JCMC 6 (3) APRIL 2001
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Vol. 6 No. 1 Vol. 6 No. 2
Survival of the Fittest Online: A Longitudinal Study of Health-Related Web Sites
Sally J. McMillan
University of Tennessee, USA
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Method
- Quantitative Findings
- Qualitative Findings
- Resources
- Features and Technology
- Organizational Issues
- External Issues
- Most Important Reasons for Success or Failure
- Conclusions and Discussion
- Suggestions for Researchers
- Appendices
- References
- About the Author
Abstract
Longitudinal studies of Web sites can not only trace the history of specific sites but can also provide some guidelines that might help start-up Web sites improve their chances for survival in the ever-changing Web landscape. This article reports on a longitudinal study of health-related Web sites that found about 73% of those sites survived for three years. E-mail surveys gathered quantitative and qualitative insights from survivors and non-survivors. Generally, organizations that invested more resources (money, people, and time) in their Web sites in 1997 were more likely to have surviving sites three years later. Technological expertise, as measured by the level of feature-richness at sites, had relatively little impact on survival. Sites created by individuals were least likely to survive while education and government sites were most likely to survive. Respondents indicated that organizational commitment to Web-based communication was an important factor in long-term survival of sites. Sites with more visitors in 1997 were more likely to survive than those with fewer visitors, but many respondents pointed out the importance of targeting rather than sheer numbers in measuring the Web site audience.Introduction
The World Wide Web (Web) is dynamic. The Internet Software Consortium (2000) reported that about 1.3 million Internet hosts (domain names such as ix.netcom.com) existed in January of 1993. By January 2000, more than 72.4 million hosts were found. But despite this exponential growth, not all Web sites have survived.Koehler (1999) reported that in a one-year period from December 1996 through December 1997, 25.3% of a randomly selected sample of Web sites ceased to exist. In an ongoing study of those sites, Koehler (2000) found that overall survival rate had dropped to 40% by April 2000. However, among military (.mil), government (.gov), and non-profit sites (.org) overall survival was at 80% in April 2000.
But, other than domain suffix, what other factors might help to predict the permanence of Web sites? What is the relative importance of resources, technology and Web site features, organizational factors, and external opportunities and threats to Web site survival? Longitudinal studies are the best way to answer questions such as these. This article addresses the importance of longitudinal studies and provides data from one study of health-related Web sites that provides insight into how Web sites can avoid becoming endangered species.
This study is important because it provides information about both the why and the how of conducting longitudinal studies of Web sites. It is important because it provides a profile of organizations that have been able to make the Web a long-term part of their organizational communication strategy. Finally, it also provides some important information specific to health communication. First, it profiles a tool that can be used for dissemination of public health information. Second, the study provides some insights into the impact that commercialization may be having on the dissemination of health information on the Web.
Literature Review
The Web first became widely available to the public in 1993 with the dissemination of the first Web browser, Mosaic. Zakon (1999) reported that in the subsequent six years, the Web grew from 130 separate Web servers (each of which may have multiple sites by using different domains or port numbers) to more than 7 million servers. In addition to growth in the number of potential Web sites, the actual amount of information available at many Web sites has also grown over time. For example, Koehler (1999) found that the average number of total bytes at a random sample of Web sites grew from about 3.5 million to 6.3 million in one year. Individual Web sites seem to be almost doubling in size each year.Yet, as Feldman (1997)
pointed out, growth of the Internet does not necessarily mean that content is
permanently available. She defined the
Internet as a “world frustrating and confusing in which materials that have
some lasting intrinsic value are treated as disposable” (p. 52). Germain (2000) echoed
this frustration in a study of Web sites that were identified in articles
published in major academic journals.
Over time, she found a significant decrease in the availability of those
Web sites.
The University of Waterloo Index
(2000)
reported that since 1997 the URLs (uniform resource locator) or addresses of Web
sites have begun to stabilize. As of May
2, 2000 the Waterloo study found 71.5% stability among its sample of
professional societies. The researchers
suggested that organizations that have their own domain name server (DNS) are
more stable than are those that operate at a second- or third-level domain. So, for example, the URL http://myorg.com
would be more stable than http://aol.com/~username. Among professional societies, communication societies were found
to be most stable with a stability index of 88.5% and classical studies
societies were least stable with a stability index of 25.0%.
