CollegeDrinkingPrevention.Gov: Developing a Web site as an Effective Tool for Dissemination of Report Findings and a Forum for Your Initiative

Treating Addictions in Special Populations: Research Confronts Reality

Joan Romaine, MPH
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Bethesda, MD

Overview

• Web site considerations
• The Home Page
• Target Audiences for College Web site
• Reaching Your Target Audience
• Using Research
• Using Interactivity
• Using Links, Search Engines and FAQs
• Using Newsrooms

Web site Considerations

• Pre-launch
• Constraints
• Time
• Budget
• Personnel
• Creating the Web site
• Architecture (site map)
• Design
• Target Audience
• Sub-audiences
• Name/URL address
• Pre-launch
• Decision-making
• Policies
• Approvals
• Accessibility
• Section 508 compliance

www.section508.gov
• Plain language
• Other languages
• Post-launch
• Maintenance
• Usability testing
• Ordering Reports/Materials
• Promotion of site/Marketing Activities
• Listservs
• Reciprocal linking
• Banner Ads
• Email to a friend
• Awards

The Home Page

• First impression viewer has – make it a good one!
• Branding your “product” – logo identification
• Providing information to identify purpose of the site
• Showcase highlights
• Content driven or highly visual ? – keep audience in mind

Target Audiences for College Web site

• Campus Health Administrators
• College Presidents
• Community Leaders
• High School Guidance Counselors
• Media
• Parents
• RAs/Peer Educators
• Students

Reaching Your Target Audience

• Visually, graphically
  (i.e., who are you speaking to?)
• Language – tone, appropriate level, font style/size
  (i.e., use plain language!)
• Providing useful information that is appealing, credible, and also culturally appropriate

Using Research

Task Force Materials Available on Web site

• Be credible!
  Have a statistic you want to showcase? – back it up with the research by providing the source information…make it easy for the viewer to find out more!
• Be innovative and unique!
  Existing College Alcohol Policies – but not previously put together in one place!

Using Interactivity

• Audio
• Video
• Games
• E-cards
• Calculators
• Feedback
• Make it customizable
• Engage the viewer in a format that’s fun and easy to use

Using Links, Search Engines and FAQs

• Clickable link, phone and address
• Search engine
• Send this page feature…Easy to refer to someone else!
• Link to online screening tool

Using Newsrooms

• Be resourceful!
• Keep it current.
• Helps keep your constituency groups up-to-date with your issue in the press.
• Some things to include:
  • Press kits
  • Speaker biographies
  • News articles (or links)
  • Web casts

Contact Information

College Drinking Prevention Web site:
www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov

Joan Romaine, MPH
romainej@mail.nih.gov

Historical document
Last reviewed: 9/23/2005