Otolaryngologists, also known as Ear, Nose, and Throat doctors and audiologists, make a great team. In many practices, ENTs will have an audiologist on staff. Together, they can provide comprehensive care, accomplish more than they could independently, and enjoy increased earnings. One of the ways audiologists help grow ENT practices is through boosted hearing aid sales.

If you feel like hearing aid sales are in a slump and patients keep choosing the cheap route, you’re not alone. But a few simple tweaks to your approach could make a big difference. Helping patients understand your offer and its benefits can boost hearing aid sales and expand your practice in 2024.

Hear Your Patients Out

As you know, patients don’t visit the doctor to hear a sales pitch. That’s why one of the best strategies for selling more hearing aids is for your audiologist to do what they already do best. This includes: 

• Making strong connections with patients
• Listening to their hearing loss stories
• Asking questions about what they’d like to achieve
• Taking the time to listen to their needs 

The more your audiologist knows about a patient and their lifestyle, the more equipped they’ll be to make thoughtful recommendations on how to move forward. That can include a hearing aid that helps them get back to enjoying life on their terms and experiencing the activities they love. Listening to patients and showing compassion is essential, not to mention rare. In fact, it’s just the kind of thing that makes patients recommend their otolaryngologist or audiologist to friends and family. 

Nurture Patient Relationships

Disappointingly, many patients never receive any kind of follow-up after their audiology appointment. Cultivating strong connections with patients can be as simple as checking in with them to see if they have any questions or concerns. We live in a distracting age, and a follow-up can remind a patient that they want to come in for another appointment, send a friend your way, or purchase a hearing aid.

If a patient already purchased a hearing aid, your audiologist might check in to see how they like it and whether they need any guidance on getting the most out of the product. What seems like a small gesture can go a long way toward building loyalty and inspiring your patients to refer others. 

Expound On Hearing Aid Value

There are a lot of cheap hearing aids on the market today. While it’s human nature to hunt for a good deal, a high-quality product is essential when it comes to your hearing. A poorly made hearing aid will only cause your patient more distress and disappointment, not to mention it’s a waste of their hard-earned money. Over-the-Counter hearing aids have further complicated this, as more patients are buying low-cost hearing aids that may not work for them in order to save money.

Once your audiologist has a solid rapport going with the patient, they should take time to help them understand the value of the products you offer. Most of the time, the patient will agree that their quality of life is worth an investment. Unlike retailers, your audiologist can give them expert guidance on getting the most out of their device, and they’ll be there when patients have questions or need help. 

Explore Financing Options

Financing options can make a big difference. If the price of a high-quality hearing aid feels like a stretch, patients have hundreds of cheaper options that are just a click away. But if there’s a way to break that cost into more manageable payments over time, the average person will feel as though the higher-end device is an investment they can justify.

Expand Your Reach: Hearing Aid & Audiology Marketing

Partnering with an audiologist has numerous benefits. Not only can you bring in more patients as a team, you can enjoy increased revenue from hearing aid sales. The best audiologists develop outstanding long-term relationships with patients and keep them coming back year after year for all their ENT needs. 

Expanding your reach in 2024 means getting creative with marketing strategies and trying new things. The expert team at MedPB, an Onspire Health Marketing company, specializes in growing and supporting ENT and audiology practices so they can book more appointments, sell more hearing aids, and help more families.

With Onspire, you can take advantage of the following:

• A personalized plan based on your goals and data
• An online review builder that drives patients to your practice
• A patient-centric website that increases conversions and expands your reach
• Audiology SEO, social media marketing, and PPC (pay-per-click) advertising
• Professional email marketing automation to generate more sales

Use Hearing Aid Sales to Grow Your ENT Practice in 2024

If you’re ready to sell more hearing aids and get more people in the door in 2024, the audiology marketing experts at Onspire have your back. Call us today to find out how we can help you boost hearing aid sales and expand your reach in the coming year.

