A decade or so ago, it was probably enough for dental clinics to have a dental website. In 2021 however, over 72% of all small businesses own and operate a website. So yours really does need to stand out from the crowd. Not only that, it needs to work for you.
The best dental clinic website design is one that not only offers a great user experience but one that can be utilised as a highly effective marketing tool. With this in mind, here are six key elements that turn an okay website into an efficient marketing machine.
#1 – Quality content rules!
In the eyes of the search engines, at least, content has always been king, but on your dental website, your content should really stand out for all the right reasons. Dental websites should contain a raft of valuable and insightful pages that connect with the reader and add value. Google defines good dental websites as unique, specific, and high quality. They should enhance the user experience while reflecting the expertise and professionalism of the dental practice.
Of course, quality dental website content can incorporate Home and About Us pages and treatments and services, but it can also include insightful blog posts, E-books or guides, and newsletters.
Whatever you decide to do, always ensure content is written for the end-user and not the search engines.
#2 – SEO
Talking of search engines, it wouldn’t be prudent to neglect them altogether. You can have the best dental clinic website design in the world, but if no one is visiting, it renders the exercise pointless. This is where search engine optimisation comes in.
Ensure you include popular searched-for keywords in your area and incorporate them throughout the text. For example, if you are a children’s dentist in Sydney, it would pay to integrate keywords like ‘kids dentist Sydney’ or ‘paediatric dentist Sydney.’ This way, when someone searches, your dental website stands a good chance of getting noticed.
Other elements of effective SEO for dental websites include optimising;
- meta titles,
- meta descriptions,
- H1 and H2 title tags and
- Alt tags
It’s also important not to receive spammy links from other less salubrious websites.
#3 – Professional development and design matters
What do all great dental websites have in common? They’re all designed professionally. If you throw a dental website together using companies like Wix and Weebly, the site will, unfortunately, stand out for all the wrong reasons.
Alternatively, a quality dental clinic website design gives sites the edge in establishing a powerful brand, creating a positive perception of your dental practice, and mirroring core business philosophies or values. It’s likely to be designed and geared towards giving you the best chance of converting visitors to patients by connecting with them on a personal level while explaining how your services can change and improve lives.
Many people consider dental clinic website design and web development the same, but there are fundamental differences between them. Dental website design concentrates on a site’s visual appeal, colours, branding, and ease of use (the user experience, UX).
On the other hand, web development focuses on website functionality – how quickly your dental website loads and how your site’s essential features are presented.
The best dental websites combine the two well and will take visitors on a journey about how your dental practice can benefit them. That’s the primary goal anyway!
#4 – Security
Let’s face it, a secure website is a trusted website, and trust is something that all dental clinics need to portray. A security-conscious dental clinic website design should give people the confidence to submit sensitive information such as personal particulars, credit card information, and email addresses. Sites should also be protected by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and/or Transport Layer (TLS) security systems.
Protecting patients’ financial and personal details enables a practice, through its dental website, to maintain the same level of trust as patients feel when they sit in your dental chair.
#5 – Eye-Catching Video content
Great dental websites utilise varying means of content, particularly video content. According to research, 93% of website owners know it should be an integral part of their online marketing; yet video marketing is still woefully underused across most industries, including dentistry.
So how do you use video effectively on a dental website? Here are some tips:
- Include video testimonials – Remember, people connect with people!
- Show demonstrations – Nothing gruesome or surgical, but maybe demonstrating the latest technology.
- Video walk-round of your clinic – Familiarise your visitor before they arrive.
In essence, video is a great way to build trust with new patients before they have set foot through your door and is an excellent way of reducing dental anxiety and fear of dental procedures
#6 – Uniqueness
We’ve already mentioned that the best dental clinic website design is one that is unique, and this is vital, not only in the eyes of Google but also from a visitor’s perspective.
Let’s say a searcher has landed on your dental website for the first time. If they come across a ‘same old’ dental website that they’ve seen many times before, there is a chance that the visitor will skim through at best or click away at worst.
Alternatively, if your website is unique – and by that, we aren’t talking about anything gaudy, but instead, something that’s well laid out, easy to navigate, and piques the visitor’s interest, then they’re likely to stick around.
This then gives your dental website time to work its magic and start to convert visitors into patients.
So there you have it, six crucial factors for effective dental clinic website design. Here at Mediboost, we help dental practices in Australia grow their patient base, and one element of that is web design. We’ve helped many clinics to change their low-performing dental websites and instead have converted them into a marketing tool that continuously works for them.
Are you ready to grow your patient base? Contact the team at Mediboost on 1300 163 058 and book your patient growth strategy today.
References
PR Newswire – 28% Of Small Businesses Don’t Have A Website
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/28-of-small-businesses-dont-have-a-website-according-to-new-survey-data-301226897.html
HubSpot – Video Marketing Data
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-video-marketing-new-data
JYI.Org – Trust In The Dentist-Patient Relationship – Review
https://www.jyi.org/2005-june/2005/6/8/trust-in-the-dentist-patient-relationship-a-review
Steps To A Google-Friendly Site
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/40349?hl=en
