There are millions and millions of sites on the Internet today. Some of them are good, some of them are not. Some sites provide a wealth of valuable information and services, while others simply waste our time. Determining the difference between the good and the bad can be an exercise in patience. With all of this information, ensuring that your site has web credibility is essential. And when it comes to medical websites like a site for your plastic surgery practice, this is particularly true. The following are tips for creating credibility on the web when it comes to cosmetic surgery marketing:
- Show that your cosmetic surgery practice is a real practice. Some of the easiest ways to do this include listing a physical address, posting a picture of your office and/or yourself, and listing your qualifications and credentials. Testimonials and before-and-after pictures of past patients can also be particularly helpful in this regard.
- Highlight your plastic surgery expertise. If you have a particular expertise within your field, rhinoplasty for instance, be sure to highlight this. Also be sure to provide any credentials and affiliations you have.
- Encourage contact. Make sure that your contact information is easy and clear. Include a phone number, fax number, physical and mailing addresses, and email address. You should also encourage visitors to contact you with any questions they may have. You can also encourage contact with Q&As and forums.
- Appropriate, professional doctor website design. Your site should be designed so that it is aesthetically pleasing, professional in appearance, and appropriate for your purpose. It’s been proven that visitors first evaluate a site’s overall design in determining that site’s credibility. Factors to consider include layout, font, images, and consistency.
- Ease of use. Ensure that your site is user-friendly, meaning that it’s both easy to use and useful. If visitors don’t immediately understand what your site is about or if they have to go in search of what they’re looking for, they’re likely to go elsewhere.
- Show that your staff is caring and trustworthy. Because you are not a practice unto yourself, it can be very helpful to include information about your staff. These can be in the form of short employee bios or pictures, even pictures showing them at work and with patients.
- Update your content. It’s been shown that users find sites with content that has been recently updated or reviewed to be more credible. As such, be sure to update your content on a regular basis and show any recent reviews.
- Be ad-free. Avoid having advertisements on your website if possible, particularly those annoying pop-ups. If ads must be on your site, be sure that they can be clearly distinguished from your own content.
- Banish errors. Any errors, including spelling errors, typos and broken links, can make you appear less credible then you are. As such, avoid all errors and immediately fix any you miss.
- Link relevancy. For incoming and outgoing links, ensure that they are relevant. Also, don’t link to outside sources that are not credible as your credibility can decrease by association.