survey via its Web site to capture data from users across the majority of business sections of the site.

The telephone interviews were completed between November 15th and December 7th, 2006 with 401 representatives of small businesses and 407 third-party intermediaries that had visited the site for business purposes since January 1st, 2006. The findings for each audience can be considered to be accurate to within +/- 5%, 19 times out of 20.

The online survey was completed by 1,092 visitors from November 21st to 27th, 2006. Visitors accessed the survey through live links within invitations strategically placed on business pages of the site. The extent to which the results can be projected to the full population of Web site visitors cannot be determined with precision due to sampling issues related to Web site surveys in general. However, the data do offer an excellent ‘snapshot' of Web site visitors that can be used by the CRA as directional information.

The results of the telephone survey are presented in the main body of the executive summary, with the results of the online survey presented in shaded boxes. Where percentages are reported in parentheses, they are done so first for small business representatives followed by third-party intermediaries.

Telephone Survey Key Findings

OVERALL SATISFACTION

INFORMATION/SERVICES: AWARENESS, USE & SATISFACTION

MULTI-CHANNEL USE



Online Survey Key Findings

PROFILE

USAGE

Awareness & Use of Web Site Information and Services

Virtually everyone visited the CRA Web site for business purposes more than once since January 1st, 2006. In terms of reasons for accessing the site, business users were more likely to do so to obtain information than to conduct online transactions. Visitors' awareness and use of the different types of business information and services available on the site varied considerably. Among both audiences, awareness was highest for finding a form or publication (93%, 99%) and lowest for getting deferred income plan information (22%, 39%). Intermediaries, moreover, reported higher levels of awareness across all information and services. The largest differences between the two audiences were noted for awareness of information for registered charities, the ability to register for a business number, access to business tax-related information, and ‘Online Requests for Business', with awareness much higher for intermediaries.

As expected, use of information and services tended to be lower than awareness. The most notable variations between usage and awareness were evident for filing a T2/T4 return and getting GST/HST or payroll information. Focusing on the levels of use, the only activities attempted by a majority of visitors were finding a form or publication (83%, 94%), getting business tax information (54%, 76%), and registering for a business number (52% of intermediaries). Once again, intermediaries were more likely than small business respondents to have tried all but one of the site's business offerings that were examined. The differences between the two groups were most pronounced for getting information for registered charities, registering for a business number, and obtaining information on business tax matters, with usage much higher for intermediaries.

Satisfaction with Web Site Information and Services

The majority of visitors were satisfied with most activities they tried to do on the CRA Web site, but the satisfaction levels varied significantly with respect to the different information and service offerings. Web site visitors were most likely to be satisfied with the process for filing T2/T4 returns, subscribing to an email service, and finding a form or publication. Satisfaction levels were lowest for accessing information about registered deferred income plans and registering a formal dispute to an assessment or determination. It is worth noting that these two services were also the least used by visitors.

Overall Ratings of CRA Web Site

Satisfaction with the CRA Web site was relatively widespread. Strong majorities of small business (74%) and intermediary (80%) respondents expressed satisfaction with the site when using it for business purposes. The high level of satisfaction was underscored by the fact that most surveyed visitors successfully used the CRA site – that is, they found or completed most or all of what they tried to find or do at the site. Not only were visitors satisfied with the Web site overall, majorities also offered positive assessments of all of the site's attributes. In particular, ratings of the site's information content were highest: information was up-to-date (84%, 89%), the site had all the information needed (79%, 78%), and the information was easy to understand (76%, 84%). Ease of finding the information (60% each) and the time taken to complete tasks (55%, 59%) received the least positive assessments.

Drivers of Satisfaction

A multivariate analysis was undertaken with selected findings from the survey to help determine the drivers of overall satisfaction with the Web site. Among small businesses, the analysis suggests there are three significant predictors of overall satisfaction with the site: (1) ease of finding what was sought, (2) ease of understanding the information, and (3) agreement that the site has the information needed. For intermediaries, the top two drivers of satisfaction are (1) ease of finding what was sought and (2) agreement that the Web site has the information needed.

Overall, the ability to find the information sought was, by far, the strongest predictor of satisfaction with the site for both audiences. Recall that this was one of the aspects of the site that received the least positive assessments. In addition, those who were not satisfied with the CRA site pointed to navigation problems as one of the top reasons for their dissatisfaction. As well, the inability to find information was the main problem that arose for those who did not successfully find or complete everything that they attempted on the site. Looking ahead, the CRA might want to focus on making the Web site easier to use when undertaking modifications to enhance the site's efficiency and effectiveness for users of the business sections of the site. This includes a focus on usability issues, such as content organization and layout, navigation tools, search features, and the labelling of content and links. Addressing even some of these items could increase the site's overall ease of use, making it easier and faster for users to find information.

Multi-Channel Use

Both audiences identified the telephone as the most important service channel (80%, 93%), ahead of the Web site, which was second in importance (76%, 81%), followed by regular mail (56%, 71%). Not surprisingly, aside from the Web site, the telephone was used by the greatest proportion of respondents in their dealings with the CRA for business reasons – 69% of small businesses and 98% of intermediaries. Compared to intermediaries, small business representatives were less likely to have used multiple channels to deal with the CRA. In addition, most respondents do not usually call the CRA around the same time that they use the site, while those who do mainly call after visiting the site (68%, 75%), not before or during.

The findings from the online survey echo these results. The large majority of repeat site visitors (86%) do not typically need to call around the same time that they use the CRA site.



Corporate Profile

Recall that the purpose of the online survey was to provide a profile or snapshot of users of the business sections of the CRA Web site. The types of visitors who completed the survey include third-party intermediaries (32%), representatives of other types of businesses (40%), representatives of other organizations, such as registered charities and non-profits (19%), and individuals (10%) (i.e. those who visited for only personal reasons).

Overall, Web site visitors tended to be middle-aged (59% were 35-54 years of age) and relatively well educated: 87% had at least some post-secondary education, with close to half having an undergraduate or graduate university degree.

Approximately one-third (34%) of those who visited the site on behalf of a business or some other organization were presidents, CEOs, or owners, followed by bookkeepers (15%), accountants (11%), and payroll personnel (10%). Most respondents who visited the site on behalf of non-intermediary businesses work for small organizations – almost half employ either one employee (25%) or 2-4 employees (22%) – and more than half had been in operation for over 10 years.

Conclusion

There is relatively widespread satisfaction with the CRA Web site overall and in relation to the specific activities that can be done at the site. That said, the findings suggest that the surveyed users of the business sections of the site do see room for improvement. In particular, CRA might want to consider improving the site's overall usability to ensure that information can be easily and quickly found by visitors. The ability to find the information sought was the strongest driver of satisfaction with the site for both audiences. It may be that not all the information and services are relevant to users, but efforts to improve ease of use, including content organization and layout, navigation tools, and search features, might result in the increased use of some of the information and service offerings of the site. Since this is the first time the CRA has conducted research focused on business' use of the site, the results from future years will provide an opportunity to measure the impact of any modifications or enhancements undertaken by the CRA.

Footnote

[Footnote 1]
Where percentages are reported in this manner, they are done so first for small business representatives followed by third-party intermediaries.

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