There’s no doubt that in the past 20 years, having a website for your organisation has gone from a relatively niche practice to something that virtually no business can do without. And this is definitely the case for optometry and eyecare providers. Where once your business may have been able to promote itself purely through its location, or by word-of-mouth, it is now the case that all businesses need websites.
And the digital world has moved very quickly. The simple fact is that today, it is no longer enough just to have a website – your site needs to be regularly updated, and follow the guidelines that Google recommends. If you fail to do so, your competitors will begin to rank higher than you, and you can fall behind, even if you offer a superior service and product.
Yes, your website can make or break your business. So here, Optical Success Academy presents some important tips on how you can have a website that search engines love, and customers will find useful.
1. Update your blog regularly
It is important that your site is updated regularly. There are two primary reasons for this. First, customers and potential clients like to see proof that your business is real and professional. Posting a blog every so often might not seem like a big deal – but it acts as reassurance that your practice is ready for business and is run by real people.
Secondly, search engines like to see that your website is active. Adding a short blog on a regular basis is a great way to do this.
2. Make sure your content is great
Remember that your website content is a crucial opportunity to help customers understand your business – and why they should choose your independent practice over competitors or larger providers. It is important that your content should be as good as it can possibly be.
There are many factors to consider here. First, great web content should get across your major selling points quickly. Additionally, however, longer content is appreciated by search engines. To find a happy middle ground, you should ensure that your sentences and paragraphs are short, but that you write as extensively as possible on the topic. Give visitors to your site the chance to skim-read the key details by using bullet points.
3. Improve your images
It’s not just written content that is important. You should invest in high quality images too. Work with a professional photographer to capture great shots of your practice, products, and staff. This can help your business to look professional and inviting.
4. Ensure your site loads quickly
Visitors to your site don’t want to wait around for your pages to load – in fact, they won’t! 79% of website users who have trouble with website performance won’t return to the site again. You can ensure that your site loads quickly by reducing image file sizes, and working with your website hosting provider to achieve faster speeds.
If you would like to learn better methods to help you market your optometry or eyecare business, contact Optical Success Academy today.