Longitudinal studies are an ideal way to study
growth, decline, and change in computer-mediated communication
environments. Longitudinal studies have
examined CMC-related topics such as acceptance and evaluation of CMC by college
students and other users (Hiltz & Johnson, 1989; McMurdo &
Meadows, 1996; Reis & Tymchyshyn, 1992), the impact of CMC on trends in public opinion toward
privacy (Katz &
Tassone, 1990), introduction of voice mail in organizational
settings (d'Ambra
& Rice, 1994), computer-aided analysis of documents such as annual
reports (Kabanoff,
1996), trends in advertisements for technology-related jobs
(McMillan,
Sheehan, Heinemann, & Frazer, 2000; North & Worth,
1998), and use of electronic data interchange systems (Crum, Johnson, &
Allen, 1997). Koehler has
reported on a longitudinal study of Web site survival that uses automated
systems to check for continued existence of Web sites (Koehler, 1999, 2000). He and a colleague (Koehler
and Wall, 2000) recently reported that after sites have survived for about 2.5
years, they are subsequently less likely to cease to exist.
What none of the above-cited
studies provides is detailed insight into why
some Web sites are more stable than others are. And, among those that do survive, what factors may contribute to
their stability?
Health-related Web sites offer an ideal venue for
examining these issues of Web site permanence and change for five reasons. First, messages about health and
health-related subjects have played a central role in the early development of
many media types. For example, patent
medicines were among the first products advertised in newspapers (Jones, 1996) and makers of health-related products were among the
first sponsors of radio programming (Barnouw, 1966). Second,
health-related sites are among the fastest growing topic areas on the Web (Fisher, 1996). Third,
researchers have found that health-related Web sites are used heavily (Pingree et al., 1996). Fourth,
health sites encompass a wide range of content types including public health
information (Dorman,
2000), doctor patient communication tools (Grandinetti, 2000;
Harris & Campbell, 2000), and support groups for patients suffering from
diseases such as depression (Christensen, 2000). Finally, the
literature on health communication is recognizing the importance of
longitudinal studies in understanding not only health trends but use of health
communication tools as well (Dick & Gabler, 1995; Gray &
Brookmeyer, 2000).
The literature suggested four
factors that might have an impact on site longevity: resources, Web site features and
technology, organizational issues, and external issues. Among the resource issues most frequently
identified in the literature are money, staff, and time (Domanski, 2000; Woodard, 2000). However, as Moschella (1999) pointed out,
organizations that are resource-rich are not necessarily more capable of fully
utilizing the Web. Some of these large
organizations have failed to recognize the unique opportunities the Web offers
and have either under-invested in Web-based communication or have invested
unwisely. But economic observers have
suggested that any big organization that fails to grapple with issues related
to the World Wide Web is putting its future at risk ("Leaders: Dotty about dot.Commerce?," 2000). Despite the unwillingness of some
organizations to invest resources in the Web, others have invested – often with
the objective of using the Web as a way to maximize resources. But many organizations were too optimistic
about short-term cost savings and abandoned the Web when they did not see quick
return on investment (Hoffman, 1998). Other
organizations have shut down their Web-based businesses because they have run
out of money, often after over-spending on advertising, or because they failed
to build a successful business model (Angwin, 2000; Evans,
2000). In addition
to dedicating people and money resources, organizations must also recognize
that building and maintaining content at Web sites takes time. Ozok and Salvendy (2000) suggested that organizations must recognize that
taking the time for updating sites is critical. Sites that are updated frequently are expected to be more likely
to survive than those that are not.
A second factor that may influence
Web-site longevity is the technological capability of the site creators. Such technological capability is often
reflected in the features of the Web site.
