DIY websites
DIY websites for doctors
DIY websites
DIY websites for doctors
Kris Borgraeve
September 23, 2022
The reasons to look into diy websites
building your own website
Building your own website as a doctor has multiple benefits. You avoid disappointing contractors. You keep things under control. You save money.
I will put it to you that DIY websites for doctors in private practice are a no-go. In summary: your time is used better elsewhere. Here is why.
Designing your own website as a doctor
designing a website
Designing a website is often misunderstood. In our webinars and workshops, and in the individual free Strategy Sessions we run with leading surgeons and specialists in private practice, we often discuss the bigger picture of designing a website:
- Strategic work: mapping the competition in your niche in your catchment area
- Brand positioning: building a unique brand story for your practice so you stand out
- Content planning: using market data to build the content that your patients are searching for
"Many surgeons and doctors tell me they seem to have missed part of the digital evolution. If that’s the case for you, rest assured that this is normal. While you were building experience in your specialty area, a whole world of digital communication has changed the way we look up health information."
In the last two decades, smartphones, online behaviour and Google’s artificial intelligence have revolutionised many things. Patient education and patient research are part of that revolution.
When you look into solutions for DIY websites for doctors they often only focus on allowing you to design the interface. There is no guarantee that your content will be visible in Google Search, or that your pages will stand out from the competition.
The obstacles to overcome
building a medical website
The main challenges with DIY websites relate to the fact that these platforms are designed to suit any type of website.
Cafes, travel agents, vloggers, photographers and beauticians all go on the same platforms to build their own website. As we have now established, building a medical website requires more strategic work and more focus on the content.
The time you spend figuring out the reasonably simple interfaces of DIY websites for doctors will still require you to sit behind your computer for a couple of hours.
The main reasons why doctors ultimately step away from these DIY solutions are:
- Lack of strategic foundation: The platforms allow you to quickly add content but you have no idea if this content will drive patients to your private practice.
- Lack of uniqueness: Templates – by definition – will be very generic and will not convey the uniqueness of your medical practice.
- Lack of control: Your online presence will always be restricted by the features and functionality of the platform you choose.
5 reasons not to use a DIY website
medical website tips
I totally understand that you choose a DIY formula when you are prioritising other areas of your private practice.
I also notice that many doctors tell us they wish they had known all this sooner in their career.
Content strategies for medical marketing are very multi-faceted. AHPRA-compliance (if you are in Australia), the realities of your specialty area, the hospital and insurance system, the general economic climate…they all interfere with the performance of your medical marketing strategy. And your website is always the cornerstone, no matter how much money you pour into Google Ads or social media.
"My top reasons not to use DIY websites for doctors in private practice are 1. Lack of uniqueness 2. Poor Google optimisation 3. Low levels of IP ownership 4. Lack of strategic vision and 5. Restricted design functionality."
What if you firmly believe you can not or do not want to spend any money on your medical marketing strategy or your website?
Time to look at the alternative: the benefits of a premium medical marketing strategy with little or no ‘do-it-yourself’ components.
Optimising your medical marketing strategy
premium medical marketing
Let me share the story of three specialist doctors or surgeons. Their stories are real, but for confidentiality reasons, I will give them alternative names and possibly genders. Their story is very real though.
Dr Abraham Bass wanted to prepare the next leg of his career as an O&G. The brand positioning shift from obstetrics to women’s health included rebranding, optimising Google visibility and an integrated web and social media strategy. 7 years later, the clinic has recruited allied specialists and health professionals and has become a leading national brand in women’s health.
- A premium medical marketing strategy maps your business goals, brings in patient behaviour research data and then builds the content that attracts the exact type of referrals you need to develop your practice.
Dr Lindsey Morris wanted to grow her patient numbers in weight loss surgery. We mapped the exact topics that patients googled for and did a complete makeover of the existing website. Three years later, the practice had doubled their turnover in spite of being down for months during the pandemic.
- A premium medical marketing campaign with a high focus on video marketing, personalised stories and AHPRA-compliant patient education, not just for the commodity search but for all proven patient Google search terms that are involved in the area of bariatrics and weight loss surgery.
Dr Lee Wong was practising as a clinical psychologist and implemented a Digital Practice strategy to attract more patients and stand out as a Key Opinion Leader. Two years later, the clinic had opened a third location, recruited 7 additional psychologists and branched out to become a leading psychology brand in her catchment area.
- A premium medical marketing campaign focused on producing regular content updates to build more online visibility. Google rewards fresh content updates provided they follow the latest guidelines in medical SEO and include value for the target audience.
There is a connection between understanding what your patients search for, and optimising your content for Google. What we have seen in recent years is content marketing as a key influencer in private practice growth, affecting how patients ask for referrals and how they use them.
Still doubting about a DIY website?
hiring a web designer
If you are thinking about building your own website as a doctor, or about hiring a web designer, book your free Strategy Session with Digital Practice first. We will go over the growth ambitions for your private practice, the potential to build a thought leadership profile and the local market situation that applies to your local market.
- Tags: Web design
