As mobile technology continues to grow, government agencies are taking notice and finding ways to take advantage of the benefits it offers. Of those benefits, better communication with the mobile citizen is the most important. Below are some strategies for agencies to more effectively communicate with citizens:

Recognize demographic shifts. As mobile phones become more popular than landlines and personal computers, agencies need to embrace new technology and expand the ways they reach out to citizens.

Integrate rather than separate priorities. One of the challenges government agencies will come across is developing a single, consistent experience so that civilians can access services from any type of mobile device or network. Instead of viewing government employees and civilians as two separate groups, there are benefits to a more integrated approach.

Unify the citizen experience. Agencies will benefit from creating a more optimal, cost-efficient channel because it will enhance citizen communications. Doing so will allow citizens to easily navigate through the forms regardless of what device they’re using and reduce the burdens on agency call centers or brick-and-mortar locations.

Consider alternatives to custom app development. Instead of developing multiple apps all focused on a different task, it would be more efficient to build a single template. This will allow the agency to extend content and forms at a fraction of the cost and reduce the cost for ongoing maintenance.

For more information on ways agencies can maximize their mobile efforts, please visit The Business of Federal Technology.