Medical Practice: Updating Your Website for the Digital World
Your website needs to stay up-to-date with the latest standards.
Like many well-established medical practices, you probably have a website. However, when is the last time you looked at it? If the answer is “It’s been a while,” then it is safe to say that you haven’t updated your website in a long time either. As search engines and user expectations change, your online presence has to adapt as well.
The digital world demands that quality websites hold priority over others. These are websites that meet today’s standards and engage users when they visit them. A website that looks like it was built in the early 2000’s is not going to accomplish this. Thankfully, we know a few changes that will give your website the edge it needs.
Without Responsive, Your Website Will Fail
If you have read any of our previous blog post, responsive is a word that comes up often. Mobile devices have changed the way we access and view the internet. In fact, more and more people are relying on just their phone to access websites. It is imperative that your website looks clean on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. Responsive makes sure that happens.
If a potential patient visits your website on their mobile device and the content is too small to view on their phone, then you have a problem. Nobody wants to pinch and zoom in on a website. It makes viewing the content difficult. According to Mickinsey & Company, Google reported that 61 percent of users will not return to a website if they have had difficulties accessing it. Even worse, 40 percent of users are will visit a competitor’s site instead.
Inform and Educate
A person who visits a medical practice’s website is looking for something. They want to know the answer to one crucial question, “Can you help me?” Your website’s content needs to address every possible question a patient might have about your specialty and how you can cure their illness. Be sure to create pages of detailed content that answer the following:
- What kind of doctor are you?
- What disease or conditions do you treat?
- If I am afflicted by said disease, what symptoms should I look for?
- What treatments do you provide?
- Are there any risks involved with these procedures?
While you can fill your website with pages and pages of content that touch on your field, this is not ideal. Your main pages should answer the most important questions, while blogs can be used to elaborate on certain topics or talk about updates in your field.
Update Your Look for Usability
Within the first few moments of navigating your website, user’s will decide if they want to explore more of it or leave it to look for something else. A lot of what determines their decision is the usability and look of your site. Is it easy to navigate? Does it look professional or cheap? Does this website run slow or have broken links? Remember, your website’s functionality will shape the user’s impression of your practice. Make certain that it works well on all platform and is expertly designed.
Do you want to jump head-first into the medical marketing world? Try reading our book, Medical Practice Marketing: New Patient Acquisition Methodologies. Get an in-depth analysis on what you can do to grow your practice.
