Your website is the first thing most potential patients see – and it can make or break their choice to book a consultation with you.
This five-step guide covers the basics on how to create a high-converting website that sells 24/7.
STEP 1 - Choose the Right Platform
Choosing a content management system (CMS) like WordPress or Squarespace might be tempting. They are popular and have prebuilt themes and drag-and-drop builders that make it seem easy to do it yourself. But they often come with hidden costs, and limited customization options, as well as plugins and extensions that can create slow loading times and vulnerabilities.
We recommend a headless content management system (CMS) with a JAMstack architecture, which will allow you to repurpose content for any channel or device at any time.
STEP 2 - Plan Content with a Sitemap
The sitemap, or blueprint, determines how visitors will navigate your website.
Create your sitemap by identifying the main categories and subcategories of services you offer. For example:
- Face > face lift, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, brow lift
- Breast > breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction
- Nonsurgical > laser resurfacing, neurotoxins, dermal fillers, facials
- About Us > doctor and staff bios, patient resources, financing
The key is to make your sitemap intuitive and easy to follow. Well-structured content is not only user-friendly but also helps with search engine optimization (SEO).
STEP 3 - Lead With Compelling Copy
First, establish your brand voice – the unique personality and tone you will use across your website, ads, emails and social media. Are you friendly? Authoritative? Innovative? Fun? Serious? A mix?
Next, focus on the benefits of your services – not just the features. Patients want to know, “What is in it for me?”
Paint a vivid picture of how the services you offer can improve your patient’s life, from boosting confidence to enhancing comfort or quality of life.
Use patient stories and before-and-after photos to make your copy relatable and compelling. Also try to answer common concerns about procedures like downtime, recovery, insurance coverage, etc.
Pro tip: Sprinkle calls-to-action throughout your site to guide visitors to the next step, like scheduling a consultation or signing up for your email list.
STEP 4 - Design for User Experience and Conversions
Your web design should prioritize user experience and encourage visitors to take action:
- Keep your design clean and easy to navigate – simplicity goes a long way.
- Use a consistent color scheme and typography to reinforce your brand identity.
- Add visual elements to keep text easy to read.
- Use visual design to draw eyes to key elements, for example, a “Book a Consultation” button or before-and-after gallery.
- Follow web content accessibility guidelines to help improve your SEO and avoid legal issues related to Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design (ADA) compliance.
Pro tip: Use responsive design techniques to ensure your site adapts to all screen sizes.
STEP 5 - Set Up Tracking and Integrations
Tracking tools and integrations allow you to monitor your site’s performance and improve your layout and content for maximum engagement and conversions.
Tools that can help gauge performance include Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, chatbots and more.
Bottom line: Do not settle for a website that just looks nice. Invest in one that helps your practice grow and succeed.
About the Author
Vahe Tirakyan
V
ahe is the chief executive officer and founder of MD Logica. He has worked with some of the greatest names in the industry, and helped multiple practitioners build their practices from the ground up into multi-milliondollar companies. He also contributes to medical and business publications, as well as lecturing at conferences around the world to share his knowledge and expertise.
