By Nicole Weiss | Solution21 | Digital Marketing Consultant |
Medical business professionals who own their own business are quickly realizing that the internet is a great source for obtaining new patients. However, medical website design is often not a strong point for most medical practices. If you are interested in putting together your own medical practice website and are looking for direction in terms of the most important aspects, consider the below suggestions:
-
Content creation.
Today’s digital marketing professionals continue to believe in content being the most essential aspect of online advertising for today’s potential patients. Content is used to build brand recognition, can provide viral content that advertises your business, and it is also used by search engines to help potential patients find your company’s website. Viral content is a great focus as it can cause an article or video to reach millions of potential patients in an extremely short timeframe.
-
Call to action.
Once you have developed quality content for your website, you want to ensure you have a noticeable call to action on your site. This is the motivation your prospective patient needs to make a phone call or send an email to schedule an appointment with your team. The call to action might include a special discount or service offering for patients who schedule a consultation appointment with your team.
-
Layout.
The layout of your medical website needs to be clear, concise, and aesthetic. Consider the colors, templates, and backgrounds you are using for your site. Make sure it is appealing and in an appropriate order so online users do not get frustrated trying to navigate your website to find crucial information about your practice.
-
Mobile-friendly.
Many internet users are accessing online sites using their mobile devices. Make sure your website has a mobile-friendly web design to ensure potential clients don’t find your website too challenging to browse. Many practices use responsive web design techniques to ensure their online presence works cleanly across all platforms.
-
E-newsletters.
Instead of waiting for potential customers to find you, make the first contact with the use of e-newsletters. These are emails that are sent directly to email with information about your brand or news stories about new products, services, or devices available in your practice for patients to consider.
-
Blogging.
Blogs are still a great way to connect with patients, new and existing. Blogs build relevant content that allows medical professionals to connect and interact with individuals who may be interested in services or treatments. A regular question and answer blog can even build a bridge between patient and professional, opening the door to communication.
-
Share buttons.
When designing your website, make sure you include “share buttons” which allow individuals to share your content on popular social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
-
Market research.
If you are not tailoring your content to your audience, your marketing strategies will fail tremendously. Target market research is a critical step in learning how your brand will appeal to those who may be interested in investing in your products or services.
-
Hire a team.
Professionals who work with web design and online marketing strategies on a day-to-day basis may be a wonderful resource for building your medical practice website. Consider an online marketing firm that has positive reviews from clients, is affordable and has ten years or more of industry experience. You also want to consider a digital firm that offers a wide range of services such as healthcare, medical, and dental social media marketing, link building content marketing, responsive web design services, keyword analysis, and online reputation management. Companies such as Solution21 fit the bill!
-
Research.
It is important to do your research before hiring a team of professional web design experts. This allows you to make prudent and knowledgeable decisions in regards to who will be managing your medical web design and search engine optimization strategies.
Ready to grow your medical business? Need help building a great website that will convert into new patients and clients? If so, consider this advice or start researching online marketing firms that can handle these elements of advertising for you so you can focus on what you know and love—your practice and your patients!