To thrive in today’s online environment, make sure your website meets these fundamental business requirements.
A good website has much in common with a good house. Both have a world of amenities and every buyer will have different priorities. One buyer might prefer gas stoves over electric, and another might value a spacious patio. But all can agree that their house will need walls, a roof, and central heating.
The same is true of websites. To thrive in today’s online environment, your website needs to be mobile responsive, HTTPS, and in line with accessibility guidelines. Without these three things, your practice website will be unfit for living.
Mobile Responsive Web Design
If a website takes a long time to load or is difficult to use on mobile devices, many patients will leave within three seconds. That’s not a lot of time to make a great first impression.
A mobile responsive website uses responsive web design. This approach to web design ensures that your website will load on a variety of devices (like smartphones or tablets). Your website will work well and look great no matter what device patients are using to access your website.
Mobile responsive websites might not have been high a priority a few years ago, but now 51.2 percent of global Internet traffic comes from smartphones and tablets worldwide. If your site isn’t equipped to handle those devices, you’re missing out on over 50 percent of patients searching for your practice online.
By having a mobile responsive website, you’re also ready for any new connected devices (for example, smart TVs, watches, glasses, etc.) that may be developed in the future. This means you won’t have to worry about whether your website will need to be rebuilt for a long time to come.
Make Your Website HTTPS
Effective July 24, 2018, Google Chrome began to label all websites that don’t use HTTPS as “Not Secure” in the address bar of the website browser. But what does this mean for you?
Website visitors, and potential patients, may be dissuaded from providing any of their information or even accessing a website that Google Chrome has determined is “Not Secure.” Since over 60 percent of all website visitors use Chrome as their default browser, adopting HTTPS may be key to making your websites appeal to the largest user base on the web.
Adherence to ADA Guidelines
We’re not talking about the American Dental Association here. ADA, in this case, stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act—the same legislation that requires your physical practice to be accessible to those with disabilities. While it’s not clear what makes a website “ADA accessible,” there are recommended guidelines for making websites accessible. To see the comprehensive list of guidelines, see the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines “Level AA Success Criteria.” We recommend adopting these guidelines as an industry best practice for your practice website.
Next Steps to Learn More
These are the bare-bones minimum of what to look for in a new website. Of course, there are plenty of customization options available, and you should choose the website that’s right for you. All Dentrix websites powered by Officite provide these three fundamental business requirements.
Learn More
To learn more, download our white paper “Is Your Website Ready for 2019?” at www.YourWebsiteReady.com.
For more information about Dentrix websites powered by Officite, visit https://www.dentrix.com/products/eservices/dentrix-website.
By Jim Rogers, Sr. Marketing Specialist for Henry Schein One
Originally published in Dentrix Magazine, Winter 2018
