If You Build It Well, They Will Come: Create a Website That Wows

We have websites on our mind lately and are asking our peers what makes them stand out, what makes visitors cringe, and what makes us ask, “What are they thinking?!” 

It’s not enough these days to have an attractive website. While it helps lure prospective patients to poke around and see what you’re about, it won’t always convert them to patients in seats. 

Not just a pretty interface

Successful websites employ unique marketing strategies to get patients through the doors. They consist of a thoughtful mixture of education, features that make the practice unique, attractive content and visuals, and a clear call to action. Optimizing these elements is key to operating the perfect online “business card.” 

But where do you start? 

We've provided a glimpse into a few things we’ve seen, and fixed: 

1. Make it clear how you can help and why patients seek you out

Site visitors want to know how you can help them get their smile back, not be in pain, and how other patients feel about you. Your website needs to address their problems, their fears, and their pain up front. And then you need to make it clear you can help. That aside, your credentials, awards, comfortable/accommodating facility should be showcased as it's a part of your practice culture. Patients who are doing their research will see why you have 5-star Google reviews and come highly recommended.   

2. The people on your site aren’t your people

Stock images come in handy sometimes, but solely relying on them for your site is cheating prospects out of getting a good feel for your culture. Hiring a professional to capture your office environment in images and video will help you better connect with patients and look “human.” Genuine conversations and images on your site go a long way in attracting prospects.  

3. Something’s missing…but we can’t quite put our fingers on it…

They’re simple. They’re basic. Yet we see them missing from countless dental websites: operating hours and contact information. If a prospect doesn’t know how to get in touch to make an appointment and has no idea if your hours can accommodate them, it’s game over. This is a simple fix, and a must if it’s currently missing from your site.

4. Make making an appointment easy

Everyone's in a hurry these days, so including an option to schedule an appointment right on the site shows prospects you're easy to work. A follow-up call to confirm the appointment and tout your unique services solidifies your practice's commitment to providing the best care in town.

5. Your website should work

This seems obvious, but you've probably visited sites with broken links, confusing navigation, or pages that loaded at a glacial pace (if they load at all.) Our guess is that you quickly exited the site and didn't bother purchasing from the business or returning to see if it had improved. A broken website is the fastest way to lose prospects and is costing you money.    

Websites are often the first impression people get of you, and it’s imperative you make a great one. Done well they can help you attract better patients, better cases, and more wealth. The alternative will cost you. Schedule a Practice Growth Call with us, and find out if your website is attracting or repelling new patients, and how a few updates can make all the difference.