Dental Website Design: 6 Key Things to Keep in Mind

There are more than 1.7 billion websites online right now.

If you run a dental practice then your potential clients will have come to expect that you’ll have a website for that practice.

Not all websites are created equal, however. It’s not enough that your dental website exists; it has to be a great website that offers everything that people need.

Read on as we take a look at six things you should keep in mind when designing a dental website.

1. Why Do Dentists Need a Good Website?

91% of people use search engines to find information. When people are looking for local businesses, a search engine is usually their first port of call. If you don’t have a website or your site doesn’t make it to the first page of local search results, then you’re invisible to the vast majority of your potential customers.

Websites also never sleep. Whilst your dental practice reception will only be open during business hours, your website will be accessible at any time of the day or night, every day of the week. A good website will also build trust in your brand; if you have a poor quality website, it will give potential clients doubts about the quality of your dental practice.

2. What Makes a Website Good?

A good dental website is one that looks great, right?

Wrong! A good website is one that gets results. You can have the most beautiful design in the world, but if it’s getting no traffic, or doesn’t convert the traffic you do get, then it’s not doing its job.

If your website is regularly pulling in good levels of traffic, and it’s converting that traffic well, then there’s no need to change things. As a benchmark, you should be converting at least 3% of those visits. If it’s less than that, then you need to do something about it.

3. Things Every Dental Website Needs

Every potential client out there will have seen a good website in the past. That means that they will have expectations of what a good website includes. You need to meet or exceed those expectations.

Your dental website should include all of the following.

Secure HTTPS

Standard HTTP pages are not encrypted. This means that patient data could be at risk.

When you send information over a secure HTTPS connection it means that no one can try to capture that data in transit.

Responsive Design

In the US, 60% of organic search engine visits are done on mobile devices. Mobile is now the dominant method of search, but it doesn’t mean people don’t still use laptops or desktops.

Your website needs to work flawlessly no matter what the device. That’s why responsive design is vital.

Elegant and Professional Design

Your website is the face of your business.

You need to have a crisp, clean design if you want to show off your brand to its best.

Clear and Logical Information Architecture to Allow for Great UX

Your site has to be simple to use.

The last thing you want is for your potential clients to be unable to find the information they need.

Professional and Authentic Photography of Dentists and Staff

People want a dentist they can trust.

High-quality images of the practice staff are a great way to help build that trust.

Landing Pages for Treatments

Some of your potential clients will be seeking specific treatments.

They’re looking for a dedicated page on your site with all the information they require.

A Contact Page to Offer Appointments and Show Off Location

There’s no point in having a great website if it doesn’t allow people to book an appointment.

You should also be sure to have clear information on how to find you.

Review Pages to Show Happy Clients

A website is a great opportunity to manage your online reputation.

Potential clients are far more likely to take the plunge if they see good reviews.

A Gallery to Show Off Your Practice

Another way to make people feel more comfortable about visiting your practice is to let them see it in advance.

You should always use professional photos to show off your practice.

Prominent Phone Number or Appointment Booking CTA

If you want your site to convert, you need to make it as easy as possible to turn visitors into customers.

Your contact details and appointment booking should be front and center and you should be encouraging visitors to use them.

Implemented Web Analytics and Conversion Tracking

If you make changes to your site, how can you tell if they’re working?

Analytics allows you to examine the results of your efforts and act accordingly.

High-Quality SEO Optimized Content

To generate new patients consistently, your site needs to rank on page one of the search results.

Even the prettiest website is ineffective if it doesn’t generate any revenue for your business. Content optimized for SEO can help get your website up the rankings.

HIPAA and/or GDPR Compliance

It’s important that your website meets the required guidelines for a site that will be taking confidential medical information.

This is one of the most important things you will need to take into consideration.

Page Load Speed

If your site doesn’t load the required information within two to three seconds, users will look elsewhere.

Your website must be up to speed.

4. How Much Does a Dental Website Cost?

The cost of a dental website depends on what kind of site you’re looking to build.

If you need a simple site for your small practice, you can probably get something for around 1,500 € – 3,000 €.

For a custom-designed website, you’re probably looking at 5,000 € – 7,000 € or more.

5. How Long Does a Dental Website Take to Create?

Designing and building a good quality website doesn’t happen overnight.

You can expect it to take between 4-8 weeks before you’re ready to launch.  If you’re upgrading your site, it’s important to keep the old one in place until the new one goes online.

6. Is a Good Website Enough on Its Own?

The simple answer is: no.

You can have the most beautiful, user-friendly website in the world, but if no one can find it, it’s not going to gain you any new business. Before your website can convert, it needs traffic. The good news is that there are plenty of ways of getting some.

Local SEO will help get your website to the top of local search results, which will bring far more traffic to your site. If there’s a lot of local competition, then paid ads are also a powerful way to get your site in front of the eyes of your potential clients. You can also drive traffic to your site using social media marketing.

Are You Looking for Powerful Dental Marketing Services for Your Website?

As we’ve already seen, having a good dental website isn’t enough on its own.

If you want your business to grow, you need to be sure that people find that website. That’s where we can help. We can provide high-quality local SEO to help you dominate local and organic search results.

We can also help you to set up a Google Ads campaign to drive even more traffic to your site. With conversion tracking, social media advertising, and content creation and marketing, we can provide everything you need to get your dental website to the top of the rankings.

To find out more about how we can help your dental practice grow, get in touch today.