For example, features such as chat rooms, search engines, personalized
content, interactivity, and electronic payment options might be critical
features that are required for the long-term success of some types of sites (Angwin, 2000; Domanski, 2000; Ha & James, 1998; Hoffman, 1998; Massey & Levy, 1999;
McMillan, 2000; Walker, 2000). The features
offered at a Web site should both utilize the technologies available and also
be designed carefully to provide the content that visitors most desire (McMillan, 2000; Woodard, 2000).
Organizational issues are a third
factor that might impact on site survival.
Koehler (1999) found that some organizational
types (e.g. government and non-profit groups) seem to be more likely to survive
than others. Cunningham (2000) pointed out the importance of organizational
commitment to current technology.
Woodard (2000) noted the importance of leadership
and vision among Web sites that survive.
Other key organizational factors that seem to be important for Web site
survival include understanding customers, providing good customer service,
identifying niche markets, managing growth, and developing a vision for the
future (Domanski, 2000; Evans, 2000;
Hoffman, 1998; Moschella, 1999).
Finally, external issues may also
impact on Web site stability. Both competitors
and site visitors are external to the Web site, but both of these factors can
have significant impact on site survival.
The ability of a site to attract and retain qualified visitors is a key
element of Web site success. Sites that
fail to focus on the needs of visitors are less likely to survive than are
customer-focused sites (Domanski, 2000; Evans,
2000; Hoffman, 1998; Walker, 2000;
Woodard, 2000).
Additionally, Domanski (2000)
suggested sites that track usage of visitors might be more likely to survive
than those that don’t. Similarly, sites
that are built without a clear sense of what competitive sites offer are also
often doomed to failure because they don’t offer unique or significant benefits
(Cunningham, 2000; Domanski, 2000;
Woodard, 2000).
Method
A longitudinal study of health-related Web sites was conducted to address the question of why some Web sites are more stable than others. The longitudinal study reported in this article began in early 1997 with a random sample of health-related Web sites. The first time-point involved both an e-mail survey and a content analysis of all sites that responded to the survey. The second time-point in the longitudinal study came three years later in 2000. The researcher began the follow-up study by checking the URLs for all sites that participated in the 1997 study to identify survivors and non-survivors. Both quantitative and qualitative e-mail surveys were sent to survivors and the qualitative survey was also sent to non-survivors.
The sampling frame for the original study was all sites that are listed in the Yahoo! directory of health-related topics. Yahoo! is a topically arranged electronic directory of Internet content. Yahoo! does not sequentially number sites within its categories. Therefore, a strategy was needed for identifying how many sites were in the universe, randomly selecting sites from the sample, and determining how to apply random numbers to specific sites. The size of the universe was determined by adding numbers that Yahoo! provided for each health-related category on the “opening page” (or index) of the Yahoo! category listings. In January of 1997, 80 unique categories were listed in the health sections of Yahoo! The numbers following each of these categories were added to obtain the universe size of 14,974.
Using Excel software, a list of 1,050 unique random numbers was drawn. These numbers were applied by starting at the top of any given online page of Yahoo! listings and working through to the bottom of that page. For example, the first item on the first page of the health category was a topic listing for alternative medicine. When that listing was selected, another screen appeared which included additional sub-categories (e.g., institutes, magazines, etc.) as well as direct links to sites. Sub-categories were followed until they resulted in a direct site listing. The number of items in the category was used to help track assignment of random numbers. For example, the index indicated the alternative medicine category included 306 sites, so the number 307 was used at the start of the next category (conferences). Thus, if any slippage occurred in counting the sites, it would be corrected at the start of each category.
Within Yahoo! there is some cross listing of sites but in most cases this is not a problem because each site is assigned to a primary category.Within the Yahoo! list, other references to that site are followed by an @ symbol which indicates that the primary listing is in another category. Thus, no Yahoo! listings followed by the @ symbol were counted in determining the universe size.
