Many companies believe that when developing a website, it is necessary to include as much information as possible to stand out from their competitors. The key to a successful website, however, is to make the experience easy and intuitive for your customers to use. In this case – for your patients, less is more.
For the healthcare industry specifically, there are a few common website mistakes that can be the difference between gaining a new patient or losing him to a competitor. Take a closer look at these 5 common mistakes, and then evaluate your website to ensure your practice is set up for success.
- Too much information. Rather than trying to fit all of your important information on the homepage of your website, keep your homepage light on content and more focused on the mood it conveys when a website visitor lands on your site. Use bright images and large, descriptive text to capture and keep their attention.
- Options overload. Keep your homepage tabs and website pages to a minimum, as to not overwhelm your website visitors with too many options. Design your navigation to speak to your target audiences, and draw them directly to relevant information. Cluttering up your website with too many pages can distract from your main call-to-action.
- Barebones. Having concise information on your website is great for first-time visitors however, it is important that your existing patients also have a reason to visit your website. Offering a patient portal, bill-pay feature or newsletter sign-up form can add value to your website and to your practice.
- Inconsistencies. The homepage and subpage designs of your website should be consistent. The combination of fonts, colors and graphic elements should make sense throughout the site, and deliver a cohesive brand message and identity to your website visitors.
- No SEO. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing a website or a webpage to gain rankings on a search engine’s “natural” or un-paid search results. It is important for an online marketing specialist or web developer to optimize your site with keywords to remain visible to your existing and potential patients.
For healthcare marketing, website design and development and other full-service integrated marketing, please contact Sagefrog Marketing Group.