Congratulations to all of the eHealthcare Leadership Awards winners, including South Carolina Oncology Associates!

Practis: Your Partner for Award-Winning Medical Website Design

The Practis team is incredibly proud to have worked hand-in-hand with South Carolina Oncology Associates to bring their vision to life. We love a good challenge, so when SCOA approached us about revitalizing their neglected healthcare marketing strategies, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

“We engaged the Practis team to assist us in upgrading our online presence. We were nonexistent on social media, and our website was somewhat of an afterthought… We are now able to take referrals, communicate educational materials, connect patients to their portals, and quickly add information… Working with Practis has been easy and enjoyable. They have a great group that is fantastic with follow-up. This was very important for us as we, like most, stay very busy and sometimes need that nudge to keep the marketing ball rolling.” 

– Wade Bonner, SCOA COO

Medical Website Design That Does More Than Win Awards

Awards are great, but they’re not what our clients are after. When we teamed up with SCOA, they had very specific goals for their new-and-improved website. They had poor visibility, zero social media presence, no strategy for managing online reviews, and they needed a better way to communicate with patients online.

The Practis team got to work, developing a comprehensive strategy that included the following:

1. 1. Content & SEO: Identified initial targets and added service line content that was highly optimized for the locality.
   2. Google Business Profile: Prioritized local GBP (Google Business Profile) verification and optimization for each physician to dominate Google listings. 

• Reviews & Social Media Management: Established a social media presence on YouTube and Facebook. Enhanced the number of reviews on Google and Healthgrades. 

As a result, we’re proud to have achieved the following:

• 19,000 website sessions
• 1926% phone calls from location listing
• 375 quarterly website form submissions
• Enhanced patient communication through HIPAA-compliant online patient intake and appointment requests
• Effective digital marketing, review management, and social media campaigns that produced tangible results 

Upgrade Your Healthcare Website in 2024

There are a lot of design companies out there, but healthcare web design is unique:  It calls for a team that specializes in HIPAA compliance, patient-centric marketing, and practice growth strategies. And it doesn’t hurt if that team consistently creates award-winning medical websites!

Whether you need a website refresh, online review management, medical SEO, or help understanding which to focus on first, Practis can help. 

Call us today to get started!

1. How much experience do you have in designing medical websites? 

Healthcare industry websites are a little different than the average websites. They have special considerations a designer will need to know in order to make them ADA-compliant and effective at getting new patients. It’s a good idea to review the company’s portfolio and previous work with medical practices or healthcare organizations. A company with relevant experience will have a better understanding of your unique requirements and compliance considerations. At Practis, we have over 25 years of experience designing medical websites, which means we know the industry inside and out.

2. Can you provide examples of medical websites you have designed? 

Ask to see specific examples of medical websites the company has designed in the past. It’s even better if they’ve had experience creating websites for your specific healthcare specialty. This will allow you to evaluate their design style, functionality, and user experience. Take time to go over the examples they have sent. Are the sites visually appealing? Are they easy to navigate?  How do they look on mobile devices? Check out this gallery of medical websites we’ve created for many different specialties like Urology, OBGYN, Orthopedics, and medical groups.

3. Are you familiar with HIPAA compliance and patient privacy? 

Medical websites must adhere to strict privacy regulations, such as HIPAA in the United States. A good medical web design company will be well-versed in these compliance requirements and will set up necessary security measures to protect patient information. HIPAA violations can be very sneaky. It’s critically important to make sure your website and any other way you interact with patient data including chatbots, social media, public reviews, and forms are compliant. Here’s more information about the many different ways we deal with HIPAA data at Practis.

4. Do you offer responsive website design for mobile devices? 

Over half of all website visits come from a mobile phone.  Because of this, it is essential to have a website that is fully responsive and optimized for mobile devices, so users have a good experience with your site no matter how they access it. Having a mobile-friendly website is also important for improving your search engine rankings. You’ll need to make sure the web design company can create a responsive design that delivers an optimal user experience across different screen sizes and devices. Remember- responsive design is different than just mobile-friendliness. You’ll want to choose a medical web developer who knows how to design mobile-first websites.

