Officials with American Hospital Publishing, which produces four trade books covering the healthcare industry, say they are satisfied -- so far -- with their experience on the Web.

They were warned when the Web site premiered in September that putting their magazines online would require a substantial investment, and it has, said David McCarty, VP-new media at the Chicago-based company.

Though he declined to discuss specific figures, he said page views have increased almost weekly, and advertising sales are about to begin.

The company was realistic in its budgeting, Mr. McCarty said, so the costs were not a shock.

"If you want to be in this game, you have to stay current, and that means investing the money and employees to get it done," he said.

Company officials, he said, have high hopes for ad sales, although the effort has placed additional burdens on the sales staff.

"When you have them selling print ads, then you tell them to sell for cyberspace, that's tough. The two are totally different," he said.