Websites are one of the most popular and functional features of businesses. They help people book appointments easily, understand what your practice is like, get to know your staff before their visit, and even get directions to the office.
A good website has a powerful effect on a business' success. Every month, thousands of people search for specific business or practices in any metro area. If your website is clean in its appearance and efficient in its ability to draw in customers and patients, you will have an edge on the competition.
So, what does a clean website look like? What links, paragraphs, pictures, etc., do you want to be shown, and on what page?
First, it's important to understand that websites are a lot like clothing; they go in and out of style, and the standards of what makes a good website have ebbs and flows.
Structure
Website structure is crucial. If a site is not laid out properly, or if too many clicks are needed to access important information and links, it will be less effective. Site outlines vary from business to business, and these suggestions are a great way to establish a good outline to build off of.
Header
Your header should include a logo, list of services, information pages including a blog and staff info, contact information, and a button to book an appointment.
Main Body
It's important to have your business' main information for easy viewing. Your name, logo, brief description; basically everything someone would need to know to understand what you are all about.
Content
Keep it simple; save backstories and 2+ sentence descriptions for staff bios and/or procedure descriptions (the less time it takes for a website visitor to understand what you're saying, the better. Website efficiency = appointment booking efficiency).
Use pictures wherever possible. A picture speaks a thousand words, and it helps build trust with site visitors by establishing transparency. For procedures or techniques, graphics and diagrams are the most efficient way to help potential patients or customers understand what you do.
List any organizations you are a part of, charities you donate to, or awards and accomplishments your business or certain employees have earned.
Footer
List contact information, address, legal links, social media links, links to reviews, or other information that you wouldn't want to be on the header. In other words, if it doesn't lead patients to book an appointment, it's probably best put on the footer.
What are the most important buttons to have on your site?
Buttons make your site work. They drive business by getting products sold and appointments booked.
Without buttons, your site is just information, like a billboard. When you want to make points of sale and schedule services, you need a built in process, which is where buttons come into play.
The buttons that are most needed are:
Contact
Best placement for the contact button is the heading, and either a small section on the home page or on the footer. If found on a homepage section, it's commonly placed next to a Google reviews display to encourage contact (displaying reviews builds trust, and placing it next to a contact form increases the odds of contact).
Book now
Having a button that starts a booking or purchase process is crucial. For a medical office such as a chiropractor or dentist, it is best to find this button on both the header and the home page. It also helps to place it near a reviews display, on a services outline page, or on a staff biography page.
Other buttons, such as links to different pages on the website can be helpful, such as a staff info page, procedures and services offered, a blog, etc. These are best found on the header, ideally in a drop-down to keep the site clean. The less buttons on the home page, the better; the less navigation needed, the more efficient the site.
Design
Simplicity is key. You can never go wrong with a white background, bold logos, with 1-2 main colors that contrast well with each other.
Use unique fonts that are simple and don't draw attention, like in the title of this article!
The more pictures the better! They add validity, build trust, and help people to understand what they are buying or where they are going to, who they will be interacting with, etc. Try to make pictures on your site unique pictures from your business, not stock images; people can tell the difference, and unique images specifically from your business build trust and promote interest for potential clients and customers. If you had a shoe store, would you want your website to have pictures of the specific shoes you sell, or clipart shoes that aren't the ones you sell?
Make it happen
The best way to start with getting an efficient website is to have a professional do it. Standards, like clothing styles, change constantly and it's best to have a professional do the work. Making a sight look good is only one step out of many in leveraging the internet to help your business boom, and many times growing businesses don't have the time to make it perfect, and maintenance on top of that can easily get out of hand.
In the end, investing in the resources to make it happen are one of the best moves you can make. Nothing looks better than a clean and efficient website, and nothing draws the public in like the visible credibility it provides.