When you think about healthcare, the first thing that might come to mind is hospitals, doctors, and face-to-face consultations. But within that, healthcare websites have become an integral part of how patients access medical information and services. They often serve as a bridge between healthcare providers and patients, offering a convenient way to receive care and information.
With the rise of telemedicine and increased availability of online health resources, having a well-designed healthcare website is no longer optional for a health-related business—it's essential.
Learn more about how to create a website, with a website builder like Wix.
What is a healthcare website?
A healthcare website acts as an online hub for a healthcare provider, facility, or resource. It's a place where you can access a wide range of health-related information and services. The primary purposes of these websites include educating the public, facilitating patient care and streamlining administrative functions.
Examples of leading healthcare websites like the Mayo Clinic or United Healthcare illustrate the diversity and depth of content that can be offered. These sites provide comprehensive medical information, patient portals for secure communication with healthcare providers, appointment scheduling systems and resources for both patients and professionals. Some of these include:
Educational resources: They offer articles, videos, and interactive tools to help you understand health conditions and treatments.
Patient services: Features like appointment booking, prescription refills and access to personal health records are common.
Professional resources: Healthcare websites may also provide resources for medical professionals, including research publications and professional development materials.
What are the key parts of a healthcare website
Creating a healthcare website that meets the needs of patients and complies with industry standards involves several critical components. These mean the website is not only informative but also user-friendly, secure and accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
User-friendly design and navigation
The layout of your healthcare website should be intuitive, making it easy for users to find the information they need without confusion or frustration. Clear menus, logical page structures and a search function are vital for good navigation.
Accessibility and compliance (ADA)
It's crucial that your website is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. This means following the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines to provide features like screen reader compatibility and alternative text for images.
Learn more about Wix accessibility and how to make a Wix healthcare website more accessible.
Home page content and design
The home page is often the first impression users have of your website. It should clearly communicate who you are, what services you offer, and how users can contact you. Important information should be front and center, such as links to services, about us, and patient resources.
Service and treatment descriptions
Detailed descriptions of the services and treatments you offer are vital. They help patients understand what is available to them and what to expect from each service or treatment option.
Contact information and healthcare.gov phone number
Make sure your contact information is easy to find. Include a phone number, email address, physical address and any other relevant contact details like the healthcare.gov customer service number for federal marketplace inquiries.
Patient resources and education
Providing educational materials can help patients learn more about their health conditions and treatments. This might include FAQs, blog posts, health tips or links to external resources.
For example, will you be starting a health blog to promote your site and services? In which case you’ll need to consider using a blog maker to get started.
Learn more: Website vs blog
Healthcare web design best practices
The design of your healthcare website should be visually appealing and highly functional. Here are some common design elements that contribute to an effective healthcare website:
Clean and colors
The color scheme should be soothing and conducive to a stress-free experience. Soft blues, greens and neutral tones are often used for these types of websites to create a sense of calm and trust.
Bold and clear typography
Readability is key. Use fonts that are easy to read on screens of all sizes. Headings should stand out and body text should be clear and legible to ensure that all users can easily digest the information provided.
Visual content
Visuals can convey complex information more effectively than text alone. Incorporating videos that explain procedures or conditions, as well as high-quality images that reflect your services, can increase user engagement.
Why do you need a healthcare website?
Today, a website is critical for any business, including those in the healthcare industry. The benefits of a website are many. A healthcare website is a necessary tool for meeting the evolving needs of patients and staying competitive. Here are some of the main reasons a healthcare website is a good investment:
Increasing patient engagement
With features like personalized patient portals, your website can encourage patients to take an active role in their health. They can easily access their health records, track progress, and communicate with healthcare providers, fostering a stronger patient-provider relationship.
Learn more: Healthcare marketing
Providing accessible medical information
Your website can serve as a reliable source of medical information, helping patients make informed decisions about their health. By offering clear and accurate content, you're empowering patients with knowledge and contributing to better health outcomes.
Streamlining healthcare services
A well-designed healthcare website can streamline various processes such as appointment scheduling, prescription refills and accessing test results. This efficiency not only improves the patient's experience but also reduces administrative burdens on staff.
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How to make a healthcare website
Building a healthcare website requires careful planning to ensure that the final version meets the needs of your patients and complies with industry standards. Here's how you can get start:
Plan your website design
Before diving into the design of your website, it's important to outline your goals, target audience, and the key features your website will need. This includes deciding on the structure of your site, the type of content you'll provide and how you'll maintain patient privacy and data security.
Selecting the right website builder
There are many platforms available for building a website, including Wix. Choose one that fits your technical expertise, budget and scalability needs. Additionally, consider tools for appointment scheduling, patient portals or live chat features.
You’ll also want to make sure that your website builder has robust site infrastructure to securely and reliably host your site. With Wix, web hosting is included and with a paid plan, you can choose a free domain name as well.
What often gets forgotten when talking about choosing a website builder is the capabilities of the infrastructure that’s promised to you - the reliability of the hosting, the level of security that’s in order to protect your visitor’s data, and of course your site's speed. Even if infrastructure is not the first thought that comes to mind when it comes to making a website, if it’s not robust enough, it can cause large headaches for website owners when trying to scale a website later on.
Esin D. Habif, Product Marketing Lead Outbound at Wix.com
Consider creating your website with AI by using an AI website builder.
Get started with templates
Website templates are a great way to design a good looking and functional website. Choose from a variety of professional designed, healthcare related templates for your site:
Compliance with regulations
Healthcare websites must comply with various regulations like HIPAA in the United States. This includes implementing secure data transmission methods, providing proper disclaimers, and ensuring patient information is protected.
Healthcare and wellness website examples to inspire your own
Get inspired by these health and wellness websites, all built on Wix, when creating your own site.
Sblended
This wellness site offers wholesome nutritious smoothies in Beverley, Massachusetts. Sblended prides itself on its use of quality ingredients.
Amanda Darby
This health related site from Amanda Darby, offers help embarking on a healthier eating journey, both mentally and physically.
Better Work Health
The Better Work Health website specializes in the prevention of injuries in the workplace and the promotion of healthier working environments, through holistic methods.
Pardubsky Surgery
This orthopedic surgery uses their website to showcase their work and services. They also answer frequently asked questions related to their work.