The Internet and Websites

More than half the world’s population is now online. How to effectively use the resources the internet offers to reach them is a key consideration for nuclear communicators. A website is an indispensable online presence for an organization. This is the place most people visit when they want to find out more about your organization. Avenues on the internet for communicating, notably social media, have become equally important and the communicator needs to remain up-to-date with them. Many organizations have their own social media specialist communicators.

In 2018, the number of websites is estimated to have surpassed 1.8 billion. It is important to make an online presence distinct in order to stand out in the crowd. Good design and functionality are among the most important aspects to achieve at first. Establishing a website requires a dedicated commitment – both in providing sufficient resources to establishing and maintaining it. Investing in good architecture and qualified help to build a website pays off. It also establishes the corporate identity. Visiting the websites of corporate and governmental organizations can offer inspiration for how one should look.

Good websites need to welcome visitors with ease of access and navigability. Users of a website will range from technical specialists to the casual visitor with little knowledge of the subject. The challenge is developing an efficient response in the face of such varied needs. A visitor who finds it a challenge to retrieve information is inclined to look for it elsewhere and not return. Sites may require occasional redesign and relaunches.

A website is both a news site – with press releases, media advisories and announcements – and a means of establishing an organization’s corporate or institutional presence and brand. It also serves as a reference library, and an archive for information about an organization. Some sites include dedicated areas accessible only to accredited users, where confidential information is posted. But don’t overlook the fact that a website is only one of the many tools for communicating.

Web Presence

Provide dedicated resources for news media on your website – with details about the press team (the people journalists can communicate with), spokesperson and others. Post their images, contact details, office and mobile phone numbers and email addresses. Consider providing a common email address for the contacts, an info@ address, to alleviate the risk of mail messages not getting read.

Other resources on the website for media should include an image bank, a library of videos, and a compilation of news releases and media advisories. For journalists, it is helpful to make sure all the resources are available in one place. This is where journalists go to obtain the latest information, while also providing them access to email alerts and personal contacts.

Corporate Blogs

Blogs are useful to an organization for internal and external communication. They allow for an ongoing and engaging conversations with the various stakeholders.

A corporate blog is an informal means of conducting a conversation with stakeholders internally and externally. An internal blog uses an organization’s intranet and can achieve several goals, such as keeping employees across different parts of the organization informed about internal changes and encouraging their participation in discussions.

An external blog can serve as a useful channel for low-key discussions of issues and announcements that are not sensitive to an organization. It can also establish a better understanding of the organization with the public and engage and inform audiences interested in the organization.

To launch an external blog, media guidelines must prevail and information must be cleared before it is published.