What Should I Include on My Web Pages?
The web is rife with pages that have reams and reams of content
that are of absolutely no practical use to anyone. The main question
here is "Who am I trying to reach, and what will they come
to my page looking for?" First of all, It is important to
keep the main page as simple and uncluttered as possible. Marketing
research has shown that visitors to web sites rarely spend more
than 45 seconds on a page trying to figure it out. Make it complicated,
and they will not stay.
Having done an audit of the existing state anesthesiology web
pages, the following pages linked off of the main page seem to
provide a logical method of presenting information to patients,
physicians, and other visitors alike.
Membership Information: The key to a successful professional
organization is, not surprisingly, having active members. Information
on how to join, where to send payments, benefits of membership
and so forth are vital to anesthesiologists seeking membership
after graduation from residency training, and after relocating
practices. One linked page containing this information, which
probably already exists in a brochure or on application forms
somewhere, can potentially increase membership to those seeking
easy information online.
Patient Information: Whether to include patient information
on your site is a difficult decision. Many fear that improperly
presented or inaccurate information could be a legal problem,
but if areas of controversy are avoided, and general information
only is presented, this can be a useful tool. Consider information
on "how to choose an anesthesiologist", "what's
the difference between a general and regional anesthetic",
and "information on epidurals for labor and delivery".
The information is already present on the ASA's site in some form,
and you can provide pointers to further information easily enough.
Legislative Affairs: If your state is actively involved
in lobbying efforts, then it is wise to post an update on the
efforts of your society's representatives. Afterall, the membership
pays for their activities, and showing evidence of progress and
effort will go far towards your membership's confidence. Again,
if in doubt, visit the AANA's website to see an extreme, if slanted
view of this.
Office Contact Information: A simple page, but possibly
the most used is the office contact information site. Listing
your office's address, and the telephone numbers and email addresses
of key personnel helps with communications among the membership
and staff.
Anesthesiology Links: Another simple page that can be
extremely helpful for your membership. You can be as simplistic
or in depth as you'd like to be...listing sites as obvious as
GasNet and the ASA's main page, or as diverse and helpful as the
National Library of Medicine's search engine and the American
Board of Anesthesiology's site.
Meeting Information: Another simple advertisement that
is more easily modified than printed brochures. Yes, you'll still
be publishing information on paper, but as conference details
change (which they tend to do), an online site (referenced in
the brochures) can save the office staff phone calls and confusion.
Online Bulletin: Many state organizations have started
offering their bulletins/newsletters online. Again, a quick and
easy way to advertise and spread information about your society.
If I live in Florida and want information about the PGA conference
in New York, it's easy for me to do so online.
The actual content of the linked pages will vary, but providing
a simple and logical structure on your main page will make your
site less intimidating, and easy to navigate. A template is available
here, and it shows the use of a streamlined main page with a mission
statement and overview in addition to the links mentioned above.
If your organization has an active resident's component, it can
also be added as in the example.
Committee on Electronic Media and Information
Technology
For more information, send email to Keith
Ruskin or Roy Soto
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