5. Can you integrate HIPAA-compliant online appointment scheduling and patient portals? 

Online appointment scheduling and patient portals have become increasingly important for healthcare practices. Anything that makes it easier for patients to start the appointment process is going to help your business grow faster. Find out if the web design company you’re interested in has experience integrating these features into medical websites, allowing patients to conveniently schedule appointments and access their medical records securely.

6. Do you offer medical search engine optimization (SEO) services?

A great website is more than just a pretty page on the screen. It must be beautiful to use, but the content must also be optimized for search engines so patients can find your site in the first place. Search engines like Google also have higher standards for healthcare websites, so it’s important to work with a company that knows how to optimize for medical specialties. Ask if the web design company offers medical SEO services to optimize your website’s visibility in search engine results. A strong online presence will help attract potential patients and boost your website’s organic traffic.

7. What content management system (CMS) do you recommend? 

A reliable content management system (CMS) makes it easier for you to update and maintain your website’s content. Find out which CMS the web design company recommends for medical websites and whether they provide training or ongoing support for using the CMS effectively. At Practis, we build medical websites with WordPress. It’s a very popular CMS that has great support. Watch out for companies that hard-code their sites with no CMS. It can mean making even simple changes to your site will be costly. 

8. How do you ensure website accessibility for individuals with disabilities? 

Ensuring that your medical website is accessible to individuals with disabilities is not only a legal requirement in many jurisdictions but also a moral obligation. Ask the web design company about their approach to website accessibility and if they follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Inquire about features such as alt text for images, keyboard navigation, color contrast, and other accessibility considerations that can make your website inclusive for all users.

9. How do you ensure healthcare website security? 

There is some scary data about how often websites get hacked. 43% of website attacks are aimed at small businesses. When you’re handling medical data, the stakes are even higher to keep your website secure. When you’re choosing a medical website provider, you’ll need to ask good questions about the security measures the web design company implements to protect your website. Ask them what they do to protect from cyber threats, such as encryption, if they do regular backups, or if they monitor for potential vulnerabilities.

10. What is the process for ongoing maintenance and support? 

Websites aren’t fix-it-and-forget-it. They require regular updates and maintenance to ensure they remain secure, functional, and up to date. Ask about the web design company’s process for ongoing maintenance, including software updates, bug fixes, and technical support. Also, be sure to ask them what the process is for making changes to your site after it’s finished. Who do you contact if you want changes made to your content such as an updated address, new services, or anything else you need to keep your website current? Clear communication channels and a responsive support team are essential for a successful long-term partnership.

The Right Medical Website Company Makes All the Difference

In many cases, your website is the first impression a patient has of your business. It’s critically important your healthcare website has all the right elements in place – security, search engine optimization, ease of use, accessibility, and aesthetics to convert visitors into patients. The right medical web design company will know how to do this well and help you grow your business.

Looking for a medical website company that can do all these things (and more) to help grow your medical practice? We can help! Contact us to get a free website assessment.

In today’s digital age, having an effective and visually appealing website is crucial for orthopedic practices and surgeons. A well-designed orthopedic website not only enhances your online presence but also establishes credibility, attracts potential patients, and improves user experience. Design trends are changing rapidly, so, it’s essential to stay updated with the latest design trends to make sure your orthopedic website is helping you get more new patients in the door. Here are seven top trends we are excited about for 2023.

1. Minimalistic and Clean Layouts

Simple is better, and 2023 has seen a rise in these types of websites. Minimalistic layouts with clean lines, plenty of white space, and good typography, help users focus on the most important elements of your orthopedic website. By decluttering the design, you can create a visually appealing and user-friendly experience that allows visitors to navigate effortlessly and find the information they need without distractions. If your website is simple and easy to use, potential patients assume the experience in your office will be simple as well. You create likeability in their minds before the first visit.

