Your Website Is Your Front Door
Most patients look at your website before they call. If it's missing key information or makes the next step hard, they move on to the next result in Google. You don't need a redesign; you need the basics covered clearly. Here's the checklist I go through with new practices.
1. Online Booking Widget
Patients want to book on their own time, not only during office hours. Put an online booking widget above the fold, so someone on your site at 10pm on a Sunday can book right then.
2. Intake Form Links
Link your digital intake forms from the site so new patients complete them at home, not in the waiting room. That is patient readiness: every form on the visit done before the patient walks in. An appointment request template is a good start.
3. Provider Bios and Photos
Each provider gets a short bio and a professional photo: credentials, specialties, and a sentence on their approach. Keep it warm; patients aren't reading CVs.
4. Insurance Accepted List
Patients look for it and often can't find it. List every plan you accept on its own page, linked from the main navigation, not buried in a PDF. Ask billing whether it's current.
5. Clear Contact Information
Phone, address, email, and hours on every page, with a tap-to-call number on mobile. Each location gets its own page with a map, parking, and hours, which matters most for multi-provider practices.
6. Patient Portal Link
If you have a portal, put the login in the top navigation. Every patient who finds it is one less phone call.
7. Reviews and Testimonials
Show Google reviews or a few genuine patient quotes on the homepage. Real reviews, even imperfect ones, beat polished copy.
8. HIPAA and Privacy Notice
Link a plain-language privacy policy and HIPAA notice in the footer. A clear privacy commitment tells patients you take their data seriously.
9. Mobile Responsiveness
Most visitors are on a phone. Test yours now: book an appointment, find the insurance list. Anything clunky costs you appointments.
Where to Start
Treat your website like a staff member who works around the clock: it answers questions, collects information, and books appointments while you're closed. Pick the two or three items you're missing and fix them this month, then connect the site to a full new patient intake workflow.
Get every patient ready before they walk in.
- Forms, consents, and signatures before the visit
- Your paper forms converted by AI
- BAA included