Websites are usually the very first time a potential patient gets to “see” you and “meet” you, which means you want to make a great first impression here.

This can’t be emphasized enough.

The adequacy of your website is crucial to your business and will directly affect how patients feel about working with you. 

Since chiropractors aren’t eCommerce, they need their website to get people through their doors, and to do that; there are a handful of items that you want to display on your site.

Today we want to give you our chiropractor website checklist to simplify this process and take the guesswork out of your content strategy. 

Let’s do it.

 

✔ SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

This is THE most important aspect of your digital marketing campaign because it gets people to your site. If you’re not optimized for the search engines to find, trust, and understand you, it won’t matter how great your website is. You won’t show up in the SERPs (search engine result pages), and you’ll miss out on tons of website and foot traffic. 

We’re always informing our users about the necessity of SEO and local SEO and how to do it on our blog. We invite you to read more about it for greater detail and insight. Here, we’ll give you the basics. 

 

On-page SEO

Optimizing for on-page SEO requires a bit of work on the backend of your site.

Be sure:

  • All of your pages have meta titles and meta descriptions (this is what comes up on the SERPs after a user types their query) 
  • You include headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.), which allow for readability by the user and the search engine
  • You include your keywords in the headers and throughout the copy in an organic way (don’t stuff them in, you’ll sound spammy)
  • To have enough content on the page, we like to say at least 700-1500 words, so you look like an authority (of course, word count depends on the page topic)
  • To include links to other areas of your site that make sense 
  • To optimize all videos and images with keywords and proper file size
  • To ensure your user experience (UX) is ideal (page load speed, readability, easy navigation, etc.) 
  • Your CTAs (call to actions) are easy to find and click (we’ll talk about this more in a bit)

 

Off-page SEO

This is the SEO that takes place off your website.

Off-page SEO items include:

  • Adding your contact details to directories
  • Getting backlinks from reputable and relevant websites (when another site links to your site)
  • Updating your GMB (Google My Business) (this must be done for your chiropractic clinic to be easily found by your potential patients)
  •  Social media presence 
  • Guest posting (blogging) on other sites
  • Testimonials (which you must respond to, the good and the bad, and there will likely be some bad because you can’t please everyone all the time, but you must respond to everyone all the time)
  • Answering questions on sites like Reddit and Quora (you are an expert, after all, use trusted forums to prove it)
  • Email marketing (this can be for free offers, VIPs, a meet and greet, meet our new massage therapist, etc.)

 

Setting Your Website Up for Success

Now that you have a general idea of how your chiropractic office will be found on Google let’s talk website. 

 

Keep your website clean

Your website needs to represent you and your brand.

So, yes, use your colors and if you’re a more energized clinic, be upbeat and lively and if you’re more subdued and calm, tone it down; but no matter what, keep your site clean and easy to read. 

No one wants to feel exhausted looking at your site. 

  • Use headers and bullet points to make it scannable
  • Use quality, optimized images and videos to break up content (make sure your imagery aligns with your brand and try to use images of people in your clinic, your staff, your exercises, and techniques, etc., this makes it more personal and is what users want to see)
  • Don’t go crazy with several colors and keep the colors easy on the eyes
  • Keep it as simple as possible (you can still be creative, and you should be, but don’t overwhelm your users)
  • Ensure your website is up-to-date with content, staff, rules and restrictions, event dates, etc.; if it’s not relevant or valid, make it gone 

We always suggest having family and friends (even exiting patients you’re comfortable with) take a look at your site and provide their valuable feedback.

It’s eye-opening and (usually) free!

 

Easy-to-find call to actions and book now buttons

Your users should never need to put effort into finding a CTA.

Make them overly obvious (without being obnoxious), and be sure to have one at the top of the page and one at the bottom, and anywhere else it makes sense. 

Even if you have a page dedicated to bookings (which you 100% need to have), these buttons need to be placed on every page of your website. 

You may offer more than bookings in your CTAs.

If you sell vitamins or protein powder, or maybe your massage therapist works special hours, use CTAs where necessary to guide your visitor into taking the action you want easily.

But, don’t forget, “Book Now” (or an equivalent) needs to be on every page. 

 

Smart navigation 

Navigation is critical to the UX (that’s User Experience).

If your users don’t know how to get around your site, if your buttons don’t link to where they say they will, if your navigation bar isn’t in the usual spot, you’ll see a higher bounce rate (percentage of visitors on a site that leave without viewing more pages of the site).

Keep it simple, and at the top of each page, don’t get too crafty with the wording; you have a blog for that.

Be organized and thoughtful. Keep the most important pages at the front; use dropdowns for subsequent pages. 

If you have a “Services” tab (you need one), you should have a page dedicated to all the chiropractic services you offer when a user clicks the tab.

However, a dropdown should show the important services you’ve dedicated pages to (Chiropractic Adjustments, Massage Therapy, Sports Rehabilitation, ART, The McKenzie Method, etc.) if the user hovers over the tab. 

Some important tabs for chiropractors:

  • Our Doctors
  • Our Services
  • Common Conditions Treated
  • About Our Team
  • New Patient Forms and Procedure
  • Contact Us 
  • Book Now
  • Testimonials
  • Resources (FAQ page, blog, free videos on proper movement, posture, sleeping, etc., how-to guides on exercising and stretching, tips and tricks to keep your spine in check and your body balanced, nutrition guidance, smoothie recipes, etc.)

 

It will come as no surprise that generally, the first page your visitor sees is the homepage, and even if they initially land on another page, if they like it, they’ll go to your homepage.

Your homepage has to be:

  • Top-notch and represent your brand
  • Speak to your target audience
  • Showcase your services
  • Offer a CTA or three
  • Provide your mission statement or values

 

When it makes sense, feel free to also showcase your certifications, community involvement, testimonials, patient-base, conditions, etc. 

Tell the potential patient what makes you different, special, and the optimum choice for their chiropractic care on the homepage, so they feel enticed to learn more about you and take all the actions you want them to take (book now). 

 

Your footer

Your footer is found on every page of your website and houses the same information.

Here are some ideas and necessities to be found there:

  • Repeat your navigation 
  • Special or new blog post links
  • Resource links
  • Hours and days of operation
  • Map and directions 
  • Contact details (phone numbers, emails, address of all locations) 
  • Link for a patient to write a testimonial
  • Your CTA to book
  • A link to the necessary new patient documents and forms to fill out 
  • Anything you think is valuable to the visitor and want them to find easily 

 

Your Chiropractor Website Complete

Now you have what it takes to get your website noticed online by Google and your target audience.

Your website is there to do the heavy lifting so you can stay focused on the patients in your office. Set it up the right way and keep your hands free for providing the services that your visitors need. 

Not sure you have the time or patience to give your website the attention it needs?

That’s okay. We do.

Contact Propel Marketing & Design, and let’s get you the traffic that matters. 

 

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