Several factors led to reduction of the valid sample size. First, some sites had to be eliminated because they duplicated either the URL or the e-mail address of another site. Most of these duplicates were for companies that developed Web sites that have multiple sections focusing on different diseases (e.g., asthma, allergies). In each case, the first site with the duplicate URL and/or e-mail address was kept and others were discarded. Second, some of the URLs listed by Yahoo! were not functioning. Third, some of the sites did not have an e-mail address. Finally, in some cases an e-mail address was found but the mail was undeliverable.
After removal of duplicates, non-functioning Web addresses, and bad e-mail addresses from the original sample of 1,050 sites, the valid sample size was 834 Web sites. Managers of these sites were surveyed (see Appendix 1). Surveys were sent and received via e-mail. A reminder message was sent one week after the initial message. A total of 395 completed surveys were returned resulting in a response rate of 47.5%. Content analysis was conducted on all 395 of these sites.
For the follow-up study, the researcher examined all of the original URLs to determine if they site still existed. If sites were not found on the first check, the researcher checked twice more on different days to see if the site was back after a temporary hiatus. A total of 281 sites (71.1% of the original 395 sites) were found. For each site that was still operating, the researcher sent an e-mail message indicating a follow-up study was planned and soliciting the site manager’s participation. The e-mail address that was used for the original study was also used for this pre-notification message. The researcher wanted, if at all possible, to survey the same individual who had responded to the original survey.If the original e-mail address was not functioning, the researcher searched the site for another e-mail address and re-sent the pre-notification. In some cases the pre-notified individual indicated that he/she was no longer involved in the site and gave an alternate e-mail address that the researcher then used. No usable e-mail was found for three surviving sites, reducing the valid sample size to 278.
An e-mail survey (see Appendix
2) was sent two days after the pre-notification. A reminder message was sent one week after the initial
message. Of the 278 functioning sites
that had usable e-mail addresses, 110 responded resulting in a response rate of
39.6%. This survey, which was primarily
quantitative in design, duplicated many of the questions that had been asked on
the 1997 survey (see Appendix 1). The primary purpose of this follow-up survey
was to determine how sites had changed over the three-year period.
Another, more qualitative, e-mail survey was also conducted in 2000. This survey (see Appendix 3) contained open-ended questions that sought more depth of information about why sites had failed or continued to survive and was sent to both survivors and non-survivors. Of the 114 presumably non-functioning sites that received this survey, seven responded by indicating that their sites were still functioning but had moved to new addresses. This raised the total number of surviving sites from 281 to 288.E-mail could not be delivered to managers of 67 (58.8%) of the 114 non-functioning sites.Six managers of non-surviving sites responded to this survey.
The 2000 qualitative survey was also sent to 88 individuals at functioning sites that had been identified as particularly interested in issues of longevity because they requested a summary of findings from the quantitative survey sent in 2000. A total of 30 responses were received from individuals whose sites did survive from 1997-2000. Table 1 summarizes sample size and response rates for each of the surveys conducted in 1997 and 2000.
Sample Size and Response
Rate
|
|
||||
|
Original Sample Size |
1,050 |
281 |
88 |
114 |
|
Size after removal of
duplicates, non-functioning sites, bad-email |
834 |
278 |
88 |
47 |
|
Total Responses (response
rate) |
395
(47.5%) |
110
(39.6%) |
30
(34.1%) |
6
(12.8%) |
Note: Respondents to the qualitative survey provided new URLs for seven surviving sites bringing the total number of surviving sites to 288 (survival rate of 72.9%)
Finally, all of the sites that were still operating in 2000 were downloaded for content analysis. However, because the original sites found in 1997 had not been downloaded, direct comparisons between content were somewhat limited. Therefore, this article focuses primarily on findings from the survey data.
Quantitative Findings
The question of why some sites survive while others do not is addressed first on the basis of quantitative data from the two-stage study. Of the 395 sites in the 1997 study, 107 (27.1%) were no longer functioning in 2000. Thus, the overall survival rate was 72.9%. Of the 288 sites that were functioning, 231 were still using the same online address and 57 had moved to a new URL. Most (87.7%) of those that had moved provided an online pointer to the new URL. But to explore the key research question of why some sites survive while others do not, more information is needed both about survivors and non-survivors. Quantitative data from the two-stage study is first examined to seek insight into survival rate in terms of the four topics identified in the literature: resources, Web site features and technology, organizational issues, and external issues. Following this quantitative analysis, results from the open-ended questions are considered for further qualitative insight into key issues.
