Personal and Professional Advice and Support - Examples

Personal and Professional Advice and Support - Examples

Under the “umbrella” of internet and web applications, is a sub-section called “Personal and Professional Advice and Support”. There are many different types of information presented online, in seemingly all areas of life (and beyond;). Two examples are websites with specific aims, one is for medical information called WebMD (www.webMD.com), and and another (started with) information about getting married called The Knot (www.theknot.com).

WebMD is an American corporation which provides health information services. It is primarily known for its public Internet site, which has information regarding health and health care, including a symptom checklist, pharmacy information, drug information, blogs of physicians with specific topics and a place to store personal medical information.{1} I have used WebMD, and though the information can be helpful, I find it often to be quite generic. A headache can mean many many things. I have also had situations, in which friends and family members seemingly became hypochondriac, for they would see a symptom they may have, and believe it may be something of an extremely more serious condition or disease, that may have the same or similar symptom. However, the success of WebMD would be difficult to challenge. According to comScore Media Metrix, WebMD Health is the leading health portal. {2} For the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2010: Revenue increased 22% to $168.5 million for the fourth quarter, compared to $138.1 million in the prior year period. {3}

The Knot is a media company that publishes multi-media content for couples who are planning weddings. {4} After reviewing their website (for the first time), it has all things relevant for a wedding. Everything from destinations, invitations, clothing, cakes, vows, and music, are part of the vast amount of information that they offer. The Knot has had much success over the years, and in June of this year (2011), changed it’s name to XO Group, Inc. Since launching in 1996, XO Group Inc. has gained dominant market share in the wedding space with the top two wedding websites, TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, and launched the #1 website for newlyweds, TheNest.com, and the fastest-growing website devoted to pregnancy and first-time parents, TheBump.com.{5}

As one can see, there is a lot of useful information on the internet, specializing in personal and professional advice and support. WedMD is a great example for medical information, and The Knot (now XO Group Inc.) is a great example for information about getting married.

(I hope to try the latter in the not too distant future ;)

{1} “WebMD”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_MD

{2} http://www.sramanamitra.com/2007/08/21/web-30-online-health-part-2/

{3} http://investor.shareholder.com/wbmd/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=552196&CompanyID=WBMD

{4} “The Knot” company: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Knot_(company)

{5} http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/newsheadlines.aspx?symbol=XOXO&selected=XOXO