Introduction

Purpose of the Web Site

Before developing your professional website, it is important to decide its overall purpose.  Several reasons for having a professional web site are the following:

• Have potential clients learn about your services
• Have students learn about your background and sign up for 
  your classes
• Sell your services (consulting, lecture, workshop, etc.)
• Communicate to the public, other professionals, clients, etc. about specific issues in mental health, social services, child welfare, etc.   

Target Audience

After deciding the purpose of your web site, you need to decide the target audience. Often the purpose and the target audience are decided simultaneously. The information and design of your web site will be directly related to your purpose and target audience. Your target audience may be:

• Potential clients
• Referral sources-health insurers, physicians,  other counselors, schools, etc.
• Social workers and related professionals
• Organizations, agencies, companies that hire consultants
• Students
• Universities
• General public

Web Site Content

Once the above decisions are made, then your Web Site content should easily follow. 

General Professional Statistics

Your home page should reflect your general professional statistics. It is important that this information be "up front" and appear immediately when one first clicks onto your web site. A visitor to your web site should not have to "search" to find out who you are. A picture of yourself or your logo should appear with your professional statistics.

Your Professional Statistics should include:

• Name, degree and license
• Address
• Phone
• Fax
• E-mail
• Web address

Web Site Tone

The tone of your website is very important. You may use 3rd person or 1st person. It is important that the wording be professional, yet have a warm tone since you are inviting people to use your services.

Brief Information and Easy Navigation

It is important that your information be brief and can be covered quickly by the viewer in terms of easily moving around your web site. The viewer is usually looking for specific information such as your license, your specialty area, the classes that you are teaching, etc. Hyperlinks may be used guide the viewer to this information. You can also provide hyperlinks to provide more detail about a particular subject. For example, you may want to put up a short version of your resume up with a hyperlink to a longer version.

The above information is the same whether you are a practitioner or an educator. However, the rest of your content may be somewhat different depending on whether you are a practitioner or an educator.