There are plenty of medical practices out there that survive very well without a website. Doctors and other primary care specialists have large client bases and don’t need to be concerned with increasing their income. Many can’t take on any extra patients, as their workload is already high, but is this shortsighted – or are practice websites unnecessary for successful medical practitioners?
Creating a website is no big deal, yet many people are convinced it is expensive and difficult. Medical practitioners are often concerned about the hassle associated with adhering to regulation and the risk of publishing incorrect or confidential information.
Creating a Website from Scratch
All of these concerns are valid, but they shouldn’t prevent your medical practice from building a website. Content management systems such as WordPress are very easy to use. You will also need to find a hosting provider, so check out the BlueHost Review by Gary Dek; it’s very helpful. Another way to approach the issue is to contract the website design and development to a third party company with plenty of experience in website creation for medical practices. This will take the pressure off you and enable you to concentrate on caring for patients.
The Benefits of Building a Medical Practice Website
Whilst not all medical practices have websites, many do, and if you operate in an area where your competitors are on the ball, you could be missing out. We can’t ignore the march of progress and no matter how much you might hate the idea, websites are becoming the norm for all businesses.
Medical practices without a website run the risk of being left behind as the world embraces the online world. Older patients probably won’t be too bothered, but as time goes on, they are superseded by the next generation – a generation that has grown up with the internet.
The first thing many people do when they need to see a medical practitioner is to research online. If their insurance company sends a list of doctors and specialists in their area, they are likely to go online to check out who’s who. Using the information provided will help them choose which practice to visit. If your medical practice doesn’t have a website, you could miss out. Sure, you might be full to capacity right now, but it won’t always be the case.
Attracting More Desirable Patients
Younger patients take online access for granted. They are used to booking online appointments, accessing test results and requesting medication via a website. If their current medical practitioner does not provide that capability, there is a strong possibility that they will move to a practice with a website and full online functionality.
Younger patients are usually healthier, so it is more cost effective to maintain a younger demographic on your patient roster. Without a website, this will be difficult, and you are more likely to receive older patients with complex medical needs.
Medical practices are not obliged to have a website, but it makes business sense to have one, so don’t wait too long or you could be miss out on new patients.
This is a guest post by Veselina Dzhingarova.
