Website design for doctors checklist
‘The 10 things you should look for and why…’
Item 1. Know what you want to achieve from your website?
Your website must support your practice’s business strategy. What are your practice’s key strengths, revenue streams and what type of patients do you attract and care for?
A good website design team should help you map out your practice and match your website goals to ensure your practice and patients needs are understood and reflected in your website.
Item 2. Website functionality
What functionality will your website need to help you deliver your practices strategy and help your patients interact with you and take action. Get some ideas from other websites and map out a wish list. Be realistic on what will best deliver for your practice and your patients.
Item 3. Website design
The look and feel of your website reflects your practices brand and image. Great web design is vital to ensure your patients can easily navigate your site to find the information they require and take action – Call or book an appointment online.
Ensure the website team you use has at least 10 years of website building and best practice experience to ensure you have a modern website solution that suits your business and patients needs with the flexibility to add on features if or when you need.
Item 4. Your website must be built for viewing on mobile devices
This is not a feature that should be considered. It’s a business must. We are so adament about this, we will only build websites and features that are mobile friendly.
Why – 85% of Australians access the internet via a mobile device (phone or tablet) – Australian Government Department of Communications 2013
This trend will only continue to grow. Don’t risk losing patients because your website cant be viewed on a mobile phone or tablet.
Item 5. Your website should be Search Engine Optimised (SEO)
(What does this SEO mean?)
Search Engine Optimisation is ensuring patients can find your clinic quickly and easily on major search engines including Google, Bing and Yahoo and other key industry medical related search directories such as Healthengine, Docfinder, Trulocal, Healthshare, Doctoralia, Yelp, Aussie Web and Medical Practitioners.
Why – 85% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses – Search Engine Land 2013.
Search engine optimisation is a speciality area that is essential to customers being able to find you. Don’t mess around with it. Ensure your website team has 5 or more years SEO experience.
Item 6. Google Maps
This is a must for all medical practices. We include an integrated Google Map for your practice location.
Item 7. High quality content
Highly relevant content on your website in relation to your patients needs is a must. It is a great way to build trust and an great opportunity to show your expertese. It does not have to be a thesis. About 900 words per page is ideal.
Item 8. Images and video
If you want to connect with patients you have to get real. By this I mean not using stock images but real images of your team members smiling faces, helping patients and working hard. Patients share their most intimate details with you the least you can do is give them something real in return.
Item 9. Readability
79% of website users scan web pages – Nielson Research 2013.
This is where I see most medical websites fail. How your content is laid out on a page is very important. Where appropriate, use short sentences, paragraphs bullet points. This will keep your content user friendly to the eye.
Item 10. The patient website journey
Most medical websites are poor when it comes to meeting patients needs.
Statistics – 10% of patients are new to your practice every year. This stands to reason given 10% of people move home every year.
For most practices this 10% of new patients are where the profit margin lies.
On your website patients (particularly new ones) should be able to walk through a simple journey on your website to come to a single outcome – It may be to book an appointment or sign up for a newsletter.
Too many times I see 10 or 20 links on a page that ultimately leads to confusion. Try and stick to one page, one purpose, one outcome. Your website will prove far more successful tool for your practice.
Item 11. Website design – Drive practice excellence and improve patient care
Did you know up to 25% of office staff time is spent on the phone booking appointments. If you can implement online appointment bookings it could take some of this load.
Common practice managers response – Our practice is based on personalised service. I would never have online appointments.
Service today is about what the patient wants.
50% of people prefer an online service option – Australian Marketing Statistics 2014
Some patients will prefer to self-service and want the option. This statistic is set to grow by 12% in the next 3 years.
Many factors go into making a successful medical website solution including:
Domain name
Hosting