On a daily basis we receive numerous membership applications from aesthetic medical practices and medical spas who are applying to join the network. When we receive these applications, I personally visit each aesthetic practice’s website to verify that the information on the application matches the contact information posted on their website. Below I have included the most common mistakes I have found while browsing through practice websites:
Contact Information: The most important information EVERY BUSINESS must have on their website is how someone can reach you: your contact information. Too many times, I have visited websites that make it very difficult to find a practice’s physical location or their phone number. If a patient can’t find out how to contact you within the first 30 seconds of visiting your website, chances are, you’ll lose them as a patient! Not only should you have your contact information on both your home page and contact page, your contact information should always be extremely visible on every page either near your header or footer.
Content for Your Target Audience: I recently visited a physician’s website that was extremely clinical, in the sense that even I was slightly confused when reading about simple procedures (and I read about procedures and treatments every day). Rule of Thumb: Your content reading level has to match your audience’s reading level. Think about your audience and your language: is it “too basic” or “too difficult” for your intended audience to understand? Test your audience by using different reading levels and consult your analytics to see how engaged your viewers are with your web pages. Remember that while your patients want information, they want it in a form that’s detailed, but easy to comprehend!
Physician’s Credentials: Certifications matter! Recently, I came across an article in Real Self which mentioned that prospective patients spend more time researching plastic surgery than their own weddings! I am one of these people! From my own experience: I researched more plastic surgeons than wedding venues hands down. The more information you display on your website in regards to your physician’s experience and credentials, the more credibility your practice (and your provider) will have. Prospective patients do their homework when it comes to finding the best physician for their potential surgery or treatment.
Don’t Overuse Images, Video, and Text: Personally, I dislike visiting a website when the sound of someone’s voice or music starts playing; I can’t figure out where it is coming from! Give your visitors a choice to watch or listen to your content. Do not bombard your potential patients with multiple images, videos, or text on a page. Put “content limits” on your pages. Keep images to a minimum as multiple images and videos will also have an effect on the load time of your website. This isn’t the 90s—nobody needs to wait too long for a webpage to load!
Clear Call to Action: When a prospective patient visits your site, where are you leading them and what do you want them to do? It is your job to direct your visitors by utilizing an effective call-to-action. Your site should answer your visitor’s question, “What’s in it for me?” without making them search for the answer. A good call-to-action should make it very clear as to what YOU want them what to do next—which in most cases is to contact you or book a treatment!
Hillary Anderson, Director of Membership
