Web Site Marketing: What's Your Choice?With the number of consumers shopping for healthcare goods and information online expected to reach 55 million by 2005, there is great pressure for long-term care long-term care (LTC), n the provision of medical, social, and personal care services on a recurring or continuing basis to persons with chronic physical or mental disorders. providers to have a presence on the World Wide Web. There are, however, both challenges and opportunities in relying on Internet marketing See Internet advertising. for referrals and prospects. These were addressed at a recent session of the second annual Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most , Admissions, Marketing and Development Conference in Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital and the largest city of the American state of Ohio. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. , by Mark Beggs, regional manager of a resource site named CareView.com. He offered valuable advice for anyone who has not already taken the plunge into the Internet. Currently, providers may choose between creating a Web site or joining others on a resource site. A resource site is one that provides multiple listings, information or other features designed to attract many consumers to its pages. For providers, sites such as CareView.com and SeniorHousing.net offer features such as advertising, Web site hosting, expanded listings and even virtual tours Virtual Tours The phrases panoramic tour and virtual tour are often used to describe a variety of video and photographic based media. The word panorama indicates an unbroken view, so essentially, a panorama in that respect could be either a series of photographs or panning video in full-motion video Video transmission that changes the image 30 frames per second (30 fps). Motion pictures are run at 24 fps, which is the minimum frequency required to eliminate the perception of moving frames and make the images appear visually fluid to the eye. for a fee. "Everyone feels they need to be there [on the Web], but the value of having an individual Web site is, as of yet, unproven," said Beggs. While a Web site can provide a place to advertise your facility, recruit employees or improve internal communications  This article's grammar usage needs improvement. Please edit this article in accordance with Wikipedia's . , external
audiences must be able to find it.
The problem, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Beggs, is that search engines often will not list your facility unless you have made an extra effort to have it included or paid to have your site show up when someone has entered search terms such as long-term care, assisted living as·sist·ed living n. A living arrangement in which people with special needs, especially older people with disabilities, reside in a facility that provides help with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, and taking medication. or senior housing. Also, having an individual Web site makes it difficult to actually target a prospect. Moreover, making an individual Web address known will likely require a well-executed marketing campaign. Or, you might consider parking your Web site on a resource site. Resource sites generate consumer traffic because they can advertise locally or nationally or pay search engines for the privilege of being seen and linked to by the millions who use them. CareGuide.com and SeniorHousing.net, for example, have banner advertising Banner Advertising A common form of advertising on the internet. The banner is an advertisement of 460x68 pixels, usually placed at the top of the page Notes: For an example, just look at the top of a page on almost any popular web site. on the popular search site Yahoo! that pops up when you look for "senior healthcare" or "senior housing." This might sound interesting, but before signing an agreement with a resource site, Beggs suggests that you check the site out carefully, i.e.: * Find out who uses it or is likely to. Are their prospects the same as yours? * Check it out. Does the site make sense to you? Would you use it? * Is your facility already listed? How easy is it for you to find your facility or others in your neighborhood? * Can you make changes easily to your listing (or your Web site, if you use them to host it)? There is also the inevitable bottom-line question: What are the costs involved with developing, maintaining, hosting and marketing your own site in comparison to the costs associated with the resource site? Other questions you might want to ask resource site providers are: how long have they been in business; are they likely to remain so; and do they subscribe to a code of ethics Code of Ethics can refer to:
Beggs speaks from personal experience. While working in admissions at one nursing home, he became frustrated when working with a resource site that lists facilities and creates "automatic" referrals. When the facility received 500 referrals for services they did not offer, he created a standalone Web site (which never showed up on search engines and produced few referrals). There are other drawbacks to resource sites. According to Beggs, the format is often "cookie-cutter." Some sites try to be too many things to too many audiences. Also, both the cost structure and the method for gauging who's looking at your listing or hosted site can be confusing. Before investing in your own Web site or a resource site arrangement, Beggs advises that you set reasonable expectation beforehand. For example, will you be satisfied with two or three referrals a month, or do you expect 500? "The best you can do with any advertising [including Internet-based marketing efforts] is to monitor the results and to cut your losses if you don't see any results," Beggs says. "If you don't track where people hear about you, you'll never have the information you need to make an informed decision." The following are well-known resource sites that offer providers enhanced listings, referrals or other features such as virtual tours: www.careguide.com www.careview.com www.eldersearch.com www.extendedcare.com www.senioralternatives.com www.seniorhousing.net www.seniorsites.com (nonprofits only) Also, it is worth checking with national and state trade associations--that offer consumers listings of their members--about linking your site to theirs. Scott L. Parkin parkin Noun Brit a moist spicy ginger cake usually containing oatmeal [origin unknown] , former director of communications Director of Communications is a position in the private and public sectors. The Director of Communications is responsible for managing and directing an organization's internal and external communications. for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, is principal of AgeComm, a communications and public relations firm in Reston, Virginia. |
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