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

Treating Addictions in Special Populations: Research Confronts Reality

October 7 and 8, 2002

Binghamton Regency Conference Center
Binghamton, New York

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

Overview

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

Website Considerations

  • Pre-launch
    • Constraints
    • Time
    • Budget
    • Personnel
    • Creating the Website
    • Architecture (Site map)
    • Design
    • Target Audience
    • Sub-audiences
    • Name/URL Address
  • Launch
  • 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 Website

  • 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 Website

  • 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 Website:
www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov

Joan Romaine, MPH
[email protected]

collegedrinkingprevention.gov

An official website of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

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