Month: April 2012

Online, your competition is fierce. You can’t hope to compete with other practices if your website is mediocre. Going a step further than the generic sites can show that your expertise is invaluable. Prove to site visitors that you are an industry authority by providing materials for patient education. This can take the form of field-related information or specific instructions for patients undergoing treatments.

General Patient Education

Demonstrate a solid base of knowledge related to your field. Podiatrist websites, for example, could index information on heel pain, flat feet or foot issues concerning diabetes. Obviously, you don’t want to overwhelm your homepage with information, so use a site layout that allows you to categorize topics with links. Additionally, these informational links should not overshadow basic information for your practice, such as contact information and services.

Instructions for Patients

Lay out thorough instructions for future and existing patients. If someone has a question about a procedure, he or she should be able to find at least part of the answer on your site. A compelling site will convince the visitor to take the secondary step of contacting you directly.

Practice-specific Information

This seems obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Don’t assume that visitors to your site will be willing to navigate your site in search of a simple phone number. If it’s not upfront, your practice loses some of its credibility. Displaying contact information and directions to your facility is just as important, if not more so, than establishing your practice as the authority on your particular field of medicine.

Well-packaged Content

You get one shot at a strong first impression with your website visitors, so it goes without saying that your site should be pleasant to look at. Display useful images or graphics, an appropriate amount of white space, a sensible layout and strong content. Your site should appear welcoming and be able to engage visitors.

Officite can help you accomplish each of these goals. We offer pre-built, yet personally designed, website options that will help your practice stand out in a crowded online world. Our designs are customizable, and maintenance is simple; if you need to make a change, you can do it immediately. We also help you take full advantage of your web presence with Search Engine Optimization and marketing services.

Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you better connect with potential and existing patients.

It’s critical that your website is always current and up-to-date. That’s because it’s often the first impression a patient has of your practice, and you want it to be an honest, accurate reflection of who you are.  A website that is updated regularly can also positively influence your search engine visibility, as the search engines favor sites with dynamic content over sites with static content.

Here are a few simple tips for keeping your website fresh:

• Update your content.  New staff member? Change in address or payment policies? New service? Make sure these adjustments are reflected on your site so that patients are always getting the most current information about your practice. This can also include uploading new photos of your office and staff as an easy way to give your website a fresh look.
• Add new pages. Adding a new page to your website is an easy way to generate new content.  This can include adding a page dedicated to before-and-after treatment photos, office promotions or patient testimonials. Update, modify and add content to these pages regularly so that you’re always providing useful and relevant information about what’s going on in your practice.
• Blog.  A blog is arguably one of the easiest ways to consistently populate your website with new and relevant content. Post an educational article or video to your blog at least once a week, and promote your blog posts using Facebook and Twitter so you are sharing your message across all digital platforms. By providing an ongoing stream of valuable information to your visitors, you develop readership and authority, which translates into heightened treatment awareness and new patient appointments in the long run.

Contact Officite today for more information on our medical website services!

Medical websites have gone from merely convenient to necessary. As they evolve, it’s important to keep your medical website one step ahead in terms of functionality.

The Dark Days Before the Internet

Take a minute and think about finding a doctor without your computer. Sure, it can be done, but it’s just so much easier to open your laptop and do a quick search.

As much as we want to forget the days of hunting down doctors and researching and comparing them, the fact remains that doctor searches were vastly more complicated than they are now. People would ask around for a recommendation, or their insurance agency would provide them with a seldom updated directory of in-network physicians in their state. Happy hunting.

Practices Experiment with Websites

The emergence of individually maintained professional websites helped practices stand out in an online world that was still developing. At that point, few medical offices maintained websites, with exceptions being larger practices and smaller ones that had the means to join online directories. Many of the sites that launched early were done so hastily, and it showed.

Online options were still limited. Not all patients were savvy enough find the information they needed, and the sites themselves were not designed to maximize user friendliness. Over time, medical sites would evolve and become more common.

The Web Flourishes, and Quality Sites Are King

It didn’t take long for most of the medical world to catch on to this trend of posting information online. After all, with the dawn of high-speed Internet and massive servers, functioning medical websites were no longer a novelty. Soon, sites became more interactive; patients could customize their searches more easily, or they could peruse the credentials of multiple doctors at a single practice. And existing patients could read information related to an upcoming procedure, and they could follow up with post-procedure instructions for patient release.

With a glut of medical websites, the ones that stand out are of the highest quality. Patients shopping around will return to a clean and navigable site. These sites are used for marketing and for getting information to existing patients. Online directories are no longer enough. A site must be well-organized and intuitive, easily guiding patients to the information they seek.

At Officite, we specialize in effective websites designed and optimized for medical professionals. We aim to set the standard in sites that help patients and practitioners connect. To learn more about the features and benefits of our pre-designed website layouts, please contact Officite today.