Why Custom Healthcare Websites Are the Smart Thing To Do

Top-tier healthcare website development stems from tailoring website elements to patient needs and data protection laws. By choosing a custom healthcare website, your organization can build a secure and reliable means of reaching patients that caters to your needs and their desires.

This article explains what you need to know before choosing the best website and web design strategy for your healthcare organization. It covers the basics of good web design, including:

• Differentiating between a custom and customizable website
• Seven benefits of custom healthcare website development

There’s a lot to discuss, so get ready to take notes.

Let’s go!

To learn how Digital Authority Partners can create a standout website for you, watch this video!

Comparing DIY and Customizable Websites

You need a working website before starting a digital marketing campaign or connecting with existing patients online. Most people might do the bare minimum and invest in website builders such as WordPress or Squarespace. Others might prefer basic web development tools.

Overall, the major point of comparison between creating a website from scratch (custom) and using a template (customizable) boils down to ease. On the one hand, a custom website demands more time, skill, and money. On the other hand, a customizable website is quick to set up and launch.

However, this is not the only factor to consider–the building process and the long-term performance of both websites will differ greatly. Including long-term costs in any reasonable comparison of both types of websites is also prudent. It is vital to follow healthcare website development news to avoid any mistakes.

     a. Templates are Easier to Develop

Popular services such as WordPress are often the go-to for business owners who want to get a website up and running quickly. They have enough flexibility in how users can create to match their goals and offer plenty of templates that fit nearly every possible business venture.

Most of them rely on a drag-and-drop system requiring no coding experience, making them perfect for organizations without a dedicated web developer. Subscription prices to use these tools are also reasonable. You pay only for the website services you require.

Many of these template-based website builders allow further customization through plugins. These add-ons significantly widen the possibilities for codeless web development. However, finding what works best takes a lot of trial and error.

     b. Custom Websites Perform Better

A custom website is far more difficult to build due to the technical skill it demands, which is why most business owners opt for less-complicated WordPress websites. However, custom websites can offer a business and its clients much more overall.

Every business and target market has unique needs that are best solved with tailored solutions. That means a custom-made website performs better by design because it anticipates and responds to needs as they arise. 

Healthcare laws in particular make responsiveness a necessity. Custom websites allow you to add security features to comply with HIPAA rules with ease and update security as laws or technology change. Hiring a healthcare website development agency also brings the benefit of long-term expert support and hands-on website maintenance.

7 Smart Reasons to Build Custom Websites

People often underestimate the time and effort needed to thoroughly plan and build a business. A small business, even one in healthcare, has to start with a unique brand in mind, and it must show in the business name and its website’s domain name, among various other places.

Though it is entirely possible to have an exclusive and unique domain name when building your website through a builder such as Weebly or Wix, it lacks the nuance of web design expertise. A top-notch website displays brilliant design and fully displays its intentions at every opportunity.

That said, custom websites are not an “anything goes” service. There are many strict limitations to what you can and should do with yours, especially within the healthcare industry. Below are seven reasons why and how custom websites address healthcare needs better.

     1. Launch Quicker, Better, and Safer

An advantage of hiring an agency to do healthcare website development for your organization is the methods and structure they bring to the process. You no longer need to learn how to develop a website. Even without coding, this takes a long time to finish and your final product is not guaranteed to be free of errors. 

On top of this, it is easy to spiral out of control due to decision paralysis. It also takes an experienced developer to properly organize the flow of development. 

Hiring a team of experts to develop a custom website is more economical because the work falls on professionals who have speed and expertise. They can also positively influence the parts of your healthcare organization’s online branding that affect digital marketing.

     2. Optimize the Patient’s Experience

The usability and user experience (UX) of a custom and a customizable website are not equal because their component elements affect how patients use them in varying ways. For instance, part of custom healthcare website development is studying how users navigate a web page.

As a result, a custom website is naturally built to be more responsive to people’s needs and designed to anticipate behaviors. Skilled developers craft features, UI, and other on-page elements using robust research data to perfectly capture your target market’s ideal UX.

For example, an ophthalmologist could implement unique website content that allows visitors to assess basic vision issues. These tests lead the person to the clinic’s appointment form for easy scheduling. It engages prospects and captures their interest through excellent UX.

     3. Benefit from Expert Web Designs

Though the ease and convenience of website builders are hard to resist, the fact is that not everyone has the right sense for effective web design. It is not as simple as having the best color scheme, after all. Flashy websites tend to run slowly and test people’s patience.

It is also not a good idea for a healthcare organization to prioritize looks over usability, given that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to all private businesses. Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations hurt their reputations when they fail to satisfy ADA standards.

A custom healthcare website will be accessible to patients struggling with a disability. Working with experts on yours assures that it accounts for common PWD issues, such as implementing screenreaders, contrasting colors, and voice and keyboard navigation features.

     4. Include Custom Website Features

WordPress being a quick solution for website building does not mean it’s an optimal choice for a hospital on a tight budget. You still need to apply various modifications to make a WordPress site fit for use and HIPAA-compliant, and free plugins are not a cure-all.

The hard limitations on website security options and modification mean that a customizable website can have more vulnerabilities. Custom websites have the luxury of including only essential code in addition to needing fewer software updates to remain secure.

Developing a custom website allows you to better manage data security through its features. For instance, adding authentication measures and choosing a secure hosting service reinforce its defenses, which helps prevent data breaches and leaks from hackers and malware.

    5. Offer Personalized Care Services

Another benefit of custom websites is the ability to provide personalized services, such as using the platform for online consultations or monitoring patient progress. Cutting out third-party services also means data is available only to authorized staff and patients.

Giving patients options on when, where, and how they can use your services is vital because it shows that you are ready and willing to adjust to people’s needs. 

For instance, patients should be able to include their concerns in their appointment forms for quick, smooth consultations. That enables your clinic or hospital staff and doctors to accommodate any pressing issues while also reducing wait times and eliminating intake forms. 

However, how the data is collected and stored should be clear to the patient. Strong security measures are a must.

     6. Get Competent Website Support

Though building your website does not cut you off from help should the need arise, it is still far from the quality and commitment you get with custom websites. Developers offer hands-on solutions for custom website issues, making it the best overall choice for most business owners.

The only major downside is that solutions depend on the availability and skill of the developer. It might work well in terms of the former for DIY web developers using builders, but not necessarily the latter. These are seldom issues for website developers because support is part of their jobs.

That said, not all healthcare organizations operate strictly within typical work hours. In that case, a lone developer might not be available 24/7. An agency expands on your options to ensure patients can easily reach you through your website and make urgent appointments as needed.

     7. Secure Patients’ Healthcare Data

As repeatedly stressed in other points, the security of