5 Ways to Tell if Your Website Needs an Upgrade
A long time ago, your website may have been a work of art. But unlike fine wines and cheeses, websites only get worse with age. The world of technology moves so fast that trying to keep your website current can feel exhausting, especially when you have a practice to run. So how do you know if your website is up to date? Is it still strong, or is it leaving your patients with a sour taste in their mouths? Here are a couple indicators that your site might be a little past its prime.
1. Your website fails the “thumbs test”
Mobile technology has taken the world by storm, and that means people are increasingly navigating the Web not with a mouse, but with their thumbs. There’s no better litmus test for your website than trying to access it from your smartphone. Is it easy to navigate? Do you have to re-size, zoom, and pinch your way through for it to be readable? Are the buttons big enough to be located and pressed easily? Do your patients need glasses to read your content? Make sure you have a mobile site, or better yet, a responsive design.
2. Your site doesn’t make a modern first impression
Failing the “thumbs test” is a good way to fail this test too, but there’s more to it as well. Your website functions as the face of your practice. A patient visiting your site will make a snap judgment within seconds of seeing your site. Does it make you appear ahead of the game, or behind the curve? What they assume of your website, they will assume about your practice as a whole.
3. You need to call your developer every time you want a change
Having a developer is good. Having to call them every time you want to make a small change to your website is the opposite of good. A site built through a modern company should have a system in place that will allow you to make small changes on your own, easily and conveniently, without requiring any knowledge of how to code or design a site. If you have your developer on speed dial, it might be time to upgrade.
4. You have no social media integration
Social media is the new word of mouth. Your patients use it every day, and it’s the easiest way to stay connected in a way that makes your practice and your brand part of their daily life. Social media builds loyalty. If your website doesn’t provide an easy portal for your patients to connect with you through social media, it’s letting new opportunities slip through the cracks.
5. Your website is only a website
If your online marketing starts and ends with a website, it’s not doing enough. Nowadays, successful online marketing demands something more than a website – a complete Web Presence designed to turn every corner of the Web into a marketing asset. Any single site, no matter how good it is, will get lost in the vast expanse of the Web without additional measures like social media, SEO, and blogging, The bigger your online footprint, the easier it is for new patients to find you.
If you take one thing away from this article, let it be this: on the modern Web, a website is the starting point, not the finish line. Nowadays, success starts when you start thinking beyond your website, focusing your attention on the larger Web Presence. But regardless of your additional efforts, be sure your website is something you can be proud of – something you want associated with your name. The first impression is often the most powerful. Call Your Web Presence Advisor to see how a modern Web Presence can start bringing new patients to your door.
