- Jill Rodriguez
Signs That it Might be Time to Redesign Your Veterinary Website
Updated: Mar 2
Your Veterinary Practice Has Changed – If your goal is practice growth, and it should be, then chances are things have changed in your practice since you first had your veterinary website designed. Maybe you’ve brought on some additional staff members, added new services or even relocated. Your website is the hub of your online presence, and it should accurately reflect the changes and growth you’ve experienced over the past several years.
It Looks Outdated – There are advances in technology occurring on an almost daily basis – particularly in the field of web development. While your veterinary website may have looked state-of-the-art when you first launched it, today it very well could be sending out the wrong message. Outdated websites can give prospects the impression that your entire practice is behind the times, which certainly isn’t going to draw them in as clients.
You Find Yourself Apologizing When You Give Out Your URL – If you’re embarrassed about the poor design work on your website, or have been told time and time again about things like difficult navigation or broken links, it’s definitely time for a change. Your veterinary website should be a source of pride for you and it should adequately represent the trustworthy and quality veterinary care you’ve worked so hard to provide.
It’s Not User-Friendly – Studies have shown that the average new visitor to a website decides within just a few seconds whether to stay or move on. That means that you have precious little time to capture the attention of your prospects and entice them to stay. If your veterinary website is difficult to navigate and important information like how to contact you isn’t simple to locate, it’s very likely that you’re losing out on business as a result.
It’s Not Getting Good Results in the Search Engines – The goal of a veterinary website is to drive traffic and convert prospects into paying customers. If your website isn’t doing well in the search engines, it’s probably because it’s not designed to do so. Things like veterinary SEO, both onsite and offsite, coding and overall design can have a huge impact on how well your veterinary website ranks. If you’re not getting the results you want, it’s probably time to make some changes.
It’s Costing a Fortune for Upkeep – Websites that were designed several years ago may not have the advanced functionality of those designed today. If you have to pay a professional web developer every time you have to make the slightest change to your veterinary website, then you’re probably wasting your money. Modern websites feature user-friendly interfaces that make upkeep a breeze and most changes can be handled by someone at your practice. It may be an investment to start over and redesign your veterinary website, but the money and aggravation you’ll save in the long run will make it well worth it.
It’s Not Bringing In New Clients – Driving traffic and ranking well in the search engines are important factors for a successful veterinary website, but the ultimate goal is to convert that traffic into actual clients. In order to accomplish this goal, a veterinary website must have several key features:
Dynamic Design – It must be user-friendly, visibly appealing and captivate the attention of your audience.
Clear Calls to Action – Don’t wait for visitors to decide what they should do once they end up on your site – tell them! Use action phrases like “Call today!” or “Reserve Your Appointment Now!” to compel visitors to take action.
Easy to Find Contact Information – Your prospects should be able to quickly locate how to get ahold of you.
Interactive Elements – Things like contact forms, online information requests and electronic prescription refills allow your web visitors to interact with you instantly.
A Regularly Updated Blog – Your veterinary website should also feature a blog that you regularly update with informative or entertaining articles. This allows you to connect with and engage your clients and prospects on a personal level and it helps improve your site’s overall search engine ranking.
Whether you had your website designed a decade ago or just last year, the bottom line is if it isn’t effectively driving the growth of your practice, it’s time for a change. Remember, you’ve worked very hard to establish your practice as a leader in quality care and service in your area, and your veterinary website should reflect that same quality.
