“If you build it, they will come.” This may have been true in Field of Dreams, but when you are talking about websites, you need more. It is not enough to build a website. In order for your medical website to be successful, you need to build it the right way and that is when the web traffic will come.
To develop a successful website for your medical practice, the following will be integral building blocks:
- Professional design. Your website is a big part of reinforcing your brand. Make sure it is professional! This means that your website is clean-looking, organized, and updated. If your page is out of alignment or the design looks like something from the 80s, website visitors are not going to take you seriously.
- Search engine optimization. You can have the best looking website ever, but if it is not ranking well in search results, very few people will actually ever see it. Ensure that your professional-looking website is found by employing search engine optimization techniques such as keeping your website full of fresh and unique content that is optimized with keywords that prospective patients are searching for in Google.
- Intuitive navigation. Make things easy to find on your website. New users should be able to access everything they need without rummaging through different links, forms, and content. Clearly display important parts of your website such as the Contact Us and attorney profile pages. You want your website to be easy to use so people with a wide range of technological capabilities can easily access everything. Help users move around the site and allow patients to find what they are looking for with ease. Nothing will make website visitors flee from your site quicker than frustration at not being able to find what they need.
- Well-written content. This is especially true for the homepage as it is usually the first thing people will see when they access your website. Ensure grammatically correct, thoughtful, and original content that will engage the user right away.
- Professional profiles with personality. Yes, it is definitely important to list your professional credentials on your attorney profile page. Prospective patients want to learn about your credentials, such as your education, experience and achievements. They also want to know, however, what kind of a person you are. What are you like, personally? Share your hobbies and what you are passionate about. Selecting a medical provider is an important decision and people want a doctor or other healthcare professional that they can relate to on a personal level. This kind of background information will help patients feel comfortable with you when they go to visit. Give them an engaging professional profile and set yourself apart from your competitors.
- User-friendly Contact Us Page. This is one of the most frequently visited sections of professional websites. Keep it clear and concise with information that only makes it easier for the user to connect with your medical practice. Stick to including things like: your address, phone number, fax number, email address. Include an online contact option and an interactive map displaying your office location(s). It is also beneficial to list your office hours on this page and types of payments you accept. If you make hospital or home visits, highlight this as well. Include a “Contact Us” form on every page to make it as easy as possible for website visitors to connect with you.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of your medical practice’s website, consult a marketing professional such as Zola Interactive.