Evaluation of Websites Quality of the Public Universities in Egypt: A Comparative Analysis

Despite the increasing interest in evaluating the website quality of international universities, a review of the literature revealed a scarcity of research that focused on the website quality of Arab & Egyptian universities. From a practical perspective, there is a dissimilarity between the features of the Egyptian universities' websites, in terms of design, content, or services, in addition to the limited use of these websites in promoting the universities at both the regional and international levels. In this context, the study seeks to evaluate the website quality of Public Universities in Egypt. The study has revealed that: First: There is a possibility of evaluating the quality of university websites using eight criteria: About the university; website design; accessibility & navigation; content; educational & research services; administrative services online facilities; community services & activities; and security & confidentiality of information. Second: Low-quality websites at Public Universities. Most of these websites are designed to display information about the university, more than supporting educational and research processes. There is limited interest in providing interactive platforms for students, graduates, faculty staff, and employees, and an absence of technical support services. There is also limited interest the international relations, and a deficiency in the presentation of the information and services needed by international students in terms of education offerings and facilities (accommodation, scholarship opportunities, medical coverage, among others), in addition to accessibility- and navigation-related problems: link errors (invalid, broken, and unimplemented). Based on the study results, the research proposes a number of recommendations that could contribute to improving the website quality of Egypt public universities.