When it comes to marketing online, it seems that there is a lot of focus on mastering social media. But before you even go there, you should think about your practice’s website. Many potential patients will visit your website before deciding to contact your office, so it is important that your website is representing you the way you’d like to be seen. Our friends at Cunninghmam Vision Center, located in Southeast Michigan, have written today’s guest blog discussing the importance of a strong practice website. Could your site use some work? 

Eyecare Practice Marketing: Is it Time for a Website Redesign?

As an optometrist operating your own practice, it can be tough to keep up on day-to-day activities, let alone be proactive about your online presence. Making sure your website is up-to-date may not be at the top of your to-do list, but it should be. According to ReachLocal, 85% of consumers search for local businesses online. To be sure that your website will capture the attention of these potential patients, take a look at your current website to see if it’s in need of a re-fresh.

Start by checking out the websites of your direct competitors. A practice might be a chain backed with a big marketing budget, or it may just be another local eye care center. Either way, your website needs to stand out compared to your competition. Below we’ve listed out a few elements of good local optometry websites.

You want your website to be visually appealing with clear navigation. If a patient clicks on a button that says “Services”, the page that they’re directed to should be all about the services that your practice offers. 

Fast Load Time

You will also want to be sure that your website loads quickly. According to Kissmetrics, 47% of Internet users expect a webpage to load in less than two seconds. Just one second of delay can cause conversions to decrease by 7%. As Internet speeds increase, and consumer patience decreases, potential patients will expect your website to keep up with the times.

Comprehensive Information

Think about the information a patient is looking for when they visit your website. If they won’t be able to get the answer they’re looking for, you could potentially lose that business to a competitor who explains the topic on their website. The content on your website should be tailored to your specific target audience and written in patient-friendly terms. 

Google Appeal

Is your website optimized for search engines? This will help ensure that your website pops up on Google when patients search for keywords in your industry and local market. 

At the end of the day, a business needs to make money to stay afloat. Make sure that your website is driving new business and providing a substantial return on investment! You can find out how your website is performing by implementing Google Analytics into the code of your site. This program allows you to track how much traffic is coming to your website, where they’re coming from, where they’re going to, and so much more. You can use this data to analyze potential points of improvement on your website.

Your website is a powerful tool for your optometry business; make sure you are utilizing it at its fullest potential!

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