Sometimes there is value in pausing, and reflecting on lessons learned to date. I would like to pause from doing usability reviews in this space and offer some bullet point summaries. These bullet points are based on research (done by myself and others), usability reviews (done by myself and others) and personal opinions (usually told to me by my wife, but not in this case).. The first section is for those who do not yet possess a web page. (I know you’re out there. It’s okay. We were all there once. There’s no need to feel ashamed, to sit in the back at professional conferences or to avoid making eye contact with colleagues.) The second section is for those proud and bold among you who currently have a web page.
For those who do not yet possess a web page
Creating a web page is much easier that you probably imagine.
Creating a web page costs much less than you probably imagine.
Maintaining a web page takes much less time than you probably imagine.
You don’t have to be a techno-geek in order to create and maintain a web page. If you own a computer, and work effectively with a few software programs, you likely have the aptitude to pick this up fairly quickly.
You don’t have to have a lot of content on your web page in order to be effective (see the next section).
An effective web page will lead to referrals, make you more efficient and enhance the quality of your service delivery.
You don’t need to have bells and whistles on your web page in order to be effective. Actually some bells and whistles limit effectiveness (see the next section).
Here’s all you have to own, or have access to, in order to create a simple, effective and professional web page:
a computer with an Internet connection
a program for creating the web page and a book on how to use it
a book on style points for creating web pages
a place to store your web page on the Internet
It helps if you also own a digital camera, scanner, photo editing software and Adobe Acrobat, but you don’t have to.
For those who already possess a web page
Don’t be chatty. Only you, your mother, those who wish to sue you and highly compulsive people will read a lot of content.
Place chatty content in a form that folks can download and read on paper (e.g., PDF files), or at least offer that as an option. Neither computer screens nor the typical surfer’s using style are conducive to consuming a lot of online content. But, users may appreciate the chance to print stuff out and read it on paper.
Keep graphics to a minimum, keep your backgrounds plain and use standard fonts (e.g., Times, Helvetica, and Arial).
Avoid stuff that moves and don’t make visitors listen to music or your voice.
Check your status on the major search engines, and fix it if you come up low.
Include a search engine on your home page.
Unless you have a strong reason to do otherwise, it’s advisable to include the following content on your web page:
degree
office address and directions
telephone number
hours of availability
list of problems treated
list of therapies offered
synoptic and expanded versions of a resume (including license number)
insurances accepted
e-mail address (make sure to include a proviso regarding the security of this medium)
frequently asked questions and your responses
information about emergency procedures
a description of office policies
general information on therapy
professional philosophy
a headshot
symptom checklists
links to support groups
(Consumers also want to see a list of fees, but that’s an iffy one.)
Also, if you’re a covered entity under HIPAA, you’re required to post your privacy notice on your website. However, this is probably a good idea even if you’re not a covered entity (i.e., it’s expected that civil case law will eventually use HIPAA to define the standard of care for privacy).
Don’t make people have to scroll on your home page and keep it to &Mac178; 34 KB in size.
Never make people have to scroll side-to-side on any page.
If you don’t have one yet, purchase an easily remembered domain name (in most instances www.yourname.com is not ideal).
Make sure your website is handicap accessible. (I don’t cover this much in previous columns so let me refer you to Ken Pope’s page for guidelines and suggestions: kspope.com/seven/index.php.)
Keep your design consistent across pages. Otherwise people don’t know whether they are still on your site.
Keep the organization of your site clear and simple. Visitors should easily know how they got where they are and how to get back to places they’ve already been to.
Don’t underline text that is not a link and always type out email links (e.g., david@palmiter.com instead of send me email).
Check how your website looks in both Netscape and Explorer, on both a Windows and a Mac machine.
Arrange to have a usability study done on your site. This is my #1 recommendation. It can be very illuminating, helpful, surprising and even comical to learn how people end up using your site. If you would like to apply to receive a usability review at no cost, volunteer to have your website reviewed in this space by dropping me an email.)
When you encounter a colleague who does not have a web page, offer a hug.
Previous editions of this column expand upon the reasoning behind and suggestions for implementing most of the above bullet points. They can be found on my website (type in “Independent Practitioner” in the search engine) or this IP area of 42 Online. Until next time, web on!
David Palmiter, Ph.D., ABPP is a Professor of Psychology, Director of the Psychological Services Center and Director of Psy.D. Practicum and Internships at Marywood University. He also has a private practice in Clarks Summit, PA. His e-mail address is david@palmiter.com. His home page is at www.kidtherapist.com.