2. Mobile-First Design for Orthopedic Websites

A whopping 67.81% of website visitors are mobile users in 2023.  Making your orthopedic website easy to use for mobile is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. Mobile-first design ensures that your website is responsive, adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes, and provides an optimal browsing experience on smartphones and tablets. Making sure your content has fast loading times and intuitive navigation also helps improve the mobile experience for your users.

3. Quick Access to Important Patient Information

The deeper the patient interaction is with your orthopedic website and the longer they spend on it not only helps you as a search engine ranking factor, but it also helps with conversion. It’s important to enhance your website with the information that matters to the patient. This includes:

• Orthopedic surgeon profiles
• Office locations with information on the surgeons at that location
• Patient forms and policies. Digital and HIPAA compliant online patient forms are a plus
• Pre-Op and post operative instructions
• Comprehensive list of orthopedic conditions and procedures by specialty
• Patient testimonials or success stories of athletes getting back to what they love
• Interactive elements and micro-interactions to engage your website visitors and create a memorable user experience

4. High-Quality Visuals and Multimedia

Visual content plays a crucial role in conveying your orthopedic clinic’s professionalism, expertise, and patient care. In 2023, high-quality visuals, including photographs, videos, and illustrations, will continue to dominate orthopedic website design. Video is more important now than it has ever been. Almost 70% of adults spend time online watching videos. Consider incorporating videos introducing your orthopedic doctors or leverage patient testimonials, as they can effectively communicate your expertise and build trust among potential patients. In addition incorporating videos on pages related to orthopedic conditions or procedures will help keep potential patients on your website, improving user time on that page, which search engines like Google love. One example where this is done well is on Texas Spine Associates.

5. Personalization and Customization

Personalization is becoming increasingly important in web design as it helps create a tailored experience for patients. The more potential patients feel that you understand their needs, the more likely they are to come visit you. You can customize your orthopedic website based on the preferences and needs of your target audience, by covering specific concerns based on the types of patients you most often see in your practice. Implement features like location-based services, language preferences, and dynamic content based on user behavior and interests. For instance, if you see a lot of sports injuries, include photos that have people playing sports in them. If you treat a lot of elderly patients, consider including people who look like the most common patients in your photography. Finally, elaborate within your content about your experience and why patients would be willing to drive such as number of surgical procedures per year, years of experience serving the community or fellowship trainings. By providing personalized experiences, you can more easily strengthen user engagement, improve conversion rates, and establish long-term relationships with patients.

6. Accessibility and Inclusivity

We recognize this is less of a trend and more of a requirement, but it is important to mention! Creating an inclusive website design is not only a legal requirement but also an ethical responsibility. You will need to ensure that your orthopedic website meets accessibility standards, which will allow people with disabilities to access and understand your website content effectively. You’ll need to make sure you incorporate features such as alt text for images, proper heading structure, keyboard navigation, and color contrast optimization. It’s always important to prioritize usability and readability to make your website accessible to a wide range of users, regardless of their abilities, but the number of lawsuits filed for non-compliant websites increased by 12% in 2022 over 2021, so it’s important to stay on top of this.

7. Privacy and Legal Information

Protecting your orthopedic practice against lawsuits and reducing risk is important now more than ever. It’s one thing to include a privacy policy and terms of use, and any necessary legal disclaimers to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and protect the privacy of visitors to the website. Beyond that your orthopedic website should meet the requirements of  CCPA, CPRA and HIPAA, Section 1557 and Section 508 of the Department of Health and Human Services. Implementing protective measures up front will allow you to focus more on what matters most, growing your orthopedic practice.

Make Sure Your Orthopedic Practice Website Is On Trend

By embracing these seven orthopedic website design trends for 2023, you can enhance your online presence, attract potential patients, and differentiate yourself from other practices in your area. The bottom line is to remember to keep your website simple, responsive, and visually appealing, and use content that is easily understood by the clients you hope to attract. By staying up-to-date with the latest design trends and incorporating personalized and accessible elements, you can create a compelling online presence that reflects your orthopedic clinic’s expertise and care.