Three key resource issues were considered: cost, personnel, and time. In pre-tests of the first study, the researcher found respondents unwilling to provide exact cost for maintaining content at the site. Therefore, respondents were provided with cost categories. Table 2 summarizes survival in 2000 for each of the cost categories. Sites that invested the least were least likely to survive. As investment in maintaining the content of the site went up, likelihood of survival also went up – to a point. Sites that spent over $50,000 on content creation and maintenance (the highest cost category) had the second-highest failure rate. This may suggest that these high-cost sites burned through investment money before they proved valuable to organizations.
Survival in 2000 and Costs
for Maintaining Content in 1997
|
|
Non-Functioning |
Functioning |
Total |
|
$0-$999 |
62 |
108 |
170 |
|
$1,000-$4,999 |
14 |
53 |
67 |
|
$5,000-$9,999 |
6 |
34 |
40 |
|
$10,000-$49,999 |
10 |
50 |
60 |
|
$50,000+ |
6 |
21 |
27 |
|
Total |
98 |
266 |
364 |
Numbers in parentheses are percentages for the cell
within the row.
X 2 (4, N = 364) =
15.52, p < .01
In the 2000 study, respondents were not provided with cost categories but were asked to estimate total cost for creating and maintaining content. Pre-testing of this survey indicated that these “known responders” might be more likely to provide specific dollar amounts. The average annual cost of creating and maintaining content reported by the respondents to the 2000 study was $8,760 and the total number of sites spending less than $1,000 dropped from 46.5% of the sample to 41.8%. This tends to suggest that survivors have begun to invest more in their sites. But for most of the sites in this sample, investments were still modest. The highest cost reported in the second survey was $200,000 annually.
To further understand how these sites are funded and changes in funding sources over time, respondents to both the 1997 and 2000 surveys were asked to indicate what percentage of the cost of creating content comes from one or more of the five types of funding sources. Table 3 summarizes average percentages of funding reported from each source in 1997 and 2000. Two significant changes were found. In 2000, organizations were more likely to identify the maintenance of content at their sites as a cost of doing business and less likely to report funding from advertising revenue. These Web sites may be “commercial” in the sense that they provide a venue for organizational voices to be heard, but the influence of traditional advertising does not seem to be strong in this sample of health-related sites.
Average Percentage of
Revenue from Specified Funding Sources
|
|
1997 Survey |
2000 Survey |
Paired Sample T-test |
|
Cost of Doing Business |
M 36.5 |
M 64.1 |
t 2.10 |
|
Advertising/Sponsorship |
M 13.7 |
M 3.6 |
t -3.2 |
|
E-commerce |
0 |
M 1.9 |
NA |
|
Subscriptions/ Pay-per Use
Fees |
M 0.7 |
M 2.2 |
t 1.14 |
|
Volunteer Efforts |
M 41.9 |
M 46.2 |
t .92 |
In both 1997 and 2000, many respondents indicated that content was funded completely from internal sources as a cost of doing business (25.6% in 1997, 35.7% in 2000) or from volunteer efforts (33.7% in 1997, 32.1% in 2000). These two funding sources dominate in both samples. Four sites indicated that they have begun to get revenue from e-commerce. At this handful of sites that generate e-commerce revenue, percentage of funding from transactions ranges from 12.5% to 100% with an average of 48%.
The second resource issue examined in the quantitative data was personnel. Sites that survived had an average of 3.03 people working on the site in 1997 as compared with an average of 1.93 people working on sites that did not survive. This difference was significant t (392, N = 394) = 2.09, p < .05. Overall, the average number of people working on surviving sites increased slightly to 3.3 in 2000.
