Your website is your first impression in the minds of many modern patients, but you may never get another opportunity to show them the excellence of your practice.
You only have a tiny window of time to convince them to stay — half of online users spend less than 15 seconds on a website. An old, outdated site can cause users to navigate away before they even get a chance to look at your services. Don’t risk losing potential patients. Instead, keep an eye out for these signs that it’s time for updated functionality and a new look.
- Your website isn’t responsive. According to Google, more searches take place on mobile devices than on computers in the United States. Mobile search is dominating the internet, and if your website isn’t properly optimized for mobile devices, you are losing out on a large portion of your target audience. A website that doesn’t render well on a mobile device will cause a bad user experience for visitors — they will quickly move on to your competition. If you haven’t already, upgrade your site to a mobile-responsive design to encourage site visitors to stick around.
- It takes forever to load. A slow-loading website can be annoying, especially to a generation accustomed to the instant gratification the internet provides. This will greatly increase your bounce rate and create a negative user experience. However, your site speed also could be affecting your website ranking on search engines. Among the many factors that define its ranking algorithm, Google also takes site speed into consideration. Granted, site speed is just one small aspect of Google’s algorithm, but it is something you can easily fix with an updated website.
- Your analytics are terrible. The numbers don’t lie; if your website data show that visitors are leaving your website without engaging, that’s a clear sign you need an update. Usually this means your outdated content or aesthetics aren’t meeting your users’ needs. A website that isn’t converting visitors into patients is not doing its job. Take a look at your website analytics and consider an upgrade to improve conversion rates.
- You can’t remember the last time you updated. There’s no shame in being a little neglectful of your website. As a practice owner, it can be challenging to find time to spend on your online marketing strategy. If it’s been a few years since you’ve touched your website, it’s long overdue for an update. Website design trends and search engine optimization techniques change often, which can leave your website far behind the competition. Your practice probably has changed as well. Whether you have new staff members, more services, or an additional location, you’ll no doubt have plenty to add if you want to keep your patients up to speed.
It’s important to remember that your website is an online representation of your practice. An updated, mobile-responsive website can go a long way towards improving your online reputation and reaching your marketing goals. If any of these points applies to your practice, an update could make a huge difference to your bottom line.
Thanks to Melody Gandy-Bohr of TMA endorsed vendor Officite for these tips. Officite can help you bring your digital marketing up to speed at TMA member rates. This is just one of the ways TMA helps support you and your practice. See more ways at www.texmed.org/thrive.
Ready to venture beyond your website into the world of social media? Read TMA’s publication, Get Social: Put Your Practice on the Social Media Map.
Published Sept. 13, 2016
Last Updated On
December 06, 2016
Originally Published On
September 13, 2016