5 Old Technologies that are Hurting Your Practice Website.

You wouldn’t want your patients to walk into an old-fashioned office with out of date equipment, antiquated eyewear displays and ancient processes. Likewise, your virtual office - i.e. website - should be upgraded regularly.  

Having an outdated website can be more harmful than just the negative impression it leaves on visitors - it can actually be hurting your practice.  

Here are 5 outdated website technologies that could be causing damage to your practice website and reducing its’ effectiveness at bringing in patients:

1. HTML:  If your site was built more than 15 months ago, it’s probably not using HTML 5... which is bad because code matters for web search and visibility. HTML 5 helps search engines better understand what your site is about and allows webmasters to instruct search engines how to read certain parts of your site. In short, HTML 5 is better for your SEO and helping potential patients find your practice online.  
2. Load Time (over 1.5 seconds):  If your site is on old technology, then it probably surpasses the ideal load times, and that's bad for business. Visitors prefer sites that load faster, and so does Google. In fact, Google experiments show that a difference of a few milliseconds in slower load time can have a negative effect on user experience. On the other hand, faster web technology provides a better experience for visitors and gets your site preference in the search results.
3. Responsive design with CSS:  I hate to get technical on you, but the rules of site design keep changing and when it comes to providing an optimal web experience across all devices (from desktop monitors to mobile phones) responsive design is the preferred model. Responsive design with CSS adjusts the layout of the page to accommodate the screen width and to provide optimal viewing, navigation and interaction on virtually any device. (Below you can see an example of a responsive design website as seen on three different size screens). 
4. User Experience: Designs have changed so much in the last few years, that stacked designs are the norm EVERYWHERE (here are some examples: Bright Eyes Family Vision Care, Shuswap Optometric Centre, Berryessa Optometry ).  If your site doesn't fit that bill, visitors can see it in seconds, and your average time on site and pages are in jeopardy.
5. Screen Size:  Modern websites are designed to accommodate any screen width and with more and more people using high resolution screens this becomes even more important. Newer technologies like retina display mean people expect crisp, high resolution images and sites under 1200 pixels may not look good on many larger monitors.

If your website is outdated it says a lot to visitors about your practice. Alternately, a modern, up-to-date website with advanced features, creates an impression that your practice is advanced and progressive when it comes to medical practice and eyewear as well. 

Ready to update your online image? EyeCarePro is offering a host of beautiful new website designs with leading technologies and advanced features. Contact me for more information at Daniel@eyecarepro.net or phone (412) 532-6542.