In the 1997 survey, respondents were asked to indicate not only how many people were responsible for creating content at their Web sites, but also what types of job responsibilities those individuals held. Seven types of jobs were identified: health professionals, communicators, marketers, technology experts, graphic designers, administrators, and volunteers. In cross tabulation of these job types with survival rates, only one significant relationship was found. Sites that employed one or more technology experts were more likely to survive (81.3%) than were those that did not have such technical expertise (66.4%). This relationship was statistically significant ?2 (1, N = 395) = 10.83, p < .001.
Time as a resource issue was examined from the perspective of how frequently sites were updated. More frequent updates would tend to suggest that site managers devote more time to the site. Both the 1997 and 2000 surveys asked about how frequently sites were updated. One interesting fact is that no response was received in 2000 from any of the five sites that had indicated in 1997 that they never updated the site. Two of those sites were no longer functioning and e-mail to another of the sites bounced. This suggests a high mortality rate among sites that are never updated.Table 4 summarizes frequency of updating in 1997 and survival in 2000. Sites that updated at least daily were most likely to survive. Sites that updated quarterly or yearly were least likely to survive.
Survival in 2000 and
Frequency of Updating Content in 1997
|
|
Non-Functioning |
Functioning |
Total |
|
At least once a year, but
less than quarterly |
17 |
45 |
62 |
|
At least quarterly, but
less than once a month |
44 |
69 |
113 |
|
At least monthly, but less
than weekly |
21 |
73 |
94 |
|
At least weekly, but less
than daily |
17 |
62 |
79 |
|
At least once daily |
5 |
26 |
31 |
|
Total |
104 |
275 |
379 |
Numbers in parentheses are percentages for the cell
within the row.
X 2 (4, N = 379) = 12.11,
p < .05
The types of features included in a Web site can often reflect the technological expertise of site creators. In the 1997 study, content analysis included coding for features that might enhance the interactivity of the site (feedback forms, chat rooms, newsgroups, bulletin boards, online service/support) as well as some other features that might indicate that the site creator had some sophistication in technological development of the site (search engines, menus for navigation, systems for in-site and out-of-site linking, and a table of contents or site map). Among the three trained coders who examined the sites, average intercoder reliability for these items was .87. Differences among coders most often occurred because one coder failed to identify a feature. Discrepancies in coding were easily resolved.
Chi square tests were run in 2000 to determine relationships between these features and site survival. Significant differences were found between survivors and non-survivors for only one of these features: the presence of a table of contents and/or site map χ2 (1, N = 384) = 3.81, p < .05. Sites that had this relatively simple technology tool in 1997 were more likely to survive in 2000 (76.3%) than those that did not (66.3%). None of the technologically more advanced features (e.g. chat rooms, search engines) had a significant relationship to survival.
Are some kinds of organizations more likely to build sustainable sites than others? This question can be examined based on self-defined organizational type. In the 1997 survey, site managers were asked to indicate which of the following best described their organization: educational organization, government agency, non-profit organization, for-profit company, individually operated site, and other. Only 15 sites were identified as government agency sites. These sites shared many characteristics with education sites (many of which represented government-funded colleges and universities). Thus, to reduce the number of cells with small expected counts, government and education sites were combined for analysis. The few (six) sites that were identified as some “other” organizational type were also eliminated from analysis. In addition to examining survival, location of surviving sites was also examined. As revealed in the literature, sites that are at the same domain name after three years, might be more stable than those that have moved. Table 5 summarizes relationships between Web site survival and self-defined organizational type.
Survival
and Self-Defined Organizational Type
|
|
Non-Functioning |
Same URL |
New URL |
Total |
|
Education/Government |
18 |
65 |
21 |
104 |
|
Non-Profit Organizations |
24 |
58 |
16 |
98 |
|
For-Profit Company |
37 |
68 |
9 |
114 |
|
Individuals |
26 |
36 |
11 |
73 |
|
Total |
105 |
227 |
57 |
389 |
Numbers in parentheses are
percentages for the cell within the row.
