A Guide to Websites for Health Care Professionals
United States · CPD courses & CPD points · Health Professionals
Every business needs a great website to survive in the modern age, and health care professionals are no exception. Here's a few interesting stats for you. Right now, there are more than 4 billion people with regular internet access, and almost 2 billion websites. More than 50% of those people use websites on their mobile phone exclusively, and 47% of people will look at a business website before deciding to use their service.
Your expertise, however, is probably not in the technical and marketing fields, so it's likely that you've struggled with how to get your own website up and running. Here's a quick guide for you, based on my experience running a digital agency.
Be prepared to pay
There are lots of free ways to get a website (WIX and the like), but free solutions come at a cost - they'll make you look unprofessional and untrustworthy, especially when comparing to your competitors. That said, websites don't need to cost a lot. There are many companies out there that can produce a respectable site for a few thousand Rand. It's worth the investment to get it done properly.
How to find a good website building company
Don't use your friend's nephew. Just because they're "tech-savvy" and know how to use Wordpress, does not make them capable of building a professional site. Google around for a few companies, preferably one that you can meet with in person. Check their portfolio, and look out for examples of websites that they've built in your industry.
What to prepare for your website
In today's world, you can have anything you want built in to a website, and they can be highly variable. Before choosing a company, it's best to decide on what you need out of it, as this is likely to affect the time and cost. A good first step is to Google around and look at your competitor websites. What do they have that you like? What don't you need?
Typically, you'll want to consider;
- Your initial budget for the website to be built. Decide what your maximum is before getting quotes.
- What a reasonable timeline is for you to have it built (a few weeks, or a few months?).
- Ongoing hosting and maintenance costs. Hosting fees are usually minimal. If you want ongoing updates done for you, then you'll need a larger monthly budget.
- What pages you want. A very basic website will have a home page, an about us page, and a contact page. But you may want to consider having a blog, a booking system to make your life easier, services pages, or other things.
- For each of the pages you've decided on, write content. You'll want to aim for at least 300 words per page. Most companies will also offer the service of copywriting if you want it to be done for you.
Things to look out for
Don't enter in to any contracts. Most companies will simply build the site for a fee and leave it there. The only monthly charge should be hosting, which you can organize yourself through various providers such as Imaginet, Hetzner, Afrihost, and so on.
Make sure that you get your own domain name (johnsmithpsychology.co.za, for example). Emails should be free with hosting. Always use a professional email address (john@johnsmithpsychology.co.za).
Make sure that you are given a timeline up front before agreeing to anything, and that the company sticks to the timeline and communicates with you. Don't pay more than a 50% deposit.
Don't go for the cheapest. As with everything in life, you get what you pay for. Look for a company that understands your needs, has a proven track record, and that you feel comfortable with.
Be sure that your new website is mobile friendly, easily legible, and covers your business needs.
If you want to go the free route
I thoroughly discourage building your own site, but if you're set on doing this yourself, you can still build your own website with WIX or Squarespace. Some hosting providers also have their own website builders. You should still follow all of the guides above - get your own domain, prepare your content, do your research, and so on. Just be aware that it won't come at as well as a professionally built site.
Calabash · South AfricaCalabash Articles · South AfricaCalabash Partners · South AfricaCalabash Contributors · South AfricaCalabash Speakers · South AfricaCalabash Talks · South AfricaCalabash Sign up · South AfricaCalabash Sign in · South AfricaPhysiotherapists CPD courses & CPD points · South AfricaOccupational Therapists CPD courses & CPD points · South AfricaAudiologists CPD courses & CPD points · South AfricaArticle · SAPC Dialogues: Challenges and Innovations · South AfricaArticle · CBT: Band-Aid Solution or Sufferer's Balm? · South AfricaArticle · Thinking about Bullying · South AfricaNeurodiversity CPD courses & CPD points · South AfricaCareers CPD courses & CPD points · South AfricaFood CPD courses & CPD points · South AfricaTalk · Nature vs. Nurture: Understanding the link between psychology and genetics · South AfricaTalk · Understanding and Managing Central Auditory Processing Disorder · South AfricaTalk · Sexual Abuse: Assessment, Psychological Effects & Legal Obligations · South AfricaAbout Calabash · South AfricaPrivacy Policy · South AfricaAbout Partners · South