Want to see how your orthopedic website can improve? Practis can help!
Contact us for a free site analysis.

The best book-to-film adaptations (Jurassic Park or The Lord of the Rings, for example) honor the original work while simultaneously bringing something new to the table, creating something that’s faithful to the book but perfectly suited for the screen.

This approach is successful because films and books are just, well, different. They can’t (and never will) tell exactly the same story. Do you see where we’re going with this?

It means that your medical video marketing strategy works best when it’s specifically tailored to the strengths of video as a medium. Video is unique–and success comes down to figuring out how to deliver your brand messaging–in a new and different way.

The Future of Audiology Marketing: Video Marketing for Doctors and Hearing Specialists

Broadly speaking, the internet has become a very visual place. Video is easily accessible–and often expected. As a result, audiology practices can expect some concrete benefits when you use video in your marketing campaign.

Some of the most prominent include the following:

• Visual media can do a better job of creating empathy in patients.
• Showcase your knowledge and set you up as an expert. Videos can also help you start building relationships with patients early–they might like you even before they set foot in your office!
• Video can also very easily showcase your personality a bit. It adds a personal touch (more personal than a blog article, for example).
• Grow your visibility online. The more videos you make, the more people will watch your videos. (Many people may even share the videos on social media or subscribe so that they never miss one of your videos.) That’s good for your SEO and provides you with more opportunities to show up high on Google search results.

One of the reasons videos are so powerful is that they tend to convert viewers to leads more often than other forms of media or marketing will. Landing pages that contain videos tend to have an 86% higher conversion rate than those that don’t.

It’s easy to see how video can (and should) quickly become one of your most reliable marketing tools.

Challenges of Video Marketing for Audiologists and ENTs

Of course, there are some challenges that come with adding a video content creation pipeline to your marketing campaign. Creating video marketing for audiologists or ENTs isn’t as easy as posting a new reel to Instagram or recording a selfie for TikTok.

In general, some of the most significant challenges include:

• Resource management: Creating well-crafted video marketing for doctors and hearing specialists takes both time and money. As a result, you need to use your video budget wisely and effectively (which means you also need to have a video budget). The right tools combined with the right strategy can really help!
• Getting started: Video can be a big project–whether you’re creating something for TikTok, YouTube, or crafting a cinematic masterpiece. As a result, you can often encounter resistance–both from within and from external stakeholders. As a result, you may not be sure where to start. The solution is usually to focus primarily on your patients’ needs–and brainstorm with staff on how to create videos patients will find helpful!

If you ever get stuck on your video journey and need medical video marketing ideas, it’s useful to work with an audiology marketing partner who is experienced (like MedPB).

Creative Medical Video Marketing Ideas for Promoting Your Practice

Once you’ve decided to position your practice to focus on video marketing, you might naturally start to wonder: what do my patients want to know about? What should I say in my videos?

At MedPB, we help audiologists and ENT doctors come up with all kinds of medical video marketing ideas to improve the reputation and reach of their practice. We usually put these video ideas into these informal categories:

Patient-Centered Education Videos

These are educational videos that consist of questions your patients should be asking. For example, you could create short five-minute-long videos that answer questions like:

• When should I see an ENT?
• Aren’t all hearing offices the same?
• How do I know it’s time to get a hearing test?
• What happens when your tonsils are removed?

And so on. Each video should be limited in scope and touch on only one of these patient-centered education topics.

FAQ Videos

There are videos based on questions that patients usually ask during a visit. For example, you could create videos based on:

• Why do hearing aids cost so much?
• How long does it take to recover from sinuplasty?
• Do I need hearing aids?
• Do I really need nasal surgery?

You get the idea! If several patients have asked you a specific question, it’s likely that lots of patients want answers (but aren’t brave enough to ask).

