Many scholars proclaimed the Internet as a powerful, if not the most powerful, marketing tool to date (Ainscough & Luckett, 1996; Griffith & Palmer, 1999; Cronin, 1996; Ranchhod & Gurau, 1999; Van Doren, Fechner, & Green-Adelsberger, 2000). The Internet allows for enhanced access to a global market, low costs in advertising, an increase in communication, and an opportunity to enhance relationships with members of the community at large.

The Internet has also emerged as a dynamic tool in the counseling profession (Bloom & Walz, 2004). The American Counseling Association (ACA) and the National Board of Certified Counselors have even developed specific ethical guidelines on using the Internet in counseling practice. All 187 counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) have their own website. In addition, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Technology Interest Network (1999) stated that counseling students should be able to search the Internet, understand ethical codes related to the Internet, and evaluate the quality of information presented on the Internet.

            Along with the emersion of the Internet in counseling and counselor education, higher education in general has relied on the Internet. Moreover, given budgetary cutbacks in state and federal funding and university interests in attracting strong students, institutions of higher education are marketing their programs with increasing frequency (Newman, 2002). Indeed, McGrath (2002) described marketing efforts in higher education as “critical” to an institution’s future.

            According to Mentz and Whiteside (2003), students are being trained at an early age in the utility and vitality of the Internet. Attracting students to undergraduate and graduate university programs via the Internet, therefore, should be considered fitting and customary. Mentz and Whiteside suggested that programs use the Internet to convey information on alumni salary, statistics, testimonials, and pictures; general information about programming; tuition and financial aid; and class sizes. In terms of format or style, program sites should be simple with a good contrast between font and background, include forms that can be downloaded quickly, and be easy to navigate. The location of the website, and ease in finding it (e.g., academic program easily identifiable within the university or college’s homepage) is a key aspect in good website marketing (Mentz & Whiteside).

            Within the counseling profession, only three prior studies examined content on the World Wide Web. Torres-Rivera, Maddux, and Phan (1999) investigated multicultural counseling websites and found several consistent problems associated with content, information presented, and style of the web pages. The same study was repeated in 2005 by Maddux, Torres-Rivera, Smaby, and Cummings and found similar findings. Flowers, Bray, Furr, and Alogozzine (2000) examined counselor education homepages for their accessibility to students with disabilities. Flowers, et al found that most of the program webpages (81.7%) had accessibility problems.

            To date, Reilly, Leibrandt, Zonno, Simpson, and Morris (2004) have been the only researchers to examine the content and quality of academic program websites. In a study of 251 accredited general surgery residency programs, they found that these programs did not use the Internet to the fullest extent. Many did not have enough information or content for applicants, did not provide current residents with adequate information, and did not have a good navigation or design for easy use.

            The purpose of this article is to inform counselor educators about the extent and type of counselor education websites today. Content or information typically found, the ease of navigation, aesthetic qualities, and general usability of such websites are presented. Suggestions are provided on web development and web site utility for consumers and stakeholders. Finally, this article discusses ways in which counselor educators can evaluate the utility and impact of their program website.

Methodology

A list of all CACREP accredited counselor education programs was obtained from the Directory of CACREP Accredited Programs (2004). Each program website was downloaded and analyzed. At the time of analysis there were 137 Community Counseling programs; five College Counseling programs; five Career Counseling programs; two Gerontological Counseling programs; 28 Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling programs; 36 Mental Health Counseling programs; 159 School Counseling programs; 40 Student Affairs programs; and 47 doctoral programs in Counselor Education and Supervision. These programs were housed in 187 institutions nationwide.

 The Directory of CACREP Accredited Programs provided direct hyperlinks to each program website. Program website homepages, all pages within each site, and each college home page were analyzed for content, ease of navigation, organization, speed of download, and aesthetics.

The first and fourth author of this study analyzed each program website. A program website was defined as the program homepage; all links on the website that were part of the program website [e.g., if a link was to another organization (e.g., ACA) or to an external source that the program did not control (e.g., the graduate catalog) such sites were not reviewed]; and the college or school home page.

Analysis of each program website consisted of two rounds of carefully checking if specific aspects of the website appeared. Round one was consisted the first initial review of all websites. During this round each website was reviewed and an overall list of program websites were compiled and tallied. Round two consisted of reviewing all of the websites again using the checklist that was generated from round one. Round two also served as a verification of the tallies obtained from round one. The left column of Table 1 consists of the final modified checklist of the specific aspects of each website from round two.

Results

            Table One presents descriptive data of the informational content displayed on each counselor education program website. More than 75% of the programs included information on e-mail addresses, postal addresses, and phone numbers for the program in general, as well as faculty. Information regarding the admissions process and / or application forms were frequently found.

