As more healthcare patients migrate online, the mere existence of your practice’s website may not be enough. Your website should look well-made; it needs to present details in a straightforward, open manner. It needs to build a good first impression and make your customers feel like they’ve found the healthcare practice for them.
Much like the houseplant on your windowsill, your website needs regular care. Launching a new website is always exciting, but it will need refreshing as the time goes on. Getting a fresh new look and ensuring you are using up-to-date technologies will ensure your website is ready to attract new patients.
Here are a few ways to ensure that your website stays a vital part of your digital marketing strategy.
Update your site content
When was the last time you took a close look at the content on your site? Does it still represent the mission, experience, and target market of your business? You may have guided the company in a different direction this year. If so, you’ll want to make sure that your message is an accurate representation of who you are as a company and what you’re trying to do.
In addition to general messaging, double-check that your contact and business information is still correct; a lot can change in a year. You may have seen a few workers come and go, transferred offices, or changed your phone number. Is your copyright revised to the year 2020? It is essential to let your visitors know that your website is up-to-date and still relevant, as this lets them know you are still operating.
Finally, make sure to add some fresh content to your website. Add some new pictures of your company and staff, and get some new testimonials from some of your most recent customers. Update some of your older blogs to provide the latest news in your field.
Get an SSL certificate
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is an encrypted connection between a web server and a browser. In plain English, this is a method of simultaneously defending your website from threats, as well as protecting visitors to your site from external attempts to obtain their personal information.
There are several reasons why we believe an SSL certificate is essential for all small healthcare practices:
- It displays professionalism. Certification Authorities are responsible for issuing SSL Certificates to profitable businesses. They have strict authentication procedures to ensure that the business owns or has the legal right to use the domain name shown. As such, the padlock icon is seen as a symbol of trust in the website.
- It keeps the details of your customers secure. SSL encrypts the data as it is sent as well as received. This ensures that the details that prospective customers will give you when filling out a contact form will be safe from prying eyes.
- It helps with your SEO. Google has confirmed that HTTPS is a ranking factor and is likely to add more weight to this ranking signal as time progresses.
Ensure that your site is mobile-friendly
It’s no secret that internet users are no longer browsing as much from desktops or laptops. That era ended in 2016 when mobile use began to outstrip desktop use for the first time. Mobile use has only grown since.
Mobile websites provide customers with a better user experience. Consumers today demand this degree of accessibility and will penalize websites that only have a desktop version.
Google is also a fan of mobile-friendly design. In 2018, Google revealed that it will begin rating search results based on the mobile rather than desktop pages. This decision was motivated by the fact that most users are browsing on mobile devices, which is why Google wants to ensure that the results they first present are of good quality and genuinely meet most searchers’ needs.
Refresh your web design
It takes seconds for a website user to form an opinion about your company, and that’s simply based on their first glance at your website’s design. This is why it pays to refresh your website design every few years. Your website doesn’t have to be cutting edge or avant-garde, but a modern design and navigation will add a professional sheen to your whole operation!
Are you ready to give your website a facelift? Contact us today for a consultation.