About the Practice Videos

You’re a person! This means your patients probably want to know a little something about your personality or how your practice works. You can create videos that showcase what makes your practice stand out from the competition. If nothing else, people love getting to know more about you and your practice.

How-Tos and Demonstrations

One of the most popular uses for video today is as a step-by-step guide. (For example, if you want to swap your old kitchen faucet for a new one, you usually start by searching for a YouTube video that explains the process.) The same is true for your patients. They’re looking for easy guides to typical health or hearing-related tasks.

You can demonstrate:

• How to change a hearing aid battery
• Syncing a hearing aid to a smartphone
• How to properly insert a hearing aid

If you record demonstration videos with patients, make sure the patient in question has signed the necessary paperwork (usually a model release or something similar) to ensure the video is HIPAA compliant. You don’t want anyone showing up in a video without their consent (even if you can’t recognize their face).

Video Marketing for Doctors Starts with a Plan

No matter what kind of video marketing you want to create, the first step is to make a plan. When you create these plans, ensure you’re taking the time to set realistic goals and identify your overall objectives. (Are you going after likes? Shares? Engagement? Education? Do you just want to generate leads?)

You also need to know how you’re going to maintain a sense of authenticity throughout your video campaign (this is especially important for any videos that will live on social media, where authenticity is king). And, of course, remember that these videos should first and foremost be a service to patients.

Best Practices for Creating Engaging Video

To create engaging videos, remember to:

• Keep it short! People tend to tune out after about five minutes anyway.
• Don’t forget about HIPAA. Don’t share (or invite patients to share) any confidential medical information.
• Tell a story. Every video should have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
• Post regularly. People will get used to looking for your videos at a certain time.

Avoid These Common Mistakes

When you’re making a video, it’s easy to make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up about it!

You can get a head start, though, by avoiding some of these more common errors:

• Videos that are way too long. Viewers have a pretty short attention span these days.
• Poor audio: Most people think about lighting, but if no one can hear you, they’ll tune out.
• Poor lighting: At the same time, you want to look your best! If you can’t afford lights, find a window with some nice natural lighting and make sure you’re easily visible.

Reach More Patients With Video

Once you’ve made the video, people really need to see it! YouTube is one of the most popular places for video to live, and with a little optimization, you can ensure it’s visible and embed it on your website (this can help your SEO, too!) You can even use auto-captioning to make your video more easily accessible. And once all that is done, it’s imperative to share your video on social media.

In other words, your video marketing campaign is like any other Hollywood blockbuster: the more people see it, the more successful you’ll be.

We can help make your next video marketing campaign more successful–and easier to accomplish.
Call us today to get started!

Here are 5 OB-GYN website design principles that can take your practice’s website from good to great:

1. Clear and organized layout and navigation
2. Relevant and educational patient content
3. An aesthetically pleasing and functional design
4. Messaging that creates a deeper connection with patients
5. Imagery that reflects the community’s demographics

Clear and organized layout and navigation

A clear and organized site architecture helps patients easily navigate your website and find the information they need. Your OB-GYN website should have a logical and intuitive flow to it, with important information prominently displayed and easy to find. You should make sure there is a call to action on each page, which will help lead patients to call and schedule an appointment.

Relevant and educational patient content

Medical practice websites should provide relevant and informative content that answers patients’ questions and be written in an easy-to-understand language. 

Having content on women’s health, specific to the conditions your OB-GYN practice treats and the procedures you perform will let your patients know that you provide the services they are looking for and that you are an expert in treating women’s health issues.

An aesthetically pleasing and functional design that appeals to women 

Your OB-GYN practice needs to establish trust with patients, and the website design should reflect that. A clean, professional design with a consistent color scheme and typography can help establish credibility and trust. The fonts, colors, imagery, and features you choose to appeal to your target audience will leave an impression. Make sure it’s a great one, and that it will help you connect with the women you treat. You’ll want to use photos of women (your target audience) living life to the fullest. After all, the message you want your potential patients to know that is that you exist to help them be best best versions of themselves. 

