Plus What a Modern Medical Practice Website Should Include
In today’s digital world, having an online presence for your practice is an absolute must. It’s likely your practice is already on several social media platforms and has a website. But when was the last time you updated your practice’s website? It can be easy to let updates to your practice website slide, but it’s important to keep your website modern and updated!
Why You Need to Update Your Practice Website
It’s not just about simply having a website, but about having a website that offers value to your patients and prospective patients. This means a website that offers the ease of online appointment booking; a blog that offers helpful information; and news and information about your practice’s hours, updates on rates/insurance, and a bio for the employees at your clinic.
Simply put, a modernized and frequently updated website turns patients into loyal ones as you give them what they continually need. Plus, keeping your website up with the fast-paced changes of the online world is key if you want to continue to attract new patients who will expect you to adopt new technology and trends to your website.
But you can’t just think about it from the view of patients. Your website is also your 24/7 business card for potential referrers too. That means you have to offer thought leadership content on your website as well. This can easily be done with a “news” tab or on special blog posts where you go into information about a positive news story your practice was recently featured in, an in-depth article on research your practice is involved in, or your thoughts on the latest in your specialty’s news.
What Your Modern Practice Website Should Include
If you believe your website could use a facelift or overhaul, here are some suggestions of what to include:
Online Appointment Booking
Online Bill Pay Options and/or Patient Portal
Practice Hours (don’t forget to update for special holiday hours!)
Contact Page (or have it listed at the top of each web page)
Ratings/Testimonial Page
List of Services
List of Insurances Accepted
FAQ Page
Blog with Monthly Updates
Newsletter Signup Page
In the News Page (for news on the practice and thought leadership articles)
Links to Socials or Social Widget Embeds
About Page with Bio of Employees (patients and referrers love to see the faces behind the practice!)
Some back end things you should think about having on your website or being cognizant of include:
HIPAA Compliance (patient information should be handled securely and in accordance with regulations)
Encryption for Bill Paying
Mobile-Friendly Version of Your Site
Search Engine Optimization (to make your website show up higher in online searches)
Trust Indicators (that display credentials, certifications, awards, etc. to build trust and credibility)
Clear Call to Action (buttons that are clear and concise in the action you want users to take, such as “book now” for online appointment booking)
Final Thoughts
Your practice website is your online home base. It’s where patients should be able to come to book an appointment or to get helpful and credible health information. But it is also a place where potential patients can learn about your practice through reading testimonials and learning about your practice’s credentials. And lastly, it is your digital business card to potential referrers, where they can learn about what your practice has to uniquely offer and what makes your practice stand out from the crowd!
Take it a Step Further!
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