The Real Reasons Your Website Stinks

Pssst…Do you ever get the impression that your website isn’t as cool as you think it is? It’s like when you catch someone looking at you, and you instantly become suspicious that you have mustard on your shirt or spinach stuck in your teeth. Feeling exposed is uncomfortable. Embarrassing, really. 

Why do you neglect your website? It’s a direct reflection of you, so if it has broken links, takes forever to load, or its images look straight out of the early 2000s (ancient by today’s standards), potential patients will book it for the hills – but not before they quickly decide you won’t be their next dentist.  

There is hope even for the most pitiful of sites. Improving a few common website blunders can make a huge difference. We’ve listed three of the culprits below:  

• Little to no meaningful content
• Load time is super slooowwwww
• Your contact information doesn’t stand out

Website visitors are looking for information, so you need to provide meaty content that helps them understand what you do, how you can help them with their problems, and why they should choose you. Further highlight your practice’s story with professionally-captured photography and video to engage your potential clients and help them see that you’re the perfect fit for them.

While you’re delighting your visitors with good content, it’s also crucial to test the speed of your site. We are a spoiled bunch with same-day delivery, instant downloads, and on-demand entertainment, so it’s not surprising that research reveals almost half of website visitors jump ship if a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load. That translates to money out the door. What’s slowing it down?

• Image-heavy pages (pictures and video are great, but too many is too much)
• Unnecessary code 
• Flash
• JavaScript or CSS overload

Taking steps to nourish your content and speeding up your visitors’ experience are two great ways to improve your website, but there is one more element that can turn people away from your website if it’s missing — your contact information. 

Your office number, address, and “Make an Appointment” button (if you have the supporting system) should be as easy to find as a squirrel in a park. Clients want to know how close your office is, that someone will pick up the phone, and how easy it is to make an appointment. All three give your business legitimacy and reassure patients that you’re the real deal.

These are just three common website flaws that cost you potential patients and, ultimately, more profit. Making a superb first impression starts with a clutch website — once that’s welcoming, a joy to navigate, and a direct line to the solutions patients seek. 

Making tweaks here and there are great for short-term results, but foundational problems will creep back up if you don’t stay on top of web design techniques and enhancements. If you want to really ramp up your website conversion rates and attract the very best patients, enlist an expert to do it for you. Hop on a Practice Growth Call and discover what your website is really capable of.    

Like this blog? Here are other recommended readings geared toward effectively marketing your practice:

5 Ways to Market Your Dental Practice Using Patient Referrals 

It’s That (Almost Wonderful) Time of Year...Three 2022 Dental Trends to Keep an Eye On