1. Create a page for first time patients. While your website should definitely help keep your current patients informed on the current goings-on in your practice, it is primarily to bring new patients to your practice. In order to facilitate this, you should create a page that is dedicated to first time patients. On this page, you will list all of the things that a first time patient will need such as links to forms they can fill out ahead of time. In addition, you can list your contact information, the hours you are open, your financial policies, and what they can expect during their first visit. This is a great time to add an Instagram hyperlapse video of a practice walk through or other introductory video to welcome a new patient to your practice. If you offer online appointment scheduling, this is also a great place to have that functionality as well.
2. Use interesting photos and images. You've heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, but on a website, they are worth a million. Websites that have interesting pictures are much more likely to catch the eye of a reader than those that just present a wall of text. Having before and after pictures on your services page can help patients visualize what a particular service can do for them. You can also post pictures of smiling customers, pictures of dental procedures in progress, or even images of your staff on a "meet the staff" page. It is important to ensure that everyone appears to be happy and images should be self-explanatory.
3. Focus on the needs of your patients. Your website should be simple in its design and offer the information your patients will need in order to be encouraged to come to your practice. Stay away from focusing too much on your practice in general, but focus on how your practice can help your patients achieve their goals. Your "Meet the Staff" page can be dedicated to providing your credentials and accolades as a dental health expert.
4. Media tips. There is nothing worse than a slow loading website. If you have videos or other multimedia on your website, turn off the auto play feature to help speed up load times.
5. Mobile friendly and responsive design. Do not underestimate the importance of mobile technology in your website design. Studies have shown that over half of the people who come across your website will be doing it from a smartphone or tablet. If your site doesn't translate well to mobile technology, you will lose this customer. Responsive website design will ensure that your website looks great, no matter what platform it is being used. And, having a responsive website design will increase your local SEO efforts and help you rank better in search engine results.