Patients Think You’re a High Security Risk If Your Practice’s Website Is Out Of Date

It’s hard to imagine being in business these days without a website.

Web design trends change quickly, and if you’re not staying on top of critical changes, it may be costing you more than you think.

While a great website can attract new clients, as it becomes outdated, it can deter people from trusting you, including existing patients. And if you’re not using the latest techniques, it can also impact your search engine results, banning you altogether if it’s designed incorrectly.

With more patients being conscious of the medical professionals they select, a website is often the first window into your practice. If a potential patient relies on online research to make their selections, your website may be one of the most valuable marketing tools to grow and maintain your practice.

At a minimum, you should ensure:

Your site is secure

All reputable sites today are secured. It’s easily visible by looking at the web address - secured sites start with https. Google pays close attention to sites that deal with YMYL (Your Money Your Life) topics, flagging sites that aren’t up to date. HTTPS is free, easy, and should be a part of every medical practitioner's site. If a searcher does come across an unsecured site, it leads to an almost 100 percent bounce rate.

No missing pages

While it’s important to redirect searches if a page no longer exists, it’s equally important to pay attention to these errors and correct the problem before it impacts your business. A 404 error can turn a potential patient off, especially if they expect the information and can’t find it another way. It brings both the credibility and user experience down.

Fast load time

Older websites often use archaic technology that can take a long time to load. Consumers today have short attention spans, expecting information quickly from the moment they tap. While people would wait several seconds for a page to load five years ago, today, that time has dropped below a second. Newer designs are coded to ensure they load in the fastest time possible.

You decrease your risk for site hijacking

Medical data is some of the most valuable information available today:

  • More than 2 data healthcare breaches occur every day
  • In the past 12 months, 51 breaches occurred on average each month
  • Over 34 million healthcare records have been breached in the past year

Cybercriminals know this, and are always looking for easy ways in. If a site hasn’t been updated consistently, it has vulnerabilities that can allow easy access.

Is your website out of date and putting you at risk?

Think about your own search habits. If you pull an old site, do you trust it? Patients believe that an outdated site may also mean the medical staff is too.

Pull your site up and take a long, hard look at the results. It may be time for an upgrade.

Which will decrease your security risk too.

For IT Strategy, Cloud Conversion, or Help Desk Services reach out to us at Silver Linings Technology 360-450-4759.