Aussie website battles it out with the big guys
Though recognised for years by the United Nations (UN) accredited Health on the Net Foundation (HON) for its portrayal of relevant and ethical health information – has just received its FIRST Australian Award nomination. The innovative online healthcare company and it’s popular website Bad Backs, was recently selected as a Top 5 Finalist in the NetGuide Australian Web Awards.
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BadBacks.com.au – though recognised for years by the United Nations (UN) accredited Health on the Net Foundation (HON) for its portrayal of relevant and ethical health information – has just received its FIRST Australian Award nomination. The innovative online healthcare company and it’s popular website Bad Backs, was recently selected as a Top 5 Finalist in the NetGuide Australian Web Awards.
Nomination aside, they’ve now got an uphill fight on their hands to win this coveted award – as among those selected in their category of “Best Health & Fitness Website” are the cashed up MyDr.com.au (published by global health care publisher Medimedia) as well as the BetterHealth Channel, which is fully funded by the Victorian Government.
Bad Backs is funded by the proceeds of its online store alone. They stock over 500 unique products to help relieve back pain, including ergonomic furniture for work and home office, braces and supports, and various health and fitness apparatus. Many of these products are exclusively imported for Bad Backs – making their range the largest of its kind available in Australia. A proportion of the proceeds fund their free Discussion Forum “Back Talk”, as well as Bad Backs’s vast Medical Information section, which includes articles and the latest medical breakthrough reports which are updated regularly.
Almost everyone knows someone with a bad back. The 800,000 people that clicked on Bad Backs in 2006 (nearly four and a half million unique visitors since it’s inception in 2000) are a testament to BadBacks.com.au’s unwavering dedication to quality content and great customer service.
Bad Backs founder Felicity Wood, is understandably excited about the company’s inclusion as a Top 5 Finalist, but believes a win is unlikely. “To be up against the big boys, we just can’t compete with that type of financial backing and we have to earn every dollar that goes into the community aspects of our business, such as our free Discussion Forum – these extra services take hundreds of man hours to maintain and monitor”.
Although the majority of Bad Backs’s website visitors are Australian, the global appeal of the site is also remarkably evident, with online orders from the online store being dispatched as far afield as Iceland and Alaska on a regular basis. Discussion Forum posts can also cover multiple continents, from Vancouver, to Melbourne to Paris and back again in one night.
Bad Backs global standing is further enhanced as one of the few Australian health focused websites that is an accredited Health on the Net Foundation (HON) member. HON is a Non Government Organisation accredited by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and is a regular participant in World Health Organisation consultations.
Wood adds, “As an 100% Australian owned and run website, we are often asked if we have counterparts in other countries, as overseas visitors often cannot find the local support they need. In response to this growing demand, a new website launch into the USA is imminent.” The Bad Backs team is also thrilled about the fact that the NetGuide Australia Awards are a purely public vote. Wood enthuses, “We’re taking that as the sign that we’re on the right path – and as a result of the Awards and this nomination process – the more people that know about us and remember the name Bad Backs – the more people we can help with their back pain, it’s as simple as that.”
“One day we may never have any visits to our website, and that would actually be a good thing as it would mean there are no people out there with back pain”. And we can all agree that would be a good thing.
Get voting! The public can vote online now for their favourite website at: http://www.netguide.com.au/v2/webawards
Voting Closes THIS FRIDAY, Feb 16th 2007 The finalist with the highest number of reader votes will receive the People’s Choice Award.
The winners of each category will be announced in NetGuide Australia’s April 2007 issue.
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For further information please contact:
Rebecca Camilleri
PR Consultant to Bad Backs
Contact via email
Mobile: 0407 832 093
