Sometimes, Less Is More. That Couldn’t Be More True When It Comes To Website Design

Sometimes, less is more. That couldn’t be more true when it comes to website design.

And research backs it up. A 2012 study at the University of Basel in Switzerland revealed that websites with low visual complexity and familiar layout and function were the most appealing. Have you visited Google recently? Despite having one of the simplest homepages on the planet, the company generated more than $100 billion in revenue last year.

So … what does your dental practice’s website look like? How user-friendly is it? Is it updated regularly with engaging content – like blogs? Do you have a sound SEO strategy in place?

If it sounds like I’m speaking another language, fear not. I’ll tell you exactly what four key elements will make your dental website really pop … and persuade a potential patient to pick up the phone and call your practice for their next appointment.

• White space is a powerful design tool that prevents your site from becoming cluttered and will ensure your viewer sees what you want them to see.
• Color draws the eye. Use it to highlight where you want the user to click – on call-to-action buttons, phone numbers, and appointment requests.
• Font sizes enhance readability. A too-small font will “shut down” curiosity and readers will abandon your page.
• Images and call-to-action text must draw attention. Use short text, color, and don’t bury them in a paragraph of text.
• Bullets or numbers increase ease of scanning.
• Background color or pattern must not interfere with information delivery/uptake.

• If your site takes too long to load, odds are you’re going to lose a potential patient. According to Google, the average retail mobile site loads in 6.9 seconds, but 40% of consumers will leave a page that takes more than three seconds to load.
• Your website needs to work seamlessly on computers and smartphones. About 75% of all global Internet traffic comes from smartphones …and you don’t want to miss out on that action.

To build your brand and really speak to your audience, you need customized content that resonates with readers and addresses their needs. Easy-to-read, engaging sections on your site should include:

• Services
• Blog Posts (monthly)
• Educational articles & FAQs
• Meet The Doctor (introduce yourself as the “dental expert” in your neighborhood!)
• Videos.

ALSO … Be sure to use high-quality images that feature women – the hands-down primary decision-makers when it comes to healthcare spending.

An effective SEO strategy will get your website to rank highly on search engines. And that means, when potential patients search for, for example, “dental practice near me,” your practice will appear at the top of the list – ahead of your competition. A strategy that brings more traffic to your site always includes…

• Keywords that match what people are searching for – For example, a mom in Chicago may search for a new dentist for her family by entering “Chicago family dentist” in the search bar. When you use “Chicago family dentist” throughout your website and in blogs, this key phrase (or keywords) will match the search and it will effectively boost your ranking.
  
• Links on other reputable web pages that point to your dental website – A linking strategy is one of the big “authority factors” for a good ranking with Google’s algorithm. To make this happen (on your own), you can ask your colleagues, healthcare professionals, and business colleagues you know if they would link to your website – and in turn, you can link to theirs. Or … and this is much more simple and easy … you can contact a Patient NEWS who will help you rank faster than you thought possible!

At Patient NEWS, we’re helping dental practices – just like yours! – harness the power of digital marketing With leading-edge design and technology, our WebLift™ website service is growing our client rankings by leaps and bounds, helping them achieve a healthy ROI. And when we closely monitor their results with our Marketing Performance Dashboard Pro, we can adjust their online strategy accordingly to increase traffic and convert more patients.

Are you ready take your dental website to the next level? Call now and talk to one of our marketing experts!