Does Your Website Need “Revision Surgery?"
You can probably relate to the idea that any surgical procedure is reasonable cause for a patient to be concerned. But it’s even more upsetting anytime a “revision surgery” might be needed.
We encountered something like that in a marketing meeting with a medical practice that had recently completed an exceptionally pretty new website. (For reasons that will become apparent in this real life story, we’ll not reveal exactly who did the work.)
Understandably, the practice principals were excited about their new website because, at first glance, the graphics and images were visually striking. But upon closer review, some serious issues quickly emerged. A partial list of problems:
- It was completely wrong for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Pages had exceptionally slow loading times
- Site navigation was difficult
- It had no calls-to-action
- There was no means to trap off inquires
It turned out that the client (and most people) were impressed by the graphics and some awesome photos. Beyond that, however, the pretty shell was marketing-ineffective. The site needed “revision surgery.”
In this case, the problems were deep. Perhaps they paid a graphic artist or an inexperienced designer. There could be any number of reasons, but the bottom line was that this website—devoid of marketing, technical and SEO value—was a costly mistake.
And, just as you can’t “revise” a failed surgery, a complete website re-do will be at least as expensive as the initial effort. Revision projects are often more difficult than starting over. And while the added cost is not good news for anyone, it’s even harder for the person who paid for the first website.
That said, the decision to create a new website is easier when you consider that an ineffective and poorly functioning (but pretty) website has a continuing cost in lost opportunity and no Return-on-Investment.
Creating an effective website and mastering SEO for doctors requires professional marketing talent and experience. It’s important to know that advertising art isn’t art, it’s advertising. “Pretty Poison” can kill your healthcare marketing message.
