The planning process for new dental websites – the design questionnaire

Working with you to design your new practice website

One of the main reasons why dentists choose to work with Dental Media is our reputation for providing truly bespoke services and not requiring clients to fit into pre-configured website design packages. Each project we undertake is based on a detailed review process which we carry out in conjunction with the practice team.

This allows us to understand not simply the basics of the services offered, e.g. which treatments, but also the ethos of the practice, it’s key differentiators and selling points and also the preferred target market.

So whether the first objective is to get a foot-hold on the web and your budget is small, or if you want a 60 page website with full content management, you can be assured that we will work closely with you to deliver the best possible outcome. Our smaller projects are subject to the same rigorous design standards as larger ones with bigger budgets. We know that small websites will likely expand as the practice itself develops; consequently we don’t lumber any clients with low-spec, feature-limited sites that fail to create the right impression.

Putting it simply, all of our new websites for dentists, small or large are fully featured and look great too. The price difference comes with the scope of the site, for example how many pages you need and if you need a content management system.

Understanding your needs

Following the initial web enquiry and discussions about your project, we will develop a more detailed scope by issuing a design questionnaire. This really helps us to identify and implement the most appropriate features for your website. Each questionnaire is slightly different depending on the project but all will include the following elements:

About the practice

Here we establish the basic facts about the practice including the following:

• location
• treatments offered
• key selling points
• the practice ethos – “mission, vision, values”
• your understanding of the local competition
• the team
• your target market
• your expectations from the website, including return on investment

The aesthetics and design

Clients often have clear ideas about how their websites should look, including tie-in to existing branding etc.

• general “look and feel”
• re-using existing branding or new?
• preferred colour palette
• key “calls-to-action”
• specific features e.g. galleries, treatment animations, image changers etc
• examples of websites you like
• design of the navigation menu
• optimisation for mobiles and tablets

The functionality

Not all websites are built the same. For example, some clients have no desire to update their own sites and ask us to do it; others require full access content management. For all options, we will advise the pros and cons.

• do you need content management (CMS) and what are the options available?
• do you need an integrated practice blog?
• do you have already have social media channels to be integrated and if not, would you like us to set these up for you?
• what are your hosting and email requirements?
• do you need to integrate with on-line appointment booking?
• do you have a domain name or do you need us to help choose and acquire one for you?

The website history

If you already have a website and are upgrading, we will also need to understand the history of the old domain. This might seem like an obscure question but the history of a website is important, particularly when considering search engine optimisation (SEO). Where poor quality SEO has happened historically, a domain (your www address) may actually be compromised and building a new website on it may not be the best plan. We can assess this and recommend appropriately.

The interview

When we have collated all of the necessary information, we will have further detailed discussions with you to ensure all is accurate and representative before we begin the draft design process. We will also explain the importance of search engine optimisation and what we will do to help your new site fare well in Google.

The process from there is also completely interactive so that you can be confident that, even whilst we are there to act as experienced designers and architects, you are ultimately always in control of your new website project.

Summary

A new website for a dentist should never be a fire-and-forget process. A site that works effectively and represents the practice in a professional way on-line, warrants a detailed investigation and planning process upfront.

At Dental Media we have refined this process over 13 years of designing websites for dentists. We invite you to get in touch on 01332 672548 so you can benefit too.