5 Important Considerations When Building a Website

With 89% of prospective patients online, an engaging website is a must! 

However, there are several steps that web designers and developers must go through to create a functional yet appealing website. 

In this blog post, I will cover some of our top considerations when Sesame creates a new website. 

Stay Consistent with Your Branding

A well-branded site allows for better name and brand recognition for your practice. It starts with your logo, which sets the tone for the rest of your online presence. After getting a professionally created logo, you’ll want to focus on placement. A well-placed logo will contribute to the viewers opinion of your practice. We suggest placing your logo in a very visible spot such as in the upper corners.

Another part of website branding is consistency across the pages. Similar colors and fonts are important to give a sense of unity throughout your website. Maintaining a constant theme also helps make everything look more cohesive and professional.

Ensure Your Website is Functional & Useable  

What is a website if it is not function and useable?

One of the most important things to consider when putting the final touches on your website is the functionality. Namely, does everything work properly and does your website have adequate security? Lack of functionality is one of the easiest ways for prospective patients to turn away from your practice in favor of a competing option. 

Similar to the functions of the website, it needs to be easy to use. This means making sure that your website has all the features that your patients want in a layout that allows for them to be highly accessible. 

Maintain Compatibility Across Multiple Devices

Your patients search for your website across many device types. They use tablets, phones, desktops, laptops, etc. to schedule appointments with you. But if they see that your website isn’t compatible on different devices, it may discourage them from scheduling.

Ensuring that your website is both desktop and mobile friendly will not only affect how the customer interacts with your website but can also affect what the customer thinks of your practice.

Establish a Blog

A great blog can be a mecca of information for your patients. Not only will it keep them informed on any new services you may offer, company events, but also general dental health that they may not know otherwise.

But the most important part of having a blog is keeping your blog updated regularly. By launching regular posts, your brand will become a trusted resource that your patients can count on. Not only will it help build trust amongst your patients, but it will also help optimize your website for maximum visibility within search results. In fact, regularly updated websites is viewed as one of the best indicators of a website’s relevancy.

Don’t Forget Social Profile Integration

Today, being present on social media is a must for businesses of all sizes, including your practice. By integrating your social profiles onto your website, you can increase awareness of your content and brand while allowing your readers to easily access your content.  

One of the best ways to integrate your social media profiles onto your website is by adding in buttons throughout your site. We suggest adding these in the header, footer, or on the side of the website for your readers to easily access them and navigate to your pages.

Another option is integrating your content directly to your site. This is essentially a live feed of your social media posts. It’s a great way to show your readers how active you are online, which helps build trust from your patients.

 

Building a website has many different components to it and while there are plenty of other tips we can suggest, we strongly believe that by implanting each of these into your website, your practice will be able to maintain steady traffic and attract new clients.

Don’t forget, we can help! If you are looking to revamp your website, contact our team of Solution Advisors at 866-263-1639 to get started!

—Marie Dubray, Social Media Specialist, Sesame Communications