Table 1

Program Website Informational Content (N=187)

 

	% Yes	% No	# Yes	# No
Program Contact Information	95.7	4.3	179	8
Faculty Contact Information	87.7	12.3	164	23
Admissions	82.4	17.6	154	33
List of Courses	70.1	29.9	131	56
CACREP Information	62.0	38.0	116	71
Mission / Welcome	55.1	44.9	103	84
Counseling Links	49.7	50.3	93	94
Student Descriptions	49.2	50.8	92	95
Calendar / Events	47.1	52.9	88	99
Faculty Description	46.0	54.0	86	101
ACA Information	40.6	59.4	76	111
Program Handbook	36.9	63.1	69	118
Financial Aid	32.1	67.9	60	127
Downloads	30.5	69.5	57	130
Licensure Information	18.2	81.8	34	153
FAQ	17.1	82.9	32	155
Practica / Internship	15.5	84.5	25	162
Graduate Catalog	14.4	85.6	27	160
Jobs After Graduation	13.4	86.6	25	162
Graduate Assistant Info.	12.3	87.7	23	164
Newsletter	12.3	87.7	23	164
Advising Issues	8.6	91.4	16	171
Maps	8.0	92.0	15	172
City Information	6.4	93.6	12	175
Fundraising	3.7	96.3	7	180
Awards	3.2	96.8	6	181
Program History	3.2	96.8	6	181

            Between 50% and 75% of the program websites displayed a list of classes needed for graduation. Also, many programs indicated that they had CACREP accreditation or that they were attempting to gain such accreditation. A mission or welcome statement was also found on between 50% and 75% of the program websites.

            Between 25% and 50% of the program websites reviewed for this study had links to various counseling related Internet sites such as ACA, state licensure, and general counseling theories, organizations, or mental health treatment. Nearly half of the programs described the demographic makeup of their students or accomplishments of their students. In addition, faculty descriptions were presented in terms of their roles in the university, teaching and research interests, and scholarly pursuits. Information on upcoming events, specific information on ACA, financial aid, complete program handbooks, and a variety of downloadable forms were found in 25% to 50% of the pages analyzed.

            Information found in less than 25% of the websites included information on licensure, practicum or internship, graduate assistantships, jobs after graduation, advising issues, and information on the city in which the university is located. In addition, less than 25% of the websites included a Frequently Asked Questions page, a map to the university or driving directions to the program, a link to the Graduate Catalog, or a program newsletter. Less than 10 program websites included information on fundraising, program award recipients, and the history of the program.

Additional Analysis

            Beyond the content or information, each website was evaluated on aesthetic qualities, organization, navigation, download speed, and visibility of the program website. In terms of the aesthetic quality the authors first looked to see if the websites were easy to read. It was found that 68.4% (n = 128) of counselor education websites had font that was somewhat large (at least 10-point) and appeared to be clear; whereas 31.6% (n = 59) of the websites surveyed had very small font and / or used font that was difficult to read (e.g., font that was highly slanted, squiggly, or spaced too close together). It was also found that 58.8% (n = 110) of counselor education websites had a good contrast between the font and the background (e.g., dark font with a light background); whereas 41.2% (n = 77) of the websites had poor contrast between text and the background or had a highly distracting background (e.g., bright neon colors that did not contrast well to the font, or backgrounds that used pictures that did not allow for the font to be easily read). The authors also found that 50.3% (n = 94) of the sites used a theme on all of their web pages in their site (e.g., all of the web pages in the site had the same general color scheme and location of navigation buttons), whereas 49.7% (n = 93) did not.

The authors also found that 71.7% (n = 134) of the counselor education program websites were well organized and easy to navigate; whereas on 28.3% (n = 53) of the sites, it was difficult to locate one or more aspects of the site. It addition, 43.3% (n = 81) of the program websites included a searchable component that allowed people to search for specific topics or contents; whereas 56.7% (n = 106) did not include such a feature.

Given the utility of the Internet and website technology, the authors found few program websites that included multimedia. Only 3.2% (n = 6) of program websites included video and audio functions with their website, and 1.6% (n = 3) of programs had dynamic or flash features on their program homepage.

            Beyond the aesthetic qualities and organization of the websites, the working components of each website were also analyzed. It was found that 31.0% (n = 58) had all hyperlinks working (e.g., all buttons or links to other websites actually directed the user to the appropriate Internet page). It was also found that 43.9% (n = 82) of the sites had one to three broken links; 24.1% (n = 45) had four to six broken links; and 1.0% (n = 2) had more than seven broken links.

            The time it takes to download the entire home page of each program website was also evaluated. It was found that, based on a standard telephone dial up connection of 28.8 kbps (not a broadband connection), program home pages took between four seconds and 154 seconds to fully download (mean = 41.05; SD = 27.36). 

            The authors also considered the currency or timeliness of the information on the website. That is, 58.8% (n = 110) of the websites offered no indication of the last time the information was updated, 17.7% (n = 33) indicated that it was updated within the last three months, 18.1% (n = 34) were last updated within four to six months, and 5.4% (n = 10) indicated they were last updated between six months and two years ago.

            Because all of the websites came from programs accredited by CACREP, the authors also looked at how many sites include either a CACREP logo or an indication that they were accredited by CACREP on their program home page. It was noted that 62.0% (n = 116) of the program home pages indicated CACREP accreditation on their program webpage while 38.0% (n = 71) did not. Interestingly enough, none of the colleges that the programs were housed in indicated CACREP accreditation while 47.6% (n = 89) indicated another accreditation body (e.g., National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education).