Further, having accessible features on your OB-GYN website will ensure WCAG and ADA compliance, and empower patients with disabilities to have equal access to pertinent information. This will help make sure everyone has equal access to your site and avoid lawsuits. 

Utilization of  key messaging to create a deeper connection with women at all life-stages 

To provide the best care possible, your OB-GYN practice needs to connect with women at all life stages.  One way to do this is by providing key messaging on your website that resonates and makes women feel their best.  What you say and how you say it can help cultivate a  positive and supportive environment.  Words are just as important as pictures. When combined, your practice’s personality and mission can come to life and speak to your patients on an emotional level.  

The goal is to make your potential patients feel like the hero of their own story. You are there to help them become the person they’ve always hoped they can be by helping their bodies be healthy. The focus should not be on you and what you know, but how you use what you know to help them.

Imagery that reflects  the demographics of the women you are trying to reach 

Patients are more likely to feel understood  when they see pictures of people who look like them receiving care. Using imagery that reflects the demographics of the patient’s your OB-GYN treats is important. Think about the patients you see in your clinic every day. Do the images of people  on your website look like the patients you often see? 

Each patient wants to feel known and understood, but especially in the OB-GYN space.  When patients see an image of someone who looks like them, or who is doing something they do, they are more likely to feel that the medical practice is inclusive and welcoming. They will believe that you know how to take care of them and their specific needs.  All from pictures on a site!

Bonus tip:  A significant percentage of website traffic comes from mobile devices. Therefore, it is crucial for your practice’s website to also be mobile-responsive, meaning it adapts to various screen sizes and displays information in an easy-to-read format.

In conclusion, a good OB-GYN website design will help sell your practice’s services before a patient even picks up the phone to call. If you have a clear and organized layout, deep and relevant patient content, an aesthetically pleasing and functional design that leads them to call you, messaging that connects with patients and lets them know you can help them with their problems, and compelling imagery that aligns with the demographics of the women your OB-GYN practice treats, you’re already ahead of the game. 

In addition to following these 5 website design best principles, here are 5 web pages your healthcare website absolutely needs.

P.S. Here are 5 Examples of OB-GYN websites that we think really stand out from the competition:

FLORIDA UROGYNECOLOGY

floridaurogynecologyspecialists.com

PURE OBGYN

pureobgyn.com

SOUTH FLORIDA WOMEN’S CARE

obgynmiamifl.com

CAPITAL WOMEN’S CARE

cwc-mdobgyn.com

PLAZA OBGYN

plazaobg.com

Practis knows the best practices for modern websites and we can help. Here are 3 signs you may need a website refresher now.

1. Old dates

Check the bottom of your website. There is usually a copyright symbol. Is yours updating regularly or is is stuck in the past? This can be a subtle sign that things are going stale.

You may also have old dates from reviews or patient testimonials. If you have had the same quotes for years, it may be time to ask patients for some new feedback.

You may have content on your website about how many years you have been in business. Is it still 10, or maybe it’s closer to 15 now. Old dates can make your website feel like a dinosaur fast.

2. Dated images or styles

Trends online change just as fashion and styles. Is your website using colors that feel dated? We can help you find a template that fits your brand and image but also gives you a lift.

There may be old pictures of your providers with old fashioned hair styles or photo editing. Headshots should also be updated every couple of years. Appearances and features change as we age. If your headshot is over 5 years old,  consider getting a more recent one. You want your image online to reflect the you patients will be greeted by in person now.

If you have updated your logo, this is another clear sign your website needs a refresh. You can also consider new location images if things have changed in the area where you are located.

Stock images can also grow stale and look dated. Consider using real images from a professional that feels more genuine and authentic.

3. Lack of new procedures

If you have expanded treatments or procedures, make sure it is reflected on your website. This includes hours, locations, or number of providers.

