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Thread: Are websites effective??

  1. #1
    Filmmaker J-Luv's Avatar
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    Are websites effective??

    basically, i have to compile info, on how our company website (The Board Of Health) saves us money in advertising or in other words, how it is benefiting the company (i.e. saving money in print by using downloadable pdf files, etc.)

    does anyone know where i can get some type of estimates or statistics on how much money having a website for the company can save?? if anyone has any resources out there with dollar amounts in savings that would be perfect because i will be using this to show how we saved money in the overall budget....

    oh yea, i think my job depends on it...



    thanx in advance to anyone who has any input at all....

    Signed..................Employed/Maybe Unemployed Web Guy
    Never take life too seriously. Nobody makes it out alive anyways. Film Portfolio


  2. #2
    Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! Hey Moe... serpent star's Avatar
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    I would start looking for another job ASAP.... Utlizing the web as a replacement for print rather than a supplement is an absolutely wrong assessment of what the web is and what it can do for a company.

    What does your company do? Can you share a link? Perhaps they aren't garnering suitable ROI because of ineffective promotion and marketing?

    The web may be a money saver but it is more likely a value added service that should not be thought of as a replacement for print.

    Silly boards of directors and shortsited CEOs.

  3. #3
    Filmmaker J-Luv's Avatar
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    Originally posted by serpent star
    I would start looking for another job ASAP.... Utlizing the web as a replacement for print rather than a supplement is an absolutely wrong assessment of what the web is and what it can do for a company.

    What does your company do? Can you share a link? Perhaps they aren't garnering suitable ROI because of ineffective promotion and marketing?

    The web may be a money saver but it is more likely a value added service that should not be thought of as a replacement for print.

    Silly boards of directors and shortsited CEOs.
    hi serpent star. thanx for the input. well, its not my company, i work for the board of health in Atlanta, GA. and basically as you know our organization serves mainly as informative to the public and with all the SARS and Bioterrorism going on, we stay quite busy updating info and giving television and radio the information they need to report to the metro area.

    i have started looking for another job as of today and basically am just trying to do as much research as i can until then - there is a possibility that I can save my job by simply presenting how much having our website can benefit. the people in my department are each putting together why their job duties are an asset to the company and i must do the same (i am Public Relations and web Design). .........only problem is, i do not know where to start or how i can make this seem as important as it is or even more than what it is. the fact that there will be possible cutbacks has hit me like a ton of bricks and i can barely think str8

    again....any info or help is much appreciated.
    Never take life too seriously. Nobody makes it out alive anyways. Film Portfolio


  4. #4
    Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! Hey Moe... serpent star's Avatar
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    See now, being a government agency, my personal opinion is that a website is essential, but it may be a bit different than the commerical sector where in a sense you always have to be keeping up with the jones' so to speak.

    Sorry I can't help you much.

  5. #5
    Modding with Class JabezStone's Avatar
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    I like the response from SerpentStar that it is more of a value add than a replacement, or money savings.
    I would begin by assessing how much your website is used by the general public. If the "survey sez" many people are relying on your website for information, then it's obviously something that must stay.
    If not many people visit the site, then you have to ask yourself a question... "Why aren't people using the site?" Most likely it will be because information is not readily accessible, usibility sucks, marketing for the site sucks. In all honesty, the Health Department should be using every means available for relaying information to it's populus, and the Internet is one of the most valid means of relaying information available today, save Television and Radio. In some ways, its even better, since the information can be accessed 24/7.
    C'mon... for goodness sake... the health department would be foolish not to utilize this medium of information to permeate Atlanta with its message.
    Research how many americans are online, then find the percentage of the American population that lives in Atlanta metro (a LOT!). Then determine by those figures the approximate number of people in Atlanta that are connected, or have access to Internet. The numbers, surely, will astound you (and your suits at the Health Department). It would be a fool to pass up the opportunity to reach that number of people with 24/7 health info.
    If your IT department has done a shoddy job at marketing, attracting and retaining visits to the website, then include in your proposal the impact that it COULD have, if given the attention it deserves.
    If they're looking for revenue, do a t-shirt campaign or something, with shirts that say, "I tested Negative for STDs!". People would get a kick out of them and pay cash. In other words, if they want to see a valid money savings, create a way for your website to save them money. Otherwise, convince them that this is a service that the population can NOT do without, no matter of how insignificant it seems.

    At any rate, best wishes, and I hope you keep your job. The unemployment rate is increasing, and it is difficult-to-impossible to gain employment in this current climate. Cutbacks, cutbacks, cutbacks. Hold on to that job for dear life!

    Jay

  6. #6
    Flashkit historian Frets's Avatar
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    Very few are concious of the other services that the board of health
    covers.
    As a medium to expand the awareness of a given county board of
    health. The web serves well.

    pamplets and offices will rarely end up in the hands of those
    who may not know that those services are in fact available.

    What I find a failing of government operations is the poor
    link sharing that goes on.

    eg many state sites don't link to board of health sites or make it
    difficult to find.
    Related services are rarely link shared. Such as social services,
    Communuity recources, other county and city services.

