Agency Provides Free Web Site Review

Healthcare Industry Needs Cure for Web Branding Failure

CHICAGO, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- A team headed by Susan Hodges, who manages
the mid-west division of Susan Carol Associates Public Relations, of
Fredericksburg, VA, is researching web sites in the healthcare and biotech
industries nationwide this summer and has found that in just one group of 30
sites researched, there are major omissions in branding, messaging and
search-engine positioning.

"These are omissions that are definitely narrowing potential revenue
channels," said Hodges.

Hodges, a seasoned writer who joined the global PR firm recently, said few of
the researched sites maintained current stories in their news rooms, if they
had a news area at all. The biggest issue at most sites, however, is lack of
clarity, Hodges reported. Most web sites don't clearly state their value to
customers or who they are trying to attract. She and other members of the
team, who are media and branding strategists, are continuing to evaluate sites
based on a checklist developed by the agency that covers:

-- search engine optimization
-- design
-- clarity
-- ease of navigation
-- interactivity, and

-- branding sophistication.

They are examining sites concerned with pharmaceutical manufacturing, research
and biotech, as well as physician groups, hospitals and healthcare consulting
and information technology companies.

The team is offering to proof and review web sites free of charge for the
opportunity to meet with the company's marketing department or top management
to review and recommend ways to boost their branding and promotion capability
through the Web.

"It is a shame that so many organizations invest in web sites, but then don't
keep their sites up to date," said Susan Carol, founder of the 20-year-old PR
agency. "These organizations also fail to check their stats or monitor their
placement in online search engines," Carol said. "This is a major branding
channel, and with some fine tuning, these businesses could convert their sites
into revenue-boosting channels."

Susan Carol Associates is a full-service agency specializing in integrating
marketing, advertising and public relations in healthcare, technology and
finance. The firm has a corporate web site at http://www.scapr.com and a
second site to feature its healthcare industry portfolio at
http://www.healthindustrywriters.com. Hodges is a veteran professional
communicator with extensive experience writing about health and medicine. Her
communications experience also ranges to the transportation, equipment-leasing
and property-casualty insurance industries. A former newspaper reporter, she
has written for more than 70 publications and consulted for dozens of
organizations. Susan Hodges can be reached at slh@scapr.com; Susan Carol,
APR, can be reached at sca@scapr.com.

SOURCE Susan Carol Associates Public Relations

Susan Carol of Susan Carol Associates, +1-540-361-1274, sca@scapr.com