Website and Email Tips


Making your website and email more effective

In our dealings with our clients we frequently find that websites become outdated. In an effort to help you keep your site as potentially profitable as possible, we have listed the following suggestions that you or your webmaster may find useful.



  • Accuracy
  • Ancient Pages
  • Contact Forms
  • Client Surveys and Feedback
  • Email Signatures
  • Flash/No Flash
  • Pop-up Etiquette
  • Dead Links

 

Accuracy

If your webmaster has not taken ALL your pages through a spell and grammar check, make sure that happens. Sloppy spelling and poor grammar, even minor errors, will affect how your clients and potential clients perceive your professionalism.

Ancient Pages

Oddly enough, an unfortunate number of Dermatology websites fail to reflect important changes in technology. Keeping pages on your site that feature outdated procedures label you as "out of the loop". Take the time to review your own site every few months.  If something is old, extract it. It's easy to let someone else handle it all, but it's YOUR business and your website is just as representative of your practice as your office.

Client Surveys

How do you know what your clients are interested in? Do you offer an interest form on your site? If not, why not? It is an invaluable source of information, allowing you to provide not only what YOU think is important for them to know, but what THEY want to know, too.

We can offer Client Surveys within your email campaigns as well. You'll get immediate feedback on the amount of interest your client base holds for the various topics presented.

Contact Forms

A comprehensive contact form on your site is crucial. Not only does it give you pinpointed interest from your client, but offers them a reminder of the services your provide. (see sample)

Email Signatures

All your professional emails should contain an Email Signature denoting your full name, office address and phone and a link to your website. A useful addition is a mention of your newsletter. (See sample)

Flash/No Flash

In the past, many web designers got hooked on Flash. In some cases it is useful, In many, it is an irritating time-waster. If you have a Flash introduction to your site, make sure you offer a visible Skip Intro  option.  Also be certain that your webmaster's use of Flash files does not obscure your site from the major search engines. If you have Flash entry pages and your site has a very poor ranking in the search engines, ask your webmaster to make the appropriate changes.

Pop-up Etiquette

If your site makes use of automatic popups, make sure your webmaster has them set to go away once another section of the page has been clicked. Surveys show that a repeated pop-up or one that must be closed by clicking the X or "close window" prompt is one of the most irritating aspects of viewing a website.

Dead Links

If a page or a link to an outside source has been removed, make sure the link is removed from all over pages too. You wouldn't ask your client to walk into a room with no chair or equipment. Don't leave "doors" to empty rooms on your website.