Patients consider a number of factors, both practical and emotional, when choosing a healthcare provider. However, when they find someone they feel they can trust, all other factors suddenly become much less important.

When it comes to establishing online trust for your healthcare practice, yes your site needs to have engaging content and yes compelling calls-to-action and page speed are important. But If people who visit your site have any doubts about how trustworthy you are, they’ll leave and never come back.

Here are some suggestions on ways to increase patient trust through your medical website design:

Deliver the information they’re searching For

When considering treatments, costs, and medications, patients trust information that comes from their healthcare providers. However, before they even make an appointment, they’ll typically consult online sources. In fact, according to the latest polls, more than 150 million Americans search for health information online. Using your website to provide specialty-specific patient education enables you to become their trusted online source.

Be authentic

Generic stock photos are everywhere. While there’s nothing wrong with using them in the right places, it’s good to use photos of you and your team in real situations. Patients want to know that their healthcare providers are real people, not faceless entities. They’re much more likely to trust what you have to say if you’re willing to show your face. And in addition to building trust, it will help build recognition for you personally.

Also, make sure you have a strong “About Us” page.  After the homepage, it’s typically one of the most popular pages on a website, and often one of the most neglected. Your “About Us” page should feature important and long-standing members of your team and include details regarding their skills and expertise, in addition to their photos. This can go a long way toward building rapport and trust with new patients, as they’ll feel like they really “know” who they’re entrusting with their health.

In addition, make sure that when developing your medical website, you create a personalized message from yourself. Yes, your schooling, credentials, and associations are all very important to display on your site. But if a prospective patient sees a quote or message from the provider – welcoming them to their practice or providing a few words on why they do what they do, this goes a long way to making a doctor seem human to a patient and will ensure your office is a place they want to go for their healthcare needs.

Testimonials

You can write whatever you want about your practice on your website, but nothing carries as much weight as what people say about you. If people can identify with one of the patients from the testimonial section of your website, they’ll realize that your services can help them as well. The good news is that patients are usually happy to tell people what they think about your staff and your practice. You can use letters you’ve received, posts to your social media pages, or even responses to a patient survey. This is one of the best way to build trust in you and your services. (Don’t believe us? Check out the iHealthSpot testimonial page!)

If you are interested in learning more about ways you can increase patient trust with your medical website design, contact us today, toll-free at (877) 709-0999 for a FREE consultation with our experts!