This is a guest post by Amber Riviere. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.
Why not take your service as an EMS organization a step further and make your website a valued community resource?
Local citizens and media view your organization as a respected and trusted service, and your website is the perfect place to communicate news, updates, and health and safety tips. Amber Riviere, BrownBugProject.com, shares four Everyday EMS Tips to keep in mind when developing a communication hub on your site.
Make it user-friendly.
It should be obvious to visitors where to go to find specific types of information (news, updates, emergency messages, articles, and tips). Make your navigation easy and consistent.
Make it easy for people to follow you.
Remember that not all of your visitors will be tech savvy, so make your subscription options easy and obvious. While it’s important to offer RSS-based subscription options, be sure to also include email-based subscriptions for those who prefer to receive updates that way.
Be timely and relevant.
Your site and its content should reflect current community concerns. Offer articles and information about the latest topics people are hearing about in the news, as well as those relevant to your local area.
Tell them about it.
Let your community know that your site is there to serve them. Tell them what they can expect from you in the way of content, and let them know how to find you online. Although your organization is likely well known in your area, it’s not likely that citizens and the media will immediately think of you as a source of helpful information.
With the right planning and implementation, your website can become an important information source for your community. Just remember to be consistent with your content, update your site regularly, and always keep your readers in mind.
Amber Riviere is a web designer with BrownBugProject.com. You can follow her work through her blog and through her newsletter, Inside Brown’s Brain. You can also keep up with Amber on Twitter, @brownbugproject.