            The authors investigated the number of Internet pages that one needed to go through to find the program website, that is, the number of clicks it took to find the program website. From the university home page to the program home page 40.1% (n = 75) took between four and six clicks; 56.2% (n = 105) between seven and nine clicks; and 3.7% (n = 7) between 10 and 12 clicks. From the college home page to the program home page 24.1% (n = 45) two clicks; 55.6% (n = 104) three clicks; 18.7% (n = 35) four clicks; and 1.6% (n = 3) six clicks.

            Finally, the authors checked all program websites for compliance to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments and the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These agencies indicate how web pages are to be developed so as to be easily accessed by individuals with disabilities. The authors found that only 3.2% (n = 6) of program websites were in complete compliance with these guidelines.

Discussion

Several findings merit consideration in light of an increased emphasis on marketing of counselor education programs. It was understandable that many of the programs had program contact information and faculty contact information because it is important to provide a personal resource to those who view the website and may have questions or comments. This is consistent with the majority of programs posting admissions information and course offerings. It was understandable, however, that many programs did not have information on graduate assistantships, newsletters, fundraising efforts, program awards, and a history of the program. Such information may not be collected or initiated by many programs. Of note was the number of programs that did not have a calendar of events page, although it was thought that many programs may update students of upcoming events via postal mail or listserv. The variability in aesthetic qualities, working components, speed, timeliness of information, and multimedia components of program websites is understandable given that the actual web development may not be under the control of program faculty (i.e., reliant on students volunteers).

            It was surprising that 38% of the CACREP accredited programs analyzed did not mention they were accredited by CACREP. It was also somewhat alarming that none of the colleges that the programs were housed in indicated CACREP accreditation although 47.6% indicated another accreditation body. We believe this issue relates to the professional identity and visibility of the counseling profession and needs to be prominent not only in the program literature but also in college marketing strategies.

            We wondered why more counselor education programs did not display basic information about their program such as a mission or welcome statement; student and faculty descriptions; licensure, practica, and internship information; advising issues; program and university location; and financial aid resources. In addition, we were curious as to why more counselor education programs did not provide more literature, downloads, or links to program handbooks, the graduate catalog, or links to professional counseling organizations. Possible explanations for these issues may include a lack of time, resources, communication, or skill by program faculty and staff.

Suggestions for Marketing and Implementation

For the purposes of this article, it is assumed that a person has been identified who is proficient, willing, and has the time (e.g., time to solicit information from faculty) to develop and maintain the program website. A faculty member, graduate assistant, secretary, or, if the budget permits, an outside web developer might be the one working in this capacity. Ideally, a program website should be responsive to the interests of its specific counselor education program; as a result, a template for modeling a standard website for all counselor education programs seems inappropriate. Perhaps, however, we can draw the reader into a conversation or a reflective moment by posing questions about websites that might assist in marketing programs:

1)      What information could the website offer that might be informative about the program? For example, are there information about the program’s history, mission and objectives, admissions procedures, its accreditation, and curriculum as well as graduate assistantships and financial aid, and information pertaining to a contact person?

2)      What information could the website offer concerning the program’s current students and alumni? For example, is there demographic information pertaining to issues like gender and cultural diversity, information pertaining to employment of graduates and the type of positions held, and information pertaining to accomplishments of current students and graduates?

3)      What information could the website offer to potential applicants regarding the program’s faculty members (e.g., is there information on faculty members’ teaching interests, their scholarly interests, and their professional service contributions)?

4)      What information could the website offer to current students such as a list of course offerings, downloadable program handbooks, practica and internship manuals, course syllabi, and the graduate catalog?

5)      What hyperlinks might the website offer? For example, are there links to professional counseling organizations (e.g., American Counseling Association), university services (e.g., the library and graduate catalog), and links to admissions information and applications?

6)      How attractive and usable is the website? That is, is it easy to read, is the information current, is it well organized and easy to navigate, can the information be quickly downloaded, are the hyperlinks working, and is multimedia such as video or audio desired?

7)      Are there technology functions that meet the needs of prospective and current students along with alumni? These functions would include a site map or search function to help people find specific information, a counter to assist in tracking who is using the Internet, and would designs such as flash animation.

8)      Are there aspects of the program that warrant highlighting, such as a history of the program; fundraising activities; success stories of alumni; student, faculty, or program awards?

9)      Is information that is peripheral to the program important (e.g., is information about the university and surrounding community needed)?

10)  How visible is the program? For instance, is the program website easy to find on the university and college homepage and is the website easy to find if searching the Internet via Google, Yahoo, and other search engines?

11)  Is the program being fairly represented on the university and college website? Are there areas of the university website in which the program could be highlighted and are there areas of the college website in which the program could be represented?

Hopefully, by faculty members engaging in conversations around questions such as these, a website can be established and maintained so as to address the qualities of their particular counselor education program. In turn, such a website might offer the potential applicant an initial look at his or her desired counselor education program.

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