There are three things a healthcare service should know about people looking for healthcare providers.
One: these people’s first stop is and always will be Google.
Two: there’s a significant chance they will make an appointment as soon as they find a provider they like.
And finally: your healthcare website could either be a deal-maker or a deal-breaker.
The choice is up to you.
Healthcare websites should focus on one single philosophy: they need to be patient centric. Everything from your web design to your content should exist to serve your patients.
That being said, your best bet at an excellent healthcare website is to read through these tips and then contact a web design company. Here’s what makes a healthcare website effective:
1. HIPAA compliance
Any health-related website should make sure they comply with the standards of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA looks out for patients’ private medical information and their security.
As you’re planning your new website, ensure that your site has or performs the following:
- Secure sockets layer (SSL) protection. SSL ensures that all information is encrypted, which means information cannot be deciphered if intercepted or stolen.
- Full data encryption. Aside from user and server encryption, all data stored on the website should be encrypted as well.
- Full data backup. Essential information on clients should be stored in a backup and given full encryption.
- Permanent data deletion. Any data no longer relevant to your healthcare business (e.g., a former client’s medical records) should be deleted, according to HIPAA.
- Restricted access. Only administrators should be able to perform administrative functions, such as making changes to the website. Likewise, only clients should have access to their own data.
- Regular password changes. Have staff and users regularly change their passwords to protect data properly.
- Data breach protocol. Prepare a contingency plan in the event of a data breach so that you can eliminate the security threat immediately.
- HIPAA compliance assurance. Your website needs to indicate clearly and prominently that it complies with HIPAA regulations.
- HIPAA agreement with the website host. Finding a website hosting provider that supports HIPAA-compliant websites is crucial. Note that the price for hosting HIPAA-compliant websites is usually higher, given the additional security the hosting service needs to provide.
Note: To ensure HIPAA compliance, consult with a lawyer before and after the website is built. As the saying goes: better safe than sorry (and burdened with legal fees).
2. Quality content
Any well-made website should have original, well-written, and factually accurate content. This standard applies even more strictly to healthcare websites.
Here are tips on providing quality content to your clients:
- Provide complete descriptions of all services. Anticipate questions your client might ask and answer them on the description.
- Include a frequently asked questions page on your website. Make sure questions are grouped accordingly, usually with a general section and then service-specific sections.
- Regularly post healthcare news so clients stay on top of updates that concern them and their healthcare.
3. On-page SEO
Well-written content is useless unless someone reads it. Study and follow search engine optimization (SEO) guidelines so your website appears as part of a search engine’s results. Here are a few general tips on improving on-page SEO:
- Identify keywords that aren’t saturated. Use keywords that give you a high chance at ranking on search engines.
- Use keywords throughout your articles and page copies. Make sure keyword use isn’t forced or unnatural.
- Use attention-catching headlines and page titles to grab readers’ attention.
- Always specify page and post descriptions to pique your readers’ interest.
- Use photos for your content. Include graphic images sparingly, if at all. Otherwise, insert a warning so sensitive readers aren’t caught by surprise.
Your healthcare website needs to feature your contact details prominently. Some websites include contact details (i.e., office address, email address, contact numbers) in their header, footer, or both.
Have a “contact us” page that allows clients to email you without having to leave your website. Better yet: have a customer service representative ready to chat with clients during office hours. There are multiple live chat applications available and some are even free to use, so take advantage of these services by incorporating them to your site.
Conclusion
A good healthcare website prioritizes the needs of clients. Don’t waste their time with irrelevant pop-up ads or fluff content. Respect their time and they’ll learn to value the service you provide. And with these tips in mind, your website will have no problem attracting customers and convincing them to avail of your health services.
