| Should
A Nursing Consultant Have A Web site? |
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As Published in the February 2000,
www.legalmedware.com
Newsletter
By Dale Tincher
Like other professionals, Nursing Consultants have mixed feelings about Web
sites. A Web site requires planning and an investment. Is the effort worthwhile?
The Internet is growing at more than 10 percent
per month. Per the American College Survey Group, Forbes 500 CEO’s expect to
generate almost 40 percent of their sales through the Internet within ten years.
The Boston Consulting Group projects that one-fourth of all U.S. business-to-business purchasing ($2.8
trillion in transaction value) will be done online by 2003.
Law firms and medical organizations are beginning to use the Internet to find
their servicing agencies. Organizations are finding that it is quicker and less
expensive to place information on the Internet than it is to publish (or
purchase) brochures and catalogs. Additionally, organizations find that they can
locate information from the desktop Internet computer more quickly than by
retrieving publications. A plus is the storage space saved. A March 3, 1998 USA
Today article reported that "company executives are going high tech,
relying on the Internet as an integral part of their business day." Another
section of the article stated that, "a 1997 survey by the American
Management Association found 53% of executives and managers spent up to four
hours weekly on the Internet, with 25% expecting their use to jump to 10 hours
or more per week within two years." Among their uses was E-mail, checking
out the competition, and keeping up with personal tasks. "They use E-mail
to reach customers, clients and employees," the article continued.
Nursing consultants need to learn, understand, and tap into this medium. You
can provide an in-depth profile of your firm. New clients can be attracted
locally, regionally and globally. You can communicate with information seekers.
Many benefits can be gained by having a web page. You can introduce your
organization by displaying resumes and pictures. You can strengthen
relationships and market additional services to existing clients. Your
information is available twenty-four hours per day with minimum cost and
resources. You can have interactive communications with clients. Recruiting is
strengthened.
Consider your desired clients and image. Most nursing consultants want
well-funded, progressive clients. These clients usually have web pages. If one
of two comparable Nurse Consultants has a professional web site, which
consultant do you view as more progressive?
How do you go about planning and obtaining a Web
site? We have a great deal of information on our Web site (http://www.consultwebs.com)
that discusses these topics. A summary follows:
Planning and Price
It is best to plan first, then implement. Few of
us initially know what we want and in which direction we should go. Web pricing
can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. The more you prepare
in advance, the less your price will be. Template sites such as our (http://www.websforbusines.com)
can be modified for a few hundred dollars.
We recommend that you develop rough flowcharts of your envisioned site.
Preparing documents in Word or WordPerfect format will reduce your investment.
Hosting
Should you install your own Web server or sign up
with a Web host service? Most nursing consultants should sign up with a
professional Web hosting service. Web hosts are not all alike. They do not offer
the same services and products. The fact that a Web host is large or well known,
does not mean that they offer a flexible hosting site, with an abundance of
services. Please see our Web Hosting page (http://www.consultwebs.com/hosting.htm)
for a list of Web hosting companies. Web hosting pricing typically ranges from
$10 to $59 per month. We will be happy to advise you.
Design
Should you hire a professional or try it yourself. Perhaps you should do
both. But, you should at least consult a professional before diving in, then
having to do time-consuming redesign at a later point. Damage caused by an
amateurish site or ineffective search engine design takes considerable time to
undo.
Location of Designer
With today's technology, location is not as
critical as it once was, provided the designer has ties to your industry. For
example, if you are a law firm, a generalist designer of Web sites in your area
isn't as concerned about your satisfaction as is a legal-oriented designer. On
the other hand, if you are a person who works better face-to-face and prefers
handholding, you may prefer a local designer. Many of our clients benefit by
being able to jointly review existing materials and brochures and interview
staff members. Technology such as Internet whiteboards, cameras (cams), and
other net meeting tools from
Logitech,
Mimio
Ink Corporation and
Microsoft can
assist in conducting remote meetings.
Aesthetics & Layout
The site should be informative, while being compelling. An attractive site
interests viewers, making them want to see more. The layout should be designed
so the viewer quickly understands the site’s mission. Graphics should
complement the site’s layout and content. The site should be designed for the
target market, not to impress other designers or surfers.
Search engine results
Organizations often spend considerable amounts of money on their site, only
to find that their site cannot be found in the search engines. This can be a
result of poor planning of the Meta key words and/or Web pages. Each search
engine operates differently. Be sure to add key words to your text content and
your hidden Meta key words. Planning and ongoing monitoring and search engine
maintenance are required.
Maintenance
Should you plan to maintain the site or contract with a designer? Avoid a
situation where a template designer sets you up inexpensively, then requires you
to pay them for all updates. You should obtain the capability, if desired, to
maintain your site and call on your Web designer for more complex additions and
changes.
Is your site working?
If you have a Web site, you should examine your
results. If you are not obtaining prospective clients, perhaps a site evaluation
is in order. Search engines may not be finding you or your message may not be
presented properly. Please see our evaluation criteria at
http://www.consultwebs.com/strategy#measuring.
With planning, a Web site can save administrative time by placing key
information on the Internet. A Web site can obtain and retain clients. The
answer to our initial question is, "the investment is worthwhile." We
look forward to seeing you on the Web.
Dale Tincher is owner and manager of
Consultwebs.com, a Raleigh, North Carolina, Web consulting and design firm.
Consultwebs.com specializes in designing Web sites for small and medium-sized
businesses. Consultwebs.com owns and manages more than 50 Internet domains,
including http://www.legalresourcelinks.com.
In addition to Web design, Dale frequently writes
for legal periodicals (http://www.consultwebs.com/dtarticles.com).
He is one of three technology consultants endorsed by the North Carolina Bar
Association. Dale teaches Continuing Education Courses (CLE) courses. He has
addressed more 1,000 attorneys and support staff in the past year at the North
Carolina Bar Association, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers and related
organizations. Dale is an Internet panelist at the American Bar Association’s
(ABA) annual TechShow 2000 (www.techshow.com)
being held in Chicago, ILL., March 29th through April 1st,
2000.
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