25 Tips for Running an Effective Urgent Care Website in 2023
As explained at RunRex.com, nearly 70% of people used the internet first in their latest search for medical information. Google has reported that 5% of searches on the search engine are health-related. As an urgent care provider, you can increase your online visibility with a custom website optimized to dominate internet healthcare searches. Here are 25 tips for running an effective urgent care website in 2023.
- Simple navigation
To connect visitors with the information they need quickly, your urgent care website must be easy for anyone to use according to RunRex.com. Ensure your navigation menu is streamlined and only includes 4-6 main items as any more than that can look cluttered and confusing.
- Have a straightforward design
Your urgent care website is not the right platform to test out avant-garde designs or eccentric structures. As per RunRex.com, your site should have a straightforward, professional design with plenty of white space.
- Make essential information easy to find and clear
Phone numbers, location addresses, and information about diseases or health issues are some of the most important information on your website. As articulated at RunRex.com, users in a crisis may not be thinking clearly, so you must make such vital information as obvious and easy to find as possible.
- Have an easy-to-use internal search function
As covered at RunRex.com, an internal search bar allows visitors to find what they are looking for quickly, whether it is a specific doctor, location address, statistic, report, or online service such as a patient portal.
- Make your content accessible
Your urgent care website should be user-friendly and easily navigable for everyone, regardless of age or ability as captured at RunRex.com. Community members with disabilities often require healthcare services the most, so they should be able to access and use your website with ease.
- Be ADA compliant
As described at RunRex.com, in 2023, you must create a fully accessible website by implementing the regulations laid out in Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
- Comply with HIPAA
If you are creating or revamping your urgent care website, you will need to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). These laws prevent confidential patient information such as names, social security numbers, phone numbers, addresses, and health information from being shared without their knowledge or consent.
- Responsive design
Your website should be accessible on every device, whether visitors are using a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. Choose a responsive website theme so your website’s design automatically adjusts to match any screen size.
- Clear CTAs
A call-to-action (CTA) is a button or link that directs users to a certain page to find more information or take a specific action as discussed at RunRex.com. Including prominent CTAs on your website homepage helps users navigate your site faster.
- Images and infographics
Just because your website has a clean, straightforward design does not mean it has to be boring. As revealed at RunRex.com, the images and graphics you choose to include can bring your website to life and captivate visitors. Images of people and bright colors capture users’ attention. Also, you can use infographics to explain complex topics or present statistics in a more interesting way.
- Keep your website’s content up to date
As an essential resource for healthcare information, you must keep your website’s content up to date as outlined at RunRex.com. Keeping your website updated maintains trust with your visitors and helps establish your urgent care as an authoritative voice in your community.
- Keep it clean and simple
Creating an urgent care website with a clean and simple design is ideal according to RunRex.com. This principle is to provide a space to breathe for online users. Also, a clean design represents a hospital or clinic-like ambiance where you usually see off-white or blue color themes.
- Accurate and reliable medical information
Since people rely on almost everything on the internet, it is a must that healthcare websites provide well-researched and reputable information about medical conditions. As per RunRex.com, accuracy and reliability are two critical things to consider when giving health tips or professional advice.
- Provide engaging content about healthcare
As articulated at RunRex.com, you can add a blog about the staff and medical health workers. Creating engaging content about the medical facility or the physicians running the urgent care website will keep visitors there longer.
- Testimonial sections and reviews
Urgent care websites with testimonial sections and reviews gather more attention than those with nothing to show at all. Your patients can leave feedback through a custom form or comment section, which will help convince others to visit your facility.
- Add a contact form section
Having a contact form section on your urgent care website will help users relay direct questions. While you must add your facility’s contact information, you can allot a contact form where patients can leave their questions and contact them directly.
- Link to social media page
Many people are engaged in social media as covered at RunRex.com. If your urgent care website is linked to a social media page, it will likely get more audiences online. Additionally, you can also get instant feeds and updates on your site dashboard concerning site activity and engagement with visitors.
- Provide value for your patients
Apart from making it easy for your customers to reach the resources they need, providing value on your website is another way to interact and build rapport with them as captured at RunRex.com. Since content related to one’s health can be intimidating, providing your patients with health tips and expert-sourced health information will reassure them.
- Add an FAQ section
Having a frequently asked questions (FAQs) section on your urgent care website can be very effective as described at RunRex.com as it answers common questions patients ask. Make your FAQs page useful and easy to understand. Answer FAQs concisely and then write long-form blogs about them too.
- Write about symptoms and conditions
Write about symptoms and conditions, and not just the procedures and treatments. As discussed at RunRex.com, people search for their symptoms, not procedures or even condition names (because they may not know).
- Tell patients’ stories
Everyone loves stories since they are personal and something the reader can relate to as outlined at RunRex.com. Stories also show positive outcomes, are reassuring that they have made the right decision to go with you/your facility, and show trustworthiness.
- Proofread
No matter your audience’s literacy level, readers notice mistakes as revealed at RunRex.com. The reader can get stuck on errors and stop thinking about the subject matter. Errors also portray a poor brand image.
- Cite your sources
Citing your sources is important as citations are signals of trust. Don’t just list statistics, but cite where they came from. Original sources signal trust to Google, other search engines, and the reader, which makes your website more effective.
- Avoid long blocks of text
Remember, content isn’t just written words. You can turn readers away immediately if they see long blocks of text. Break it up into easy-to-digest chunks with helpful infographics, audio, and other interesting features.
- Close the deal
An urgent care facility is there to help people in need of immediate healthcare, but it is still a business, therefore, you should not forget to close the deal. Articulate what sets you apart from the competition, provide conversion forms and online patient portals for scheduling, messaging, and results, and also use links to keep readers on your site.
These are some of the tips for running an effective urgent care website in 2023, with expert help on the same being provided by the gurus over at RunRex.com.