IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME
Last year I invested the time into building a beautiful website for Oakland Vision Center. Here’s the best part about it. It cost me $8 a month, attracted an entirely new demographic to my practice and helped me win a national industry award. Here’s 3 very simple pointers on how to build an incredible website for you and thus an incredible experience for your patients.
1. Your website is a glossy brochure.
Period. Full stop. That’s it. Patients really don’t care that you have an “eye glossary” or explain what all the eye diseases of the world are. They have google for that. Patients ultimately don’t care if you’re offering a 20% discount off a second pair sold. They can purchase from Warby Parker anytime. Create a website that: 1) gets their attention with beautiful pictures (more later); 2) prominently displays your address, hours of operation and phone number and 3) allows the patient to schedule online.
2. We sell clarity all day.
Make sure your website does too. If you follow this simple rule, your website will shine. Only use high-res, beautiful, eye-catching images. The pun is intended. If you don’t have access to a photographer, buy one. In fact, have full access to many photographers. A great place to get gorgeous images is www.gettyimages.com. You can get a royalty-free image for just $50 to use on your website. Go to getty images and search for “royalty-free” and “glasses” and see for yourself.
3. Drop the third party and go direct.
A website needs constant edits, changes and updates. The most annoying thing is to have to email your ‘website guy’ for a simple change on your website, only to have to wait a couple of days then get sent a bill for something you could have done yourself. Now you can do it yourself. I made the Oakland Vision Center website in about 24 hours for just $8. I use www.squarespace.com for $8 a month. Yes, for less than the cost of 2 lattes a month . . . you can choose from very easy to edit templates and make a beautiful, eye-catching website in just a few hours.
Tanya N. Gill, OD is the owner of Oakland Vision Center Optometry located at 1960 Broadway, Oakland CA.
Oakland Vision Center is the 1st place winner of America’s Finest Optical Retailer in 2015 and was the only business to receive a perfect 100% score for the category “website.”
Dr Gill is obsessed with ocular surface disease, kick-ass female entrepreneurship, never say never, eating vegetables daily and brightly colored sneaker pumps. She lives in Oakland, CA with her husband and is the founder of We Love Eyes, a company that makes natural, non-toxic cleansing products for the eyes.
