ReferWeb is a sophisticated public access Internet search engine that locates and displays Human Service Provider information from your organization's Information & Referral Resource database. 

ReferWeb offers these feature:

• Each website is custom designed for the customer's needs, including branding, links, and functionality.

• Provides extremely accurate search results.

• Fully hosted at the RTM Designs Data Center   

ReferWeb offers several user-friendly search methods to accurately locate service providers:

• Category/ Subcategory (#1 choice by users of I&R search engines)
• Taxonomy or Keyword
• Agency and Site name
• AKA name
• Program Name
• Area Located
• Area Served
• Conditions and Filters

The ReferWeb interface is completely customizable and is generally designed to integrate seamlessly with your current Website's graphics.  The customer decides which font styles, graphics, page layout, and search options are right for their needs. ReferWeb tracks and reports user statistics such as web hits, Zip Codes, city, age, gender, services, searched and which service providers users are viewing.

ReferWeb is simply the most advanced, affordable customizable Internet Search Engine for Human Service Resource Databases.

Why is ReferWeb a better search engine than the other website option?

In one word - ACCURACY!   There are two methods utilized by I&R web search engines to display resource information to the user: the Direct method and the Shotgun method.   

The Direct method utilizes sophisticated search logic to return accurate lists of service providers.  When the user enters their ZIP or city, the displayed service provider will serve the entered area.   If the user enters their age and gender, the service provider will serve their age and gender.  Any additional information entered by the user will also filter out service providers not meeting the search criteria.   The displayed list of service providers will be accurate.  To help the user further, the list of service provider are also be listed by proximity to the user.   Why display thirty service providers when only eleven are viable for the user?

The Shotgun method displays all service providers that offer the service selected by the user, whether or not the service provider actually serves the user's ZIP code or city.   Most web search engines using the Shotgun method also use text searches to find service providers.  Example: Food is entered as the search criteria therefore all service providers that have the word "Food" in any text are displayed, including the providers with the phrase "offer no food services". 

In short, the Shotgun approach consistently displays "False Positives", which means a significant number of the displayed service providers are not viable for the user.  This approach is comparable to walking into a library and the librarian says, "The book you are looking for is in there somewhere".

The majority of service provider web search engines use the Shotgun method. RTM Designs only uses the Direct method.

How much does it cost?

ReferWeb can be purchased to run on your organization's Web Server (or ISP) or can be leased on an annual basis and hosted by RTM Designs.

Standard Package

Hosted by RTM Designs
     Annual Fee................................................................ $3,500.00

Purchase*
     One Time Fee........................................................... $15,000.00

Optional features: 

Agency Update Module

Hosted by RTM Designs
     Annual Fee................................................................ $3,000.00
Purchase*
     One Time Fee............................................................ 18,000.00

Statistical Tracking and Reports

Hosted by RTM Designs
     Annual Fee................................................................ $1,800.00
Purchase*
     One Time Fee............................................................ $7,500.00

Hosted by RTM Designs
     Annual Fee................................................................ $1,200.00
Purchase*
     One Time Fee............................................................ $5,000.00

*Support is available for all purchased systems at the rate of 1% per month of the total purchase price, billed annually.

ReferWeb FAQs