Veterinarians

19 Pages 4860 Words

shopping, information search, product/service evaluations, email, and online banking. This is an increase of 75% from 1999. Because there are certain groups who consult the Internet for certain purposes, a specific type of demographic was developed in conjunction with our website. Age, gender, financial status, frequency of online usage, and purpose for accessing online resources figure heavily into constructing a model audience. A survey of nearly 40,000 individuals found that while e-mail is the most common internet-related activity, cited by 86% of internet users, nearly half have purchased and reviewed products or services online.

A sweeping review of all online services targeted to pet owners in the Atlanta area was immediately conducted in order to estimate the presence of the industry, as it would apply to the ‘online community’. We conducted a statistical sample of a random number of animal hospitals in the Atlanta vicinity. The hospitals were contacted and asked about their online status (existence of a website, future plans for one.) Interviews were conducted with employees and customers. Random online searches were conducted in order to review any such websites for similar organizations. This gave us a clear picture as to how many animal hospitals have a presence on the Internet, and the benefits to those who do. It was found that most animal care service establishments do not have any such online service and do not plan to implement one in the near future. This fact alone was somewhat startling given the ubiquitous and multifaceted nature of the Internet.
Recognizing the growing importance of the Internet, we recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to be a pioneer in the veterinarian industry, by being among the first to have a website. We recommend creating a website dedicated towards providing clients with:
· Greater customer service via online services
· An abundance of use information
· Consta...