AfricaCalabash · AustraliaCalabash Articles · AustraliaCalabash Partners · AustraliaCalabash Contributors · AustraliaCalabash Speakers · AustraliaCalabash Talks · AustraliaCalabash Sign up · AustraliaCalabash Sign in · AustraliaDieticians CPD courses & CPD points · AustraliaPsychiatrists CPD courses & CPD points · AustraliaPsychologists CPD courses & CPD points · AustraliaArticle · Cleaning during COVID-19 Pandemic · AustraliaArticle · Making Peace with Food · AustraliaArticle · Why conventional hearing tests are not sufficient · AustraliaBrain Injury CPD courses & CPD points · Australia CPD courses & CPD points · AustraliaSouth Africa CPD courses & CPD points · AustraliaTalk · Dyslexia: Conceptual framework and therapeutic interventions · AustraliaTalk · Stuttering: An Overview of Assessment & Treatment · AustraliaTalk · Emotionally dysregulated clients: Supporting Families - 1. The Distress Cycle · AustraliaUploading a Talk · AustraliaAbout Partners · AustraliaHow It Works · AustraliaCalabash · New ZealandCalabash Articles · New ZealandCalabash Partners · New ZealandCalabash Contributors · New ZealandCalabash Speakers · New ZealandCalabash Talks · New ZealandCalabash Sign up · New ZealandCalabash Sign in · New ZealandMedical Professionals CPD courses & CPD points · New ZealandPsychiatrists CPD courses & CPD points · New ZealandOccupational Therapists CPD courses & CPD points · New ZealandArticle · Euphoria: what every therapist and parent needs to know about the show every teen is talking about · New ZealandArticle · Tips for Self-Care · New ZealandArticle · Who's Afraid of Stuttering? · New ZealandFeeding CPD courses & CPD points · New ZealandSouth Africa CPD courses & CPD points · New Zealand CPD courses & CPD points · New ZealandTalk · Working with Adolescents in Psychotherapy · New ZealandTalk · Psycho-oncology: Psychological Aspects of Cancer and its Treatment · New ZealandTalk · Working with Posttraumatic Stress: Current and Contextual Considerations · New ZealandHow It Works · New ZealandFrequently Asked Questions · New ZealandAbout Partners · New ZealandCalabash · United KingdomCalabash Articles · United KingdomCalabash Partners · United KingdomCalabash Contributors · United KingdomCalabash Speakers · United KingdomCalabash Talks · United KingdomCalabash Sign up · United KingdomCalabash Sign in · United KingdomMedical Professionals CPD courses & CPD points · United KingdomPsychologists CPD courses & CPD points · United KingdomRegistered Counsellors CPD courses & CPD points · United KingdomArticle · Locating Dyslexia in the South African Schooling Context · United KingdomArticle · On Becoming a Play Therapist · United KingdomArticle · Do functional addicts exist? · United KingdomBipolar Mood Disorder CPD courses & CPD points · United KingdomAustralia CPD courses & CPD points · United KingdomUnited Kingdom CPD courses & CPD points · United KingdomTalk · The Schizoid Problem · United KingdomTalk · Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: The Clinical Framework · United KingdomTalk · Developing a Listening Brain: An Introduction to Auditory-Verbal Therapy · United KingdomPrivacy Policy · United KingdomAbout Calabash · United KingdomUploading an Article · United KingdomCalabash · United StatesCalabash Articles · United StatesCalabash Partners · United StatesCalabash Contributors · United StatesCalabash Speakers · United StatesCalabash Talks · United StatesCalabash Sign up · United StatesCalabash Sign in · United StatesPsychiatrists CPD courses & CPD points · United StatesRegistered Counsellors CPD courses & CPD points · United StatesPhysiotherapists CPD courses & CPD points · United StatesArticle · A bit about SANDTA · United StatesArticle · Anti-psychotic Medications · United StatesArticle · Screens in Therapy · United States CPD courses & CPD points · United StatesUnited Kingdom CPD courses & CPD points · United StatesStroke CPD courses & CPD points · United StatesTalk · The Frontal Lobes: Anatomy, Function & Dysfunction · United StatesTalk · Building Brains: Foundations of Neuroanatomy · United StatesTalk · Psychopharmacological Treatments for Anxiety and Depression · United StatesUploading a Talk · United StatesPrivacy Policy · United StatesAbout Partners · United StatesCalabash · CanadaCalabash Articles · CanadaCalabash Partners · CanadaCalabash Contributors · CanadaCalabash Speakers · CanadaCalabash Talks · CanadaCalabash Sign up · CanadaCalabash Sign in · CanadaPhysiotherapists CPD courses & CPD points · CanadaPsychologists CPD courses & CPD points · CanadaOccupational Therapists CPD courses & CPD points · CanadaArticle · Sleep changes through the lifespan · CanadaArticle · SAPC Dialogues: Introduction to the Dialogues · CanadaArticle · Going Deeper Than Diets: Rethinking Relationships with Food and Weight · CanadaMarketing CPD courses & CPD points · CanadaUnited States CPD courses & CPD points · CanadaUnited States CPD courses & CPD points · CanadaTalk · Key Principles of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy · CanadaTalk · Let's Talk about Gender and Sexuality · CanadaTalk · Couples Counselling: An essential introductory map · CanadaUploading a Talk · CanadaFrequently Asked Questions · CanadaAbout Partners · Canada
Psychologist in Sydney