Probably the most commonly asked question when starting up a website is, "Should I be on the search engines?" Search engines are a mixed bag and there is no right answer. However here are some tips and pointers to remember about search engines:

There are over 16 million websites on the Internet and the numbers continue to grow steadily. With that many websites there are no guarantees that your website will be found in the top ten selections no matter what your web host tells you. What it will do is present in a positive manner, information that you care to share with the public about chiropractic, you, your office, and anything else you want people to know that is available at any time to anyone in the world with Internet access.

The submission process to the search engines requires submitting your email address. This results in the passing around of your email address to almost any group and an ongoing avalanche of junk mail.

Being on the search engines will not magically attract 100 new patients per month. The website is not a substitute for a Yellow Pages ad. However, many doctors do report new patients finding their site and calling up and making an appointment. One new patient per month in this manner will more than cover the cost of website maintenance.

Search engines should not impact the marketing that the doctor does regarding the website. The website name should be on every office document, business card, internal office wall, external frontage, and Yellow Page ad to direct existing patients to the website for them to refer their friends and family and for potential new patients to discover.

As I said in the beginning of this piece, there are no right answers. The comedian Dennis Miller says it perfectly when he finishes his rant by saying, "That's just my opinion, I could be wrong." --  BJ Harman, DC

NYK Introduces New Self-Serve Email List Maintenance Program

At Now You Know we rarely sleep! We are always evolving new ways to improve and add to our services so that you get the benefits.  Our most recent accomplishment is a new mailing system for our email newsletter subscribers.  Since our service has grown so large we have had to create new ways for generating such large mailings for so many offices.  We also wanted to make it easier for doctors to review their own mailing lists and make additions and corrections as needed.

Starting January, we will have an online list maintenance system for all our doctors.  How it works is that the doctor or staff person logs into a secure, password protected page on a secure web site that then allows them to open up their own email patient list and edit the list as needed.  This makes it easy for the doctor or staff to add volumes of names to their lists and to make changes as bad addresses occur. With a few simple clicks a doctor will be able to see who is getting their newsletter without having to request a copy from us.

This program is unique and has taken a year to develop specifically for our service!  But as always we are not resting. In the coming months watch for even more important and advancing developments from Now You Know. We pledge to continue to serve you with the best high end technology, best information, and best service available!

Check for a New Website Domain Names directly on the NYK Site

You can now check directly from our www.nowyouknow.net website to see if a domain name you were thinking of for a future web site is available.  As you may know, there are now new Domain extensions available for web names.  Extensions are the letters after the "dot" on a web address name.  Previously the big three that most people used were ".com", ".net" and ".org".  Now there are additional names available including, ".info", ".biz", and the most recently added one ".name".

To help sort this out, we at Now You Know have added a name checking system right on our www.nowyouknow.net website.  This means that you can go and check for names directly from our site.  Please feel free to go to our site and check out our new pages for searching for domain names.  There are three different ways of checking including a "wizard" that actually can suggest names for you if you enter some basic information.

NYK Add to its Staff

On the customer service end, there are many new developments we want you to be aware of.  We now have 3 webmasters! Dr. Gary, (yes he graduated) Adam (fourth quarter at Life), and Jeff (undergrad at Life).  Additionally we have added an Executive Administrator in charge of customer service, Katrine.  You can reach our staff using the following:

• Executive Administrator - Katrine –  678-570-3406 - exec@nowyouknow.com

• Webmaster – Dr. Gary – 678-571-5900 - gary@nowyouknow.net or webmaster@nowyouknow.net

• Webmaster – Adam –678-571-5900 - adam@nowyouknow.net or webmaster@nowyouknow.net

• Webmaster – Jeff –678-571-5900 – jeff@nowyouknow.net or webmaster@nowyouknow.net

• Technical Department – Steve– tech@nowyouknow.net 

• Sales Department – BJ Harman DC – 678-570-7750 - bjharman@nowyouknow.net 

• Creative Department – Bob Braile, DC – 678-570-3401 – braile@braile.net 

As we grow we intend to continue to increase our service concept.  If any of our subscribers have any specific questions, please feel free to contact us.

Chiropractic Without a Doubt Phase 2, Very Successful

Well, I had the privilege of teaching on my first "Chiropractic Without a Doubt" program just a few weeks ago.  This exciting program was started by Drs Gentempo and Kent with the ICA, and was designed to bring the science and philosophy together with technology and make it available for the general practitioner.  I felt honored to be asked by the ICA to become a part of the new team teaching with Dr Steven Hoffman.

Our first program was a huge success and turned out to be more fun than I had imagined. I was initially concerned that I would have more time than material, but the opposite was actually true.  I had so much stuff to cover I had to speed things up a bit just to get through.  The reviews we got were very good as every doctor thought the program was well worth the time.  I look forward to being involved with the 6 programs already scheduled for the coming year.

Our Upcoming Seminars and Shows

Now You Know Products and Services

Now You Know Web Site Design and Hosting: Our combination of features, updates, message quality and quantity of content has made Now You Know the largest provider of individual web sites to the chiropractic profession. 

Now You Know Email Newsletter Service: Our newsletter is the most popular patient email newsletter in chiropractic.  We estimate that each month over 100 thousand people read these each month.  Current and hard-hitting articles on health and chiropractic issues delivered directly to the patients inbox has made our newsletter service unsurpassed in chiropractic.  See why hundreds of offices love this service! 

Echiropractic:  We push the technology window to the limit with online chiropractic pamphlets, cards and office letters for you to use.  An entire year of unlimited usage for a very reasonable fee.  See what everyone else is talking about by visiting www.echiropractic.net . 

NYK Patient Lecture Presentation: Use hi-tech graphics and dazzling images to teach your patients about chiropractic and your office. Now You Know offers the most graphically impressive patient lecture available in chiropractic. Available in 35mm slides with an audio tape of the presentation.

NYK Full Spine X-ray Filtration System: Do you take full spine x-rays? Would you like to? Learn how to take full spine x-rays affordably and easily without split screens of 14 x 36 film. Visit www.nowyouknow.net to find out more.

NYK Custom Posters: Why buy generic posters when you can have your picture and your words displaying for your patients. Especially valuable for offices with front window exposure! Only $49.95 each. Visit www.nowyouknow.net to find out more.

NYK Free Stuff: On our web site, www.nowyouknow.net , you will find a link to this page containing free stuff and links to Free Stuff for chiropractors. Subscribe to free newsletters, get a free poster, send for a free CD-Rom, download free graphics, and find free resources.  If you want it and it is free check us out.

Free Classifieds:  Selling your practice, buying one? Looking for an associate, or to be an associate? Have a product or service to sell, program or seminar? Now You Know offers this free classified for the entire profession!