APMA News - November/December 2012 - (Page 70)

Technofile How to Select a Website Developer If you’ve been a faithful reader of APMA’s Technofile column over the past year, you know a practice website is an important tool for attracting new patients in today’s increasingly digital health-care environment. According to the Pew Internet and American Life project, 80 percent of American Web users access health and medical information online. Once you’ve decided to take the significant step of building your own website, you’ll need to find a developer—a vendor that helps build websites. Launching a website can be costly and time-consuming, and selecting the right developer is critical to the success of the project. Searching on the Internet and asking for recommendations from your peers are great ways to find potential candidates, but how will you know which one to choose? Just as you would when selecting any vendor for your business, start with an interview. APMA has compiled a list of questions and topics you can discuss with a potential developer to help you determine if the vendor is a good fit for your project: content management system (CMS) to update the site yourself or will the developer make updates for you? Think about what will work best for your practice. If you don’t have a staff member with the time and skill set to use a CMS, you may require a developer who will handle all the updates. How will you report technical issues, such as an error message appearing on your website? Will you submit issues via a website or e-mail system? What is the developer’s average response time to issues? Does your website need to be viewable from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets? If yes, find out if the developer has experience creating mobileaccessible websites. Ask to see examples of the company’s work. Stage Two meaningful use requirements from CMS demand that you provide online access to health records to more than 50 percent of patients. Do you want your website to integrate with existing systems, such as your EHR, to provide a secure online portal for patient access? If so, find out if the developer has experience with such integrations. Ask the developer for the estimated cost to create and launch your website. (The company may only be able to give you a ballpark number until you finalize the content and features of the site.) Also ask about any ongoing fees charged for services such as content updates, technical support, and hosting. Finally, find out how the developer will bill you: monthly invoices, or on a per-project/milestone basis. Do you have plans for the future of the website? If you know you want to add a specific feature to the website in the future, it’s good to select a developer that will be able to provide that service. It’s often difficult to switch to a new developer without having to rebuild your website. • • • • • • • • Describe your goals for the website. Are you trying to bring in more patients? Do you want to create a better patient experience? Discuss your budget and the deadline for your project. Ask the developer how it can help you meet your goals, given your budget and timeframe. Discuss your target audience, or the people you think will use your website, in as much detail as possible. Current and potential patients likely will make up the majority of your target audience, so consider the demographic you serve. Are your patients (or the patients you are seeking) older or younger? Male or female? Are they more comfortable using an iPhone or a landline phone? Your website audience will influence a lot of your developer’s decisions, from design choices to content organization. Based on your audience, what recommendations does the developer have for your website? Does the developer have experience creating websites for medical practices, especially podiatry practices? Can the representative show you examples of work the developer has done for those clients? If you don’t like the work the company has done for other clients, chances are it isn’t the developer for you. Be sure to ask for references you can contact after the interview. What services does the developer provide? Some developers will only handle IT/programming, while others are full-service firms that can create your website design and develop a website marketing plan. Think carefully about your needs for the project. If the vendor does not provide a service you’ll need, can the developer recommend someone for the project? How will you add or edit content on the website? Will you or your staff have to learn to use a tool called a • • Finally, keep in mind that your website developer is a partner who will help build your website. While the developer is an expert in website development, the company may not know much about the business of podiatric medicine. It is your responsibility to know what you want and to clearly communicate your needs and expectations to your developer. By providing your developer with plenty of project information up front and asking the right questions, you’ll be able to find a company that will meet the needs of your practice and patients. For more information about practice websites and promoting your practice online and via social media, visit www.apma.org/PromoteYourPractice and select “Get tips for promoting your practice online.” n 70 APMA News November/December 2012 http://www.apma.org/PromoteYourPractice

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - November/December 2012

APMA News - November/December 2012
President’s Message
Contents
United States of Diabetes
Corporate Partners and Members: A History of Generosity
Tradition of Leadership: APMA Executive Directors Move Podiatric Medicine Forward
100 Years of Chiropody History in the UK: A Personal View
Annual Scientifi c Meeting Registration Form
2012 Podiatric Practice Survey: Age and Gender by Practice Arrangement Type
APMA By the Decade: 2002–2012
Reimbursement
Federal Advocacy Forum
Cosponsors to the Equity and Access for Podiatric Physicians Under Medicaid Act
APMAPAC Contributions in the 2011–12 Election Year
APMAPAC Chair Report
IT Consultant
Website Wisdom
Technofi
Small Business 101
CPME Update
APMA All Stars
Resolutions Deadlines
In Short
Worthy of Note
Affi liates Corner
Insurance Advisor
New Members
Death Notices
APMAPAC Update
Classified Advertising
Dates to Remember
Advertising Index
10 Questions
Your APMA

APMA News - November/December 2012

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