    This often creates a maze trying to find related material.
    Whislt it's better handled on the web then not at all. I find the
    sharing of this information is only passed word of mouth from
    one agency representitive to the next. Without a web site this
    is the only way such information is passed. Keeping out people
    who need the information the most. The general populus.

    Frets

  7. #7
    Filmmaker J-Luv's Avatar
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    my name is jay too.......

    thanx for the support jay. i will head to your advice. the thing is, they're not trying to do away with the website, just possibly my position as web coordinator(i was jus hired a month ago!) and they "may" assume just anybody can do html to update it which is true to some extent. now it seems everyone in my department is checking out those online html tutorials and askin me questions so they can probably use it to add to their "worth".

    BUT, the website looks like s$#@ and i was hired to re-design it and make it more interactive to the public and help increase visitor usage. i even did an in-house survey and a majority of all the employees agreed it needed immediate change and updating.

    C'mon... for goodness sake... the health department would be foolish not to utilize this medium of information to permeate Atlanta with its message.
    that's my point! so what i am in the process of trying to do is to compile a lisiting of how much it would cost them to outsource this site plus have it maintained constantly with flash and regular graphic design. does anyone know how much an average company would charge for a 50-100 page website and monthly maintenance as well??? i am doing my own research but if anyone knows right off it would really help!

    again, thanx for the support and advice
    Never take life too seriously. Nobody makes it out alive anyways. Film Portfolio


  8. #8
    An Inconvenient Serving Size hurricaneone's Avatar
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    I would've assumed that a web coordinator would handle the collection of material, as well as the update of the site with that collected material.

    If you demonstrate your willingness to do both, be the point person for the material and also update the site, then you might still keep your employment.

    That is if you want to take on the extra hassle - if the site's a pain in the butt to update, then that's probably just about out of the question.

    Oh, to answer your question, yes. Sites are effective.

    Stand by for emergency synapse rerouting

  9. #9
    Filmmaker J-Luv's Avatar
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    Originally posted by hurricaneone
    I would've assumed that a web coordinator would handle the collection of material, as well as the update of the site with that collected material.

    If you demonstrate your willingness to do both, be the point person for the material and also update the site, then you might still keep your employment.

    That is if you want to take on the extra hassle - if the site's a pain in the butt to update, then that's probably just about out of the question.

    Oh, to answer your question, yes. Sites are effective.

    thanx hurricane, but i do already do both of those job functions as web coordinator as well as handle media and public relations.
    Never take life too seriously. Nobody makes it out alive anyways. Film Portfolio


  10. #10
    Monkey Wrangler monsterfx's Avatar
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    This talks a little bit towards the correlation between design and credibility. Since you work for an official agency, this may not be as relavent, but could still be useful:

    http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/mar03.asp#susan

    -monster.

  11. #11
    default user juxtaflo's Avatar
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    Maybe you should research other state's Board of Health sites and compare them to yours. Find states that have a similar population number. Find some sites that are better and worse than yours. Then compare the effectiveness of their sites to yours.

    You could use the data(if it is favorable) to support the need to redesign or update your own.

    You may also want to co-ordinate some focus groups and talk to local marketng firms.

    Just some ideas. I could be way off base.

  12. #12
    An Inconvenient Serving Size hurricaneone's Avatar
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    Originally posted by J-Luv
    thanx hurricane, but i do already do both of those job functions as web coordinator as well as handle media and public relations.
    Well then, these guys sound like a bunch of cheap b*stards, simply looking to slice a couple more bucks off of the budget - unfortunately, your salary seems to be the coupla more bucks they're targeting. One thing I've learned is that there's a particular brand of management that, when confronted by b&w evidence that their plans are half-baked bo**ocks, will refuse to alter a standing opinion, viewing the allowance of outside strategy or fact to display some type of weakness, a chink in the proverbial management armour. Perhaps you're in this type of situation now?

    Whatever, good luck. You'll need it.
    Stand by for emergency synapse rerouting

  13. #13
    Filmmaker J-Luv's Avatar
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    Thanx hurricane.....not sure if my position is targeted or not, i was just informed that there will be some "cuts" and for everyone in my dept to make their values known.


    juxtaflo
    thanx, that is what i will start doing today.

    thanx for all advise once again....
    Never take life too seriously. Nobody makes it out alive anyways. Film Portfolio


  14. #14
    Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! Hey Moe... serpent star's Avatar
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    do you have access to your log files? Maybe since you are a government agency, you need to show that a percentage of the public view you as a necessity. Show lotsa uniques.

  15. #15
    Filmmaker J-Luv's Avatar
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    yes, that is a nice idea. i have access to all of that. and i've already started a survey in-house...

    apparently some people like this website.

    So, I'm doing an online survey now. It's only like 5 questions. Please browse through a few pages of http://www.dekalbhealth.net

    ...and then fill out the online survey at http://www.dekalbhealth.net/Informa...ssment-form.htm

    this will help me out a lot!

    Thanx for all you guys input!
    Last edited by J-Luv; 04-09-2003 at 09:05 AM.
    Never take life too seriously. Nobody makes it out alive anyways. Film Portfolio


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