When marketing cosmetic surgery practices on the Internet, creating a professional website is essential. Cosmetic surgery is not only a ‘large ticket item’, it’s also a decision which most potential patients weigh very carefully. If you, your practice and your website don’t convey a sense of professionalism, your practice will suffer.
When it comes to the Internet, there are many different theories as to just what makes a website a professional one. Those elements that make up an unprofessional website, however, are far more obvious. The following are things to avoid when trying to convey that all-important sense of professionalism on your website.
- Slang and technical jargon. It’s quite obvious that slang is best avoided when trying to create a professional website. However, the opposite is also try. Avoid overly technical content and remember to write your text for your visitors. This is particularly important when it comes to the plastic surgery website. While you may know what rhytidectomy is, many of your visitors may only know what a facelift is.
- Unnecessary content. Keep on an eye on the content that is being read by your site visitors and the content that isn’t. Either remove content that isn’t being read or rewrite it to make it more valuable.
- Repetition. Avoid repeating the same information on every page. Instead, try to offer fresh, new content on each and every page. Visitors don’t like having to read the same information over and over and this can discourage them from continuing on your site.
- No contact information. Your contact information is the one time that you can, and should, be repetitive. Make it easy for visitors to contact you by including necessary contact information like your phone number and email address on every page of your website. Also have a contact page that details every way in which visitors can reach you, and you may also want to include a contact form.
- No white space. A lack of white space can make the information you’re providing appear overwhelming. Rather than bunching up your text, be sure to add plenty of space between paragraphs.
- Too many, too bright, too clashing or otherwise eye-straining colors. Though there are some 256 colors available for website design, you need not use all of them. Choose the colors for your website carefully and with your audience in mind. Avoid overly bright colors or colors that clash and instead aim to create a pleasing, soothing appearance with the colors you choose.
- Too many fonts. Every time that the font on a page changes, the eye needs time to readjust. Avoid using too many different sizes, colors and styles of font. It’s best to choose just one font and stick with it, and to use no more than three different sizes of that font.
- Animation. Some argue that animation draws the users eye and gets their attention. While this may be true, flashing and moving objects can also distract the eyes and prove frustrating. Further, some graphics make pages slow to load. It’s often better to emphasize key text with changes in text color or size or by bolding or italicizing text.