You have probably heard the phrase 'mobile-friendly', but perhaps do not know what it means. Let us explain! It is actually very simple. Essentially, it means if a website looks good - and works well - on mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets. Below are examples of what a non-mobile-friendly site looks like, compared with that of a mobile-friendly site.
A Non-Mobile-Friendly Website
The cellphone screen pictured shows a NON-mobile-friendly site. You know a site is not-mobile-friendly if:
*Image courtesy of Google, 2018.
A Mobile-Friendly Website
This cellphone screen, by contrast, shows a mobile-friendly site. You know a site is mobile-friendly if:
*Image courtesy of Google, 2018.
So, here's the million dollar question: Why should doctors care about this? Will it really make a difference to doctors' practices? The answer is actually yes it will make a BIG difference, so doctors should care about it.
Here are 3 reasons why:
The chart below shows the use of smartphones vs. tablets vs. desktops with regards to online searches. As you can see, the number of smartphone searches (in green) is now higher than that of desktop searches.
In other words, if your website is not mobile-friendly, then you are missing out on over 50% of online traffic! Imagine 50% extra patients walking through your door. What is more, this figure is set to continue growing. In future years, perhaps 90% or more online searches will be done with smartphones or tablets. Can your practice really afford to be inaccessible to over 90% of the population?
Let's think logically here: What end goal are you trying to achieve? You are trying to get patients to schedule an appointment with you, right? How do most of your patients schedule? If it is by phone, then the relevance of a mobile-friendly website is obvious. Why should a patient have to look you up on a desktop computer, then type the number into their phone, when they can find you on a smartphone, then simply "click to call"? Clearly, having a mobile-friendly website with one-click calling options makes it much more convenient for the patient to schedule.
Plus, if you're a doctor who provides acute care, such as urgent care, then patients are more likely to search for this on smartphones. This is because accidents and injuries frequently happen away from a desktop computer and a smartphone is the nearest device.
Where do you want your practice to be in 10 years? We all know that the world of healthcare is changing quickly, increasingly moving toward technological innovations. In order to survive, your practice needs to keep abreast with this technological revolution. Or even better - stay ahead of it. With more and more searches being done on mobiles, it's vital that practices strategically position themselves for this trend. Let's also consider the first impression of future patients - what would they think if they saw an old, non-mobile-friendly on their site. Does that inspire them to trust a doctor? If the doctor's website is not modern, what does that say about his/her operating equipments and treatments?
Not sure if your website is mobile-friendly? We will check it for you for free. Contact Us Now. At least then you will be in an informed position.
Red Castle Services specializes in Online Marketing for Doctors, in particular Medical Websites and SEO for Doctors. Once you have a mobile-friendly website, the next step is to get it to the top of Google, so that patients find it. Depending on your specialty, you may be interested in the following SEO services:
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