Is Your Website Boring?

Even though it’s new?

Do you ever wonder why lots of new dental websites all look very similar? Perhaps you recently commissioned a new site but were perturbed to see “Dazzling Whites Smiles” just down the road publish something very similar just a few weeks later? You’re not alone.

An increasing number of clients who come to us to help re-invigorate their web presence are commenting that they are fed up with the “same old, same old” templates they see rolled out time and time again by some dental design companies.

So what’s going on? Just why are there so many dentist’s websites which all look very similar? They may be differentiated slightly by using different stock images but fundamentally they are all pretty similar and, frankly, fairly boring. And boring is no good at all when it comes to engaging potential new patients and getting them to contact you.

Step away from the template!

One of the main reasons why websites are all starting to look “samey” is the rise of the template. This is a pre-designed framework which sits on top of content management systems such as WordPress. You can buy them for £50 or so, change the images to “dental” and get online very cheaply. Your site may look poor and very similar to lots of other dentists but if budget is a key concern, then this is an option. In fact lots of web designers make a killing like this – buying templates for next-to-nothing, tweaking them “dentally” and then selling them on to the unsuspecting for a few thousand pounds. So please check the scope of supply before you enter into any web design contract – are you really getting something bespoke or is it a quick, templated “knock off”?

Images

Stock images have a place but even the best ones are still clearly stock. They just don’t seem human or personal do they? People want to see where they are going and who they are going to be dealing with, so a website which feels “human” and personalised *will* work better than websites which rely on flashy stock images which probably don’t really represent the practice anyway. I’ve commented before about the small dental practices on the high street which portray themselves as a multi-surgery “dental spas” online, only to disappoint the patients who visit them. For sure you need to compete with a professional web presence, but it pays to remain realistic.

Text

Most dental website text is dry and unappealing. Some is even very badly written. But why? The main reason for this is that the web design company included copywriting as part of a one-off fee for the website and then spent very little time on it; the result being generic and sterile. The key is to keep your text in line with your images i.e. accurate but also personalised and engaging. If this means budgeting for some decent copywriting or even doing it yourself, then it’s well worthwhile.

Provide something which patients want

Your design, use of images and text, are all extremely important but you need to go the extra mile and provide something extra which people want. This may be free information downloads (ideally in exchange for their email address for marketing purposes), occasional offers or discounts and lots of news and updates about what the practice team has been up to, ideally via your blog. Remember, however much we don’t like to think so, most people would rather be anywhere other than the dentists, so we need to do as much as possible to reach across the divide and help them over. A great website which accurately reflects your services in an empathetic and personalised way is essential to get the ball rolling.

Don’t forget the technical aspects!

It’s not just about how you present information to patients, you need to keep Google happy too. This means providing information which adheres to Google’s web publishing guidelines i.e. in a non-spammy way and optimised to be 100% mobile-friendly. The good news is that if you’ve got it right for your users, then you’re on the right track for Google too.

Summary

There are too many “samey” dental websites these days, even brand new ones. To help differentiate yourself from the competition, your website needs to be professional, engaging and with the personal touch too. Don’t just outsource it all to your web designer and be at risk of getting a generic template just like the dentist down the road. Time is precious but do try to get involved in the process and make your site something that little bit different and special.

If you need help in developing your new practice website or wish to revamp your existing version, please call the Dental Media web design team on 01332 672548 for a friendly chat.