Monetization & Sponsorship

The Sponsorship page access on the OATA site is located at the bottom of the main page, on the Public Resources page, and through the Site Map. The sponsors are easy to locate on the website. OATA scored an overall 3. 45 for the monetization and sponsorship aspects. One of the main points is that there are 16 sponsors but only three of those allowed posting a link to their website. The top sponsor also has a long paragraph detailing the company while the other two Gold sponsors have shorter paragraphs.

The logos themselves display on the Sponsors page but are not clickable through to the site. The rest of the sponsors simply have their name and logo placed on the page under their amount for sponsorship. Another aspect of the logos relates to varying sizes, taking away from continuity across the site. According to Robin Landa, the unity throughout a site is critical since it establishes the company’s correspondence to the viewer (Landa, 2006). The other forms of monetization include joining the OATA. The way to join OATA through the website is not clear in the navigation.

There is a link to “become a member of the OATA” that only leads to a page of information about the job as an athletic trainer. There is a link called “My Account” where users can sign in to their existing account and new users can register. There is no information about the membership listed on this page and no links to it, which is necessary for answering questions that potential members may have about OATA. There is then another “Membership” link that details information about current members but neglects information for new membership.

The “Membership” page offers a clickable link in text that says “Login Here” This is the apparently only link to get to another webpage that offers information about classes, joining the OATA, and other resources in the navigation on the left. The opportunity for increased monetization exists on the OATA site through clear navigation to the “Join OATA” link and page for those wanting to be members. The classes OATA offers should be more prominent as well, displaying this option for visitors to the site.

According to Robin Williams and John Tollett, the purpose of the website should be clear about what the organization offers (Williams & Tollett, 2007). The OATA website still lacks in certain areas in accomplishing the clarity of what the organization provides. The OATA store brings up a separate webpage, with the link represented under “Athletic Trainer’s Resources. ” The items are easy to order and find out information about backorders and returns. The contact page lists the address, phone and fax numbers, and an email contact.