As I walked into Radio Shack this past weekend, I was amused. I wondered what percent of their sales was actually from radios. Taking a quick look around, I realized that very little of their current product has anything to do with radios. Times change and technology does not stand still.
So it is with print journals. Many print journals now have online services. The trend is apparent to anyone in the business. Younger subscribers (under 35) have grown up with the Internet, and they want and expect online access. Even in the over 50, age group, there are those who now spend a lot of time online, but may still want their own personal printed copy. They may or may not use online access for their research and reading. Those people between the ages of 35 and 50 may want online access only or print only or, they may desire both. How does a traditional print journal find a way to please everyone? Obviously, diversifying the format could lead to expansion into different markets.
Today, we are engaged in providing current TMD practice information in a standard print publication, as we have for 25 years. By the end of 2008, we hope to provide online access and updated services. The cost to make these services available will be significant. We have begun discussion with five website development companies from five different states. Their proposals are varied. The right company will be the one that can provide a website where secure sales take place and will provide an easier to use shopping cart for the customer's convenience. We hope to also have an updated look to our website and easier maneuverability with a searchable database and links to other websites of interest, including CRANIO's advertisers. We hope to have ten years of CRANIO articles available for download to CRANIO subscribers. What in the past might have taken days, could now conceivably be done in a few minutes at your computer. We want to provide access to CRANIO 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world.
We anticipate that this venture will open opportunities, especially to our foreign subscribers and customers. We have realized for some time now that it is more difficult for foreign markets to access CRANIO. In some countries, the mail delivery system is more cumbersome and therefore, getting a copy of the journal in a timely manner can be frustrating. We would like to make that whole process easier and more accessible to many more professionals around the world. We truly believe that CRANIO provides a service to the TMD/orofacial pain community, and we are dedicated to serving a broader subscriber base.
Nothing worthwhile happens without risk, hard work, dedication, and careful planning. The CRANIO Journal staff is committed to establishing an electronic presence for the journal before the end of 2008.
Unlike Radio Shack's name, which indicates radios for sale and their notable lack of radios, we plan to keep current craniomandibular knowledge as our continued main product. Our goal is to make the journal more accessible and improve its availability both within the US and internationally. Stay tuned.
Riley H. Lunn, D.D.S., Editor
Chattanooga, Tennessee
© 2009-2012: The Journal of Craniomandibular Practice. Site by Medium