Word of mouth news travels quickly. Someone may have heard about a new physican at your office or a new treatment for their condition. Naturally, patients will google this news to fact check what they have heard and learn more.  If you do not have an announcement of this doctor or he/she is not listed among the providers, this prospective patient may turn elsewhere.

If you have new technology available at your location, be sure to feature it. Some patients are searching for a location that provides certain testing, advanced equipment, minimally surgeries, etc. Even if your location offers these, the patient may not know when looking on your website.

How often do I need to refresh my website?

This depends on how quickly your practice is growing and expanding. If you are hiring new providers regularly, this refresh should happen regularly. However, if your practice is in a period of sustainability, you may have a bit of time before you may need to update.

We recommend updating your website at least every year to stay on top of the latest trends, top medical website features, new compliance standards, and to give your patients the most accurate information.

If you already have the framework in place, a simple refresh can be fairly straightforward. It can give your practice a new look and new energy.

Help is available. Practis is here to analyze your website, speak with you about your goals, and make a medical website refresh for your practice a reality.

You get only a split second to make a first impression. If your website is taking too long to load, users may abandon their search. Also, your website must be formatted for mobile phones, as many are searching online from a variety of devices. Make your layout easy to navigate right from the start. Your SEO should not compromise the useability of your site. Be sure to prioritize helpful content to make it easy to find.

2. Eye-catching images and videos

Top websites use images and videos to grab a visitor’s attention. Consider hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of your office and staff to make your website more personal. A high-quality video can communicate your approach in a very direct way. It can explain what your practice provides and help the visitor feel more comfortable with you as their potential healthcare provider. Putting the extra effort into creating and posting a short video on your site will save your users precious time reading and navigating your website.

3. Share valuable content

Cookie-cutter content will not give patients the feeling that you are aware of and care about their needs. Set a tone for your visitors and have it be a reflection of your practice, and in particular, what sets you apart. Valuable content can be on your pages and blog articles. You also want to ensure your website is accessible. When adding and sharing content to your healthcare website, writing for accessibility will benefit not just those that may have a disability but everyone.

4. Make it easy to engage

You don’t want to lose someone just because they don’t know where to find you. Be sure to list a phone number, address, and an interactive map to make it clear to visitors where you are located. Make it clear what the name of your practice is, where you are located, and how they can find you. Consider adding a HIPAA-compliant appointment request form right on your website.

5. Stay relevant

When your website looks and feels outdated, it’s hard to remain relevant. Plus, no one likes to read outdated or stale content. Failing to revise and freshen up your content is one of the top mistakes to avoid. Be sure you are updating your web pages and making content timely and engaging. You can also consider linking your social media sites so viewers can see what you are talking about now, and they can connect with you in the future. Your webpage is the start of a long-term relationship. Staying relevant is a good way to foster that relationship in the future.

6. Exhibit expertise and trust

Show visitors that you are the real deal. This may include posting reviews, feedback, or linking medical review websites. If you are an expert in your field, be sure to make it clear what you have that sets you apart. If you have advanced technology that is unique to your specialty, share it in a way that fosters trust. If your physicians have additional training, explain to readers why this matters. Be sure your website reflects trust.

7. Separate pages for easier navigation

Make sure when designing your website that you keep your audience in mind. If your practice has several locations, split up your pages based on location. If you offer different treatments, create a page for each treatment offered. If you have several providers, consider breaking up provider pages so users can easily find the doctor that their friend recommended. Anticipate the needs of your viewers and organize your website accordingly.

Use these tips to improve your medical website and help attract and engage potential patients online.

Practis designed the Gold award-winning website for Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic. Our team worked hand-in-hand with Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic to tailor the site to their individual needs.

The eHealthcare Leadership Awards program recognizes the very best websites and digital communications of healthcare organizations, online health companies, pharmaceutical/medical equipment firms, agencies/suppliers, and business improvement initiatives nationwide.

Congratulations to all of the winners, including Anderson Orthopaedics!