Updated from the original article posted June 15, 2020. 

The latest data shows that the number of active internet users in the US has finally surpassed 300 million, and 61% of patients surveyed use the internet to find a healthcare provider. As the world of healthcare evolves, medical practices face new competitive threats. For this reason, having a robust online presence is more important than ever. For medical practice growth, an effective healthcare website design is essential to nurture trust with prospective patients. 

“A website is the anchor piece to all of your other marketing services, whether it’s digital or traditional marketing,” says Chelimar Miranda, our Director of Operations who oversees practice marketing. “The marketing services will get the user to your practice website, but the website will turn the user into a patient.”   

Is your healthcare website design compelling enough to sway visitors? Will it attract new patients – or have them jump to a competitor’s website instead? It is your digital “calling card,” after all. When assessing the appeal of your website, the first step is to evaluate the quality of your healthcare website design. 

Healthcare Website Design Analysis Tool: Everything You Need to Know About Your Online Presence 

There are several factors at play when it comes to the health of your website and online presence. We have consolidated all these variables into one tool. In just a few easy steps, you can get a complete diagnosis of what might be hindering your medical practice growth in the digital space. 

Curious about what our analysis would reveal about your website? Simply complete the form on our website analysis tool page (click here). Within minutes you will receive a snapshot of how well your website is functioning. 

This helpful online tool can automatically detect issues with the quality of your coding, content, and site security. Our comprehensive website analysis tool also measures:  

• How your medical practice is discovered for local search (Google My Business, Google Maps, and other local listings). 
• Social media presence 
• Online reputation (ratings and reviews among several sites). 
• Current traffic stats including how visitors are arriving at your website. 

The Core Characteristics of A Medical Website That Attracts New Patients 

In an ever-competitive market, the best medical websites for doctors should feature the following qualities: 

SEO for Doctors Execution 

Most online purchases start with a Google search. Likewise, websites for doctors need to be created with an eye toward enticing potential clients. SEO (search engine optimization) helps your site show up higher in organic Google search results allowing prospective patients to easily find you. 

Calibration for medical search engine optimization should be built into your healthcare website design. This involves the strategic use of relevant keywords, linking from other reputable sites, and publishing blogs regularly to stay fresh with relevance and authority in your field. At iHealthSpot Interactive, we offer a medical website SEO formula proven to get results. With the right SEO in place, we have seen medical practices climb in the search rankings to surpass the competition. 

Data Privacy  

A modern healthcare website should be secure, as this builds trust with patients and complies with regulations (such as HIPAA). SSL (or “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure”) is how a website shields itself from intrusion. 

The security of a website is in plain view. A little lock icon to the left of your web address confirms that the site is secure. A secure website begins with HTTPS as opposed to the original HTTP. Without it, Google may automatically display a warning message that says, “Your connection to this site is not secure.” Having an alert like this for your website pretty much guarantees that you will lose traffic. 

ADA Accessibility 

Another factor for medical website design quality is the level of usability it features, such as ADA-accessibility. ADA-accessible websites provide accommodation such as enlargement of the site’s font size, type, adjusting the spacing, and capability for the page contents to be read aloud. This also represents your medical practice as inclusive of those with challenges and indicates a commitment to a better patient experience. 

ADA accessibility is enabled on every healthcare website crafted by iHealthSpot Interactive. They feature a wheelchair icon on the bottom left that opens the accessibility tools menu in one click. This icon lets site visitors know that those with impairments will have equal access to the website’s features and information. 

Easy to Navigate  

Thankfully, website design has evolved throughout the decades. How websites used to be organized was far less intuitive than what we see today. User experience design (or UX) philosophy brought about a complete overhaul of how we build and use websites. The best healthcare website design ensures use is both seamless and painless. 

User-first design flows along with website visitor instincts rather than against them, by placing the most essential elements where they can be easily found and utilized.  

Responsive Design for a Mobile-First World 

More and more, technology accommodates internet users on the go. With the revolution of mobile technology, all websites must be responsive, meaning that the functionality is just as user-friendly on a smartphone or tablet as it would be on a computer. This means that the screen automatically adapts to the device.

  

Offers Value 

Question – is your website providing all the content needed to answer questions patients may have about you? Does it effectively communicate what your practice does, where you are located, and how to contact you?  

Your website should not only include everything a patient wants to know about the services you provide and those who are providing care, but it should also include regular fresh blog content. Keyword-rich content promotes online search visibility (i.e., SEO) as it nurtures relationships by helping patients make informed decisions. 

You and your competitors have this in common – you all have a website. The question is, does your website stand out from the crowd? Does it clearly communicate your practice mission and what you have to offer that others do not? Is your website designed to convert site visitors to patients rather than just be a digital brochure? A well-designed medical website is crucial to attracting your share of new patients. 

iHealthSpot Interactive Can Help You Win More Patients 

To help medical practices attract and retain patients is the top goal for healthcare website design specialists. Our methods (such as our MD Presence Marketing Platform) have a track record of solid results.  

On average, our clients see a 60% increase in appointment requests and 160% increase in organic search visibility. 

Be sure to claim your free website analysis to uncover any weaknesses with your website and online presence. Then book a free consultation, and we will pair the best solutions with your improvement opportunities. 

Let us help you attract and retain patients for years to come and transform your website from average to spectacular. Call (877) 709-0999 to connect with healthcare marketing experts who are ready to help you. 

Contact our Web Team Today