It’s time for your yearly check up and we all know what’s coming next: avoidance. We get it! A trip to the doctor’s office takes time, effort, and pulls you away from your job and other responsibilities. But is it all worth it in the end? Yes. And a website redesign or digital marketing kickoff will be too. With our talented team of designers, digital marketing specialists, and technical pros, you don’t have to dread the project like you dread a visit to the doctor’s office.

Patients aren’t solely patients. They’re consumers too, and are engaging with other brands every day through digital experiences. Now, patients are expecting the same from healthcare providers. Pew Research Center’s national survey found that 72% of adult Internet users say they search online for healthcare information. However, 51% say healthcare providers’ websites could be more helpful. That means your website’s health is no longer something you can avoid putting off.

Here are 5 vital signs your website needs to be revived, before it’s too late!

  • Outdated design/architecture. Take a look at your website. Is it mostly lines of texts and boxes of content? If so, it’s time for a change. Reading online text isn’t like reading a book. Users scan headlines, click, and go. If they don’t find what they’re looking for, they will click and go… somewhere else. Seventy-six percent of patients leverage hospital websites in their research process, according to Google’s study, The Digital Journey to Wellness: Hospital Selection.
  • Contact information is buried. Dig it up! Your website’s content should be user-focused. Understanding what site visitors are looking for and making it quick and easy for them to find will go a long way. For starters, ensure you have contact information on your site with several contact methods. Then, put it in a place where visitors can find it. (Hint: not hidden in the “About Us” section). You can add contact information to your social profiles/pages too!
  • Blog? Who’s that? Patients want to know you’re a leader in your space. Blog about overall health tips, how to stay healthy during flu season, or quick exercises for the working mom. They’re looking to you for direction, so take the time to show you care, want to help, and are an active partner. Start small and gain momentum!
  • Slow page load times. Tick tock, tick tock. Homepage, where are you? We’re all culprits of this one. If a website doesn’t load within a certain time limit, you better believe that person is moving on to the next. According to Kissmetrics, 47% of visitors expect a website to load in less than 2 seconds, and 40% of visitors will leave the site if the loading process takes more than 3 seconds. Try using the Google Page Speed Test to track your load time.
  • Mobile STILL matters. Mobile accessibility is just as important for healthcare organizations as it is for consumer brands. Upwards of 50 percent of health related searches are performed via mobile as patients increasingly rely on their mobile device. Without being mobile-friendly, your site won’t be listed on mobile search engine results pages and served up to potential patients. According to the Google study, 44% of patients who research hospitals on a mobile device scheduled an appointment.

It’s 2015, and your website shouldn’t be stuck in 2010.

Just for reference, here’s what happened in 2010:

  • Prince William & Kate Middleton announced their engagement
  • Simon Cowell left American Idol
  • BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico
  • Apple launched its first iPad

We’ve come a long way since 2010, don’t you think your website should have too?