Orthotown April 2021 - 66

" Once someone lands
on a practice's website,
the clock starts ticking;
a practice has just
10-20 seconds to
persuade a viewer to stay
on-site and learn more. "

Making a good first impression
Once someone lands on a practice's website, the
clock starts ticking; a practice has just 10-20 seconds
to persuade a viewer to stay on-site and learn more.
An organic search result will often send viewers to
a practice's homepage, so it's crucial to have important
content front and center. Because the website offers
the best chance at a first impression, clearly telling
visitors the type of practice, services that are offered
and the location of the practice immediately within
the homepage headings and content is a must.
Let's use the example of someone performing
a search for " orthodontist in Phoenix, AZ. " When
someone performing this search lands on a practice's
website, can they immediately see the " who, " " what "
and " where " information? Is it clear that the orthodontic
practice offers a variety of treatment options for people
in and around the Phoenix area? These questions must
be immediately answered without making the visitor
search around the homepage extensively.

66

Evergreen versus
dynamic content
The social media platform versus website content
variance really kicks in after someone has discovered
a practice and knows what they offer.

Website content
While a website should certainly be updated to
ensure accurate business information, services, staff,
etc., such updates need to happen infrequently. Most
information on a website can be considered " evergreen
content, " meaning that it will stay the same for long
periods of time. This especially applies to service
pages that tell customers what a practice offers. Unless
there is an update to services-Invisalign, traditional
braces, etc.- the content on these pages will generally
always be the same.
Such content is important because usually by
the time a prospective patient has gone through the
funnel and reached these pages, that person is close to
making a decision. Evergreen content allows practices
to continue to drive home who they are and what
services they can provide while going into more detail
than on the homepage.
However, there are some places on the website where
more frequent updates may be necessary. For websites
that feature a blog, for search engine optimization
(SEO) and traffic growth purposes, new content should
be launched relatively frequently.
Staff changes, especially at larger practices, also
occur somewhat frequently and should be reflected
on website content. It may also be necessary to make
homepage updates when larger-scale changes occur. For
example, many practices changed hours and protocols
after the COVID-19 outbreak and such changes are
worthy additions to a homepage.

Social media content
Social media platforms, on the other hand, exist
as spaces for online conversations and interaction. On
such platforms, people expect more timely information
that doesn't necessarily have staying power. They also
are accustomed to frequent updates.

APRIL 2021 // orthotown.com

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Orthotown April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown April 2021
