Your healthcare website is the first impression many patients will get of your practice. If they like what they see, they’ll likely request an appointment. If it fails to deliver, they’ll move on to the next.
There are plenty of options for launching a healthcare website. You could build your own using a platform like Squarespace or WordPress, or you could work with a web developer you know. If you want a site that will help you achieve your practice growth goals, however, it needs to be created by a professional healthcare web developer. Here’s a look at why your healthcare website must be made by an expert with industry-specific knowledge.
5 reasons to choose a healthcare web developer
1. Build a responsive site
Most U.S. adults (81 percent) have a smartphone, according to the Pew Research Center. Given this number, it’s not surprising that an estimated 141.9 billion local searches will be performed in the U.S. on mobile devices in 2019, according to Statista. Statista also estimates 62.3 billion searches to be performed on desktop computers. This makes the importance of a responsive healthcare web design clear.
A responsive website adjusts to fit the screen size of the device it’s viewed on — i.e. smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer. This ensures each person who visits your site has a great user experience.
Check out: 7 signs it’s time to upgrade your healthcare website
2. Get a beautiful site designed to be found in search
Right now, there are more than 1.7 billion websites on the internet, according to InternetLiveStats. If you want patients to find and enjoy your site, it needs to be optimized and designed by someone who knows what they’re doing.
A seasoned healthcare web developer has plenty of tried-and-true search engine optimization strategies to boost your standing in search results. This might involve including structured data to share your brand, location, services, and star rating with search engines.
They’ll also likely increase traffic by updating your website with new tags, descriptions, content, and links. Additionally, page speeds will be optimized for fast-loading on any device.
Also see: The 10 most common doctor website mistakes — and how to fix them
3. Ensure the right keywords are included
Your patients don’t want to visit a generic healthcare website. In fact, half of people will leave a website if the content is irrelevant, according to Clutch.
This is a non-issue when you work with a healthcare web developer because they’ll create content that’s specific to your specialty and local area. Keywords relevant to your patient base will be weaved into the content in a natural-sounding manner to boost traffic and attract the right audience.
Learn: How to choose healthcare SEO keywords for a doctor website
4. Provide easy navigation
Nearly all people (94 percent) cite navigation as the most important website feature, according to Clutch. This makes sense because patients won’t get value from your website if they can’t find anything.
An experienced healthcare web developer knows what patients look for. You can trust them to organize your website in a straightforward manner.
5. Create a site that patients want
People don’t expect the same website features from businesses in every industry, so it’s important to work with someone who knows what patients want.
For example, nearly one-third of people (31 percent) would be more likely to choose a service provider if online scheduling was offered, according to GetApp. Notably, patients would prefer to schedule a doctor appointment online more than any other type of service.
Beyond online scheduling, a healthcare web developer will make sure your site is filled with other features coveted by patients. This might include provider staff bios, pictures and videos of your office, and patient testimonials.
Your healthcare web design is a huge reflection of your practice. Since many patients will visit your website before scheduling an appointment, it needs to make a great impression.
It’s true that anyone can design a website these days, but that doesn’t make it a quality product. Your practice deserves a site that truly reflects the outstanding patient care you provide.
To learn more about building a successful site, check out the blog post “5 pages your medical website needs.”
