Websites - It's not just about you.

Is your practice's LASIK website just about you?  "Well of course it's about me.  It's my website, isn't it?"  is a common response.  True, your website is about you and it is about your practice, but your knowledge and skills exist for the benefit of your patients.   If you want your website to really perform, go the extra mile to ensure your website makes your potential patients feel like the website is all about THEM.

1. Make sure they can easily find what they are looking for.  Don't try to be too clever or creative with your navigation or descriptions.  A well-planned organizational flowchart for your website is a blueprint for success.  Navigation that is not consumer-friendly is a recipe for failure.  This is magnified if you provide a large menu of specialized services and expertise.  Focus on helping visitors reach target "destination" pages.
   
2. Speak in their language, not in a manner that tries to make you sound so professional your site becomes "institutional".  Ideally, your site should be filled with more "you, yours, your needs, your health, your well-being, your life, your future, etc." than "us, we, our practice, our surgeons, etc." Let them know it's about them and "what's in it for them."
   
3. Be a resource of important information, and provide materials that have some value to the visitor.  Don't just try to "sell" them superficial cookie-cutter or generic copy.  Make the information value enough so that they might even print it!
   
4. Do things that accelerate the "relationship" between your practice and the visitor.  For instance, identify "who" they will be contacting when they send your practice an email.  I can't recall ever meeting a person in an office named, "info!"
   
5. Don't assume visitors know enough about LASIK services and general eye care that you overlook including important information.  For example, if you offer services with a certain guarantee behind it, be sure they know that immediately and throughout the site.  
   
6. Provide ample opportunities for visitors to send you an email.  Yes, it is important to place phone numbers "above the fold" on every page and to try and generate phone calls.  It's understandable that you prefer telephone calls, rather than emails.  However, Internet users and most of your website visitors typically prefer corresponding through email.  If email is the communication means of choice, then do things throughout your website to facilitate it. 
   
7. Don't forget, most visitors that come to your website are seeking help and want to educate themselves on an important decision that will affect them physically.  They likely don't have a great LASIK surgeon relationship and are feeling intimidated, confused, scared, and possible frustrated.  Be sure you let them know you understand what they are going through, that you will listen, and that you care.   Developing trust and credibility is what sets high-performing surgeon websites apart from those that only serve as an online brochure.
   

Bill Fukui
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