4 REASONS WHY HEALTHCARE ORGANISATIONS SHOULD MAINTAIN THEIR WEBSITES
Medical practices, clinics and pharmaceutical companies cannot afford to neglect their online presence today. On the web, they gain the trust of new patients and customers through relevant content and a user-friendly website.
Today, an online presence is much more than your digital business card. COVID has shown that doctors, clinics and pharmaceutical companies have also reached a point where they need to go digital. Many patients stayed at home out of fear of contracting the corona virus and searched for information on the internet - often in vain. Many websites in the healthcare sector are still neglected and outdated in terms of technology, design and content.
Online appointment bookings or the latest information are nowhere to be found. Today, however, patients expect more service from their general practitioners and specialists - also online. Even 90% of doctors would gladly avoid visits from pharmaceutical representatives if they could find reliable information online, a study shows.
1. Patients Are Researching Information Online
On average, it takes exactly eight seconds on the internet to decide whether users are convinced of a company's competence or move on. Doctors, clinics and pharmaceutical companies can make use of these eight seconds - with a clear, user-friendly and informative website. The online presence decides decisively whether you are considered trustworthy or not. There are only a few steps required: above all, the website should be user-friendly, offer good content and encourage visitors to interact. The end result of a good customer experience is a successful patient journey (see also Customer Journey).
2. Improved SEO Ranking with UX
"The user experience is a holistic concept."
Not only the accessibility of the website and relevant content, but also smart photos, an appealing design, intuitive and consistent page navigation as well as coordinated content management systems (CMS) such as Typo3 or HubSpot determine whether users find their way around the website and consider it credible.
3. Touchpoints between Visitors and Content
Ultimately, the aim is to create online touchpoints with a practice or pharmaceutical company. These touchpoints are generated with content that is meaningful to the target group. In order to understand what relevant content is, you need to put yourself in the shoes of your patients or customers: What do patients want to know from doctors? What information from pharmaceutical companies are doctors looking for?
With relevant blog content, doctors can, for example, enhance their practice websites for patients. This includes current information about (new) treatment methods, frequently asked questions (FAQs) or success stories from their own practice. But also videos, podcasts and an appealing graphic design of the articles ensure a smooth reading flow and keeps the users on the page. Advantage: You can also distribute all your website content via social networks and use additional marketing channels to attract customers.
4. Lead-Generierung durch Call-to-Actions
Users interact with the content through calls to actions, e.g. buttons linked to contact forms, or an integrated online appointment booking, downloads and backlinks. With a good CMS, your practice, clinic or pharmaceutical company gains the opportunity to collect contact data and generate new patients or customers.
In addition to attractive images and quality content, the technical aspect should not be neglected. Websites must be functional and comply with the latest standards, i.e. be compliant with regulations to protect personal data, have an SSL certificate for secure communication and be able to handle cookie queries. Since a solid 70% of all internet queries are made via smartphone, the site should have a responsive web design, meaning it should be displayed on the device and screen size in the best possible way.
All these factors are part of a positive user experience on a website: Usability, appealing design, technically up to date and packed with relevant content. All of these factors are essential in determining whether patients or customers choose you. Neglecting your website in the digital age means losing your patients' trust and credibility.
Regardless of whether it's all-in-one or customised: the decision for a customer experience solution needs to be considered carefully. We are happy to advise you on the available alternatives and, if desired, realise the professional implementation of your choice.