X 2 (6, N = 389) =
14.4, p < .05
Sites from the 1997 study that were non-functioning in 2000 were most likely to be operated by individuals. By contrast, sites operated by educational and government institutions in 1997 were most likely to be still functioning in 2000. However, education and government sites were the most likely to have moved to a new URL. Several managers of these government and education sites indicated that their sites had been moved because of changes in internal computer system structures that did not take into account the need for stable URL addresses. The sites least likely to move to a new location were those operated by for-profit companies.
The primary external issue addressed in the quantitative survey was number of site visitors. The 1997 survey asked respondents to indicate if they tracked usage at their sites. One might expect sites that monitor their audiences to be more likely to survive than are those that pay less attention to how their site is used. About two thirds (67.3%) of the original sites did track usage. However, there was no significant relationship between such tracking and site survival X 2 (1, N = 391) = .922, p > .05.
Among sites that did track their audience, audience size was a predictor of survival. A t test revealed that sites that survived had an average of 3,650 visitors per week in 1997 while sites that did not survive had an average of only 783 visitors per week in 1997. This difference was significant t (249, N = 251) = 1.44, p <.05. Among survivors, the average weekly audience size grew dramatically to 12,100 in 2000.
Qualitative Findings
While the quantitative survey questions and content analysis data enabled quantifiable measures of some potential reasons for site survival or failure, these measures may overlook issues of importance to site managers. Therefore, managers of both surviving and non-surviving sites were asked open-ended questions about the role of resources, Web site features and technology, organizational issues, and external issues in the fate of their sites. While responses generally supported the quantitative findings, they also provided some additional insights. Respondents were guaranteed anonymity. Thus, when quotations are used, the identity of the respondent is not provided.
Resource issues were identified by managers of surviving sites as being the most important reasons for their survival. Seventeen of the 30 site managers who responded to the qualitative survey reported that resources played a positive role in their survival. One respondent wrote:
Resources have become significant. In fact, we believe that our Web site is vitally important to our progress and have increased the amount of time, money and staff we allocate to this form of communication…. Our original Web site was created by a volunteer and did not cost us anything other than the costs of an ISP, on-line credit card capability, etc. But it has been successful enough to warrant a significant allocation of funds, staff and time.
Other respondents also wrote about the importance of funding to keep their sites going. However, time was also a critical factor. For example, one wrote: “Without the time that my secretary and I have been able to spend updating the site, it would have quickly become irrelevant and we would have given up on it. We have made it a priority to update and add to its content.” Among those who felt that resource issues were not important many indicated that, over time, resources had been committed to the Web site and few, if any, new resources were needed.
Among non-survivors, only one of the six respondents indicated that resources were an important reason for the demise of their sites. The respondent wrote: “About a year ago I decided to shut it down. I was out of time.” However, for most managers of failed sites, resources were not a key issue. For example, one wrote: “The site was easily maintained by myself and there were not specific issues such as resources, money, time, etc. that led to its closure.”
Technology issues were identified by managers of surviving sites as being the second-most important reason for survival. Fourteen of 30 site managers who responded to the qualitative survey reported that technology played a positive role in their survival. One wrote: “Our site depends on the reliability of our hardware, software, and programming. The presentation of our site is only as good as the worst of these.” Several others noted that staying current with technology was a challenge, but by doing so they were able to stay competitive. Among respondents who indicated that technology was NOT very important to survival, many noted that only a small investment in technology was needed to maintain the core features of their sites. For example one wrote: “We don’t get into really fancy stuff on our site – most of it is pretty basic HTML code – so we don’t need to invest a lot in hardware or software.”
No managers of non-surviving sites reported technology as being a reason for their demise. None elaborated on this point. They all simply wrote that technology was not important. One went so far as to say that technological issues were “NOT important at all.”
The quantitative study examined organizational issues primarily from the perspective of organization type. However, responses to open-ended questions provided some additional insights into organizational issues. Twelve of the 30 respondents indicated that organizational factors were important. For example, one respondent wrote: “We look at our Web site as ‘changing the way we do business’ since we will offer member services online.” Another wrote: “Management support is key. Without my boss’s support and guidance, the site would not have been a high enough priority to keep it going.” Others reported on specific organizational changes that had been made to find an internal “home” for the Web site and make sure that it was supported.
Among surviving sites that indicated organizational issues were NOT important, many wrote that the site was run by a small organization in which coordination was easy. One respondent commented:
Organizational issues are not important to us. We are a small company, but everyone in the company realizes the importance of the Web site. I don’t think company size really matters as long as the decision-makers are committed to the company’s Web strategy, and in 2000 I would think it would be difficult for any company not to realize how powerful a sales tool the Web is.
It is interesting that the respondent began by pointing out that organizational issues weren’t important, but then went on to explain that organizational commitment to the Web is a critical factor for survival.
Among sites that did not survive, only one of the six respondents to the qualitative survey indicated that organizational issues were a factor in the demise of the site. The respondent wrote: “There was a change of management and the new manager was not interested in supporting the site. If a brand manager is interested then fine. If not, then funding is placed elsewhere.”
Twelve of the 30 site managers who responded to the qualitative survey reported that external issues played a positive role in their survival. Several focused on the issue of attracting visitors. One wrote: “Our Web site is relatively busy with visitors from around the world…. We depend on generating contacts to increase our membership and we feel the Internet is doing that for us.” Others noted that while their audience was small it was targeted and the Web site was a good vehicle for reaching the audience. Some respondents also commented on other external issue such as competition. One wrote: “I think that having established my site in mid-1995, way before all the mongo health sites, has done a lot for keeping me high in the search engines.”
Among respondents who indicated external factors were NOT important to their survival, many noted that they held a specialty or niche position on the Web that neither depended on large numbers of visitors nor faced serious competition. One wrote that external factors were “not really an issue; however, the number of visitors to our site is high because we provide up-to-date content on issues important to our members and non-member readers.” Another wrote: “I have no competition so to speak. Now there have been a few copycats who set up their sites after visiting mine.” One emphasized the low relevance of external issues by writing: “It [the Web site] would continue to operate regardless of external factors.”
Despite the low importance that survivors placed on external factors, non-survivors were likely to see external factors as being the primary reason for their failure. Four of the six respondents attributed their sites’ demise primarily to external factors. One wrote that the site failed because members of the target audience (doctors working in a specialty area) were unwilling to support the site – they read the newsletter but would not contribute to site upkeep. Another reported that a site was developed as a “demonstration” in 1994. It was never intended to be maintained. But, it became popular and taking it down after the demonstration period proved difficult. Another wrote that the site ceased to exist when the company that was responsible for its creation went out of business and another reported that the site was eliminated when the responsibility for the association that it represented was moved to another city.
Most Important Reasons for Success or Failure
Respondents were asked to indicate what they believed to be the most important reason for their site’s survival or demise. Respondents were allowed to give multiple responses. Some responses were unique to a specific situation, but three types of responses seemed to dominate replies provided by those whose sites had survived: public service, promotion and marketing, and resources.
Thirteen of the 30 site managers whose sites had survived from 1997-2000 indicated that one of the primary reasons their site had continued to exist was because it was providing some kind of public service. One respondent wrote: “It is perhaps the best means we have for communicating the nature and content of our research to the academic community – thus it is an essential component of our laboratory.” Another wrote: “Because I’m bipolar and the best way to heal is with other bipolars who find a home at my site.” Another wrote. “The main reason for my site still operating is because of the poor quality of treatment, and poor to no communication between patients and their doctors, and my willingness to offer insight into patients’ problems.” The manager of a site focused on panic disorders echoed this sentiment:
Because people from all walks of life are looking for answers. I give them hope without any charge. I hope they find the answers or at the very least a friend or two to help them on their way. I’ve been told hundreds of times that people like my site because I don’t have anything to sell or expect money for my experiences. I’m just a normal person who has panic attacks. No mumbo jumbo words. Just what’s from the heart.
The second-most frequently mentioned reason for survival was issues related to promoting and/or marketing the organization and its good or services. Promotion and marketing issues were identified as important by 10 managers of surviving sites. One respondent wrote: “It is an important marketing tool for the laboratory a