When we see something that inspires us we can’t help but feel that we should take that inspiration and turn it into something physical. This is pretty fundamental and a majority of people feel this way fairly often. How can we translate our inspiration into something feasible and better yet how can that be applied to a medical website? This guide aims to answer these questions as well as provide you with the basics every healthcare website should have.
Here at NewGen, we understand everything a website needs to be successful in terms of healthcare marketing. We focus on SEO copy, website design, and other healthcare marketing strategies that ensure brand growth and audience engagement. After reading this guide, consider reaching out to us to learn more.
The Basics
Before addressing the concept of turning inspiration into a feasible design, we have to consider the basics of what a healthcare website should look like. The following includes exactly what your website should include at the bare minimum:
Appointment and Contact Forms. This is extremely important, especially when you have new patients engaging with your website for the first time. This should be at the bottom of every page, easy to see and understand. This will make it more likely for patients to get in touch with your healthcare brand.
Mobile Responsive Design. A lot of brands forget to consider this and focus mainly on how their medical website looks on a desktop. This is a grave error when we consider that our mobile devices have become almost a necessity in our everyday life. Make sure your website looks good on desktop and mobile.
Secure Server. Your patients’ medical records should all be under lock and key which makes having a secure server necessary to keep private information safe. Your website needs to be secure and should be in line with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance. This act is a reassurance to patients that any personal information is safe.
Your Mission. Your mission is one thing that you definitely want your patients to see. It will make you seem more approachable and manage patient expectations. Not only that but it shows that your brand is well established. Expressing the service(s) that you offer will make your brand look more professional as well.
This list should serve as a foundation for a healthcare website. Other important aspects to consider would be SEO copy, accessibility, and your audience. When adding new content to your website make sure it is up to date and engaging for your audience.
A Healthcare Approach to Inspiration to Design
Turning inspiration to design is something that’s been around for a long time. But the burning question is how can the process of inspiration to design be implemented into a healthcare website. Before considering this question, the following is a short list of the challenges you may face as a healthcare brand:
- Similar brand logos
- Heavily regulated industry
- Copious and often complex content
- A website that is both aesthetically appealing and accessible
These challenges are the reason why it is so important to consider the inspiration for the design process. If you see something that stands out to you, keep note of it and consider how you can apply it to your brand.
The design process has several variations but fundamentally it is unchanging. If someone sees something inspiring or they have an idea they wish to execute, they plan accordingly and do what they can to realize the said idea. Think of this concept as design thinking. The following will explain what it is and how you can use it to your advantage in a healthcare sense.
What is design thinking?
Design thinking is essentially the process someone may use to turn their ideas into reality. When looking at it from a healthcare marketing standpoint, it can be used to turn a bland, out-of-date website into something more engaging and aesthetically pleasing. However, this is easier said than done as it is difficult to make something pretty to look at while also maintaining the integrity of your brand and the content itself.
Design thinking also takes into consideration budget and technical feasibility, both of which are important when it comes to the kind of resources it takes to make a website the best it can be. There needs to be a balance between realistic expectations, audience engagement, quality content, and the amount of money spent on the website.
What are the key principles of design thinking?
Having a general understanding of what design thinking is, let’s get into the principles of design thinking you can use to apply to your healthcare website.
1. User-centricity
This is the next step after establishing a website that is easy to navigate. This puts the designer in the shoes of the audience. Let’s say you have an inspiring idea and have applied it to your healthcare website. The next step is to step out of the designer mindset and explore your website as if you were a patient, this will allow you to catch mistakes and see what works and what doesn’t.
2. Ideation
Being inspired by something is relatively easy, new ideas are being formulated every day. However, being able to turn an idea into a product of design thinking needs a framework as a foundation. If you have an idea but no framework to go along with it, it’ll make it difficult to bring that idea into reality. In terms of healthcare, consider if you want to add a new feature to your website but aren’t sure how to add it in or if it’ll even work, begin with a framework. If the basics of an idea work then designing it to be better will follow.
3. Experimentation and Iteration
Having an inspiring idea is one thing but the actual execution is a whole challenge in and of itself. Having an idea with a solid framework is the first step and experimenting is the next step. This can include prototyping, testing, changing design, and having a solid final product. Let’s go back to the aforementioned scenario where you wish to implement a new feature on your website. You have the idea and framework done but applying it and making sure it works is what needs to be considered next. This also comes with the question of if it’ll be easy for your current or new patients to use. Also, consider if it matches the aesthetic your medical website already has established.
Design thinking is a challenging process but worth the time and effort. It sets apart a good website from one that is spectacular. The internet is a powerful tool and as a healthcare brand, it is your job to use it to the best of your ability.
What NewGen Can Do For Your Healthcare Marketing Brand
NewGen is a healthcare marketing firm dedicated to helping brands reach their marketing goals, which often include revamping their website, attracting new patients through marketing strategies, and overall brand growth. NewGen has all those bases covered, we are experts in SEO copy, website design, social media, and so much more. We want to help turn your vision into reality and make your brand the best it can be.
If you have any questions about NewGen and what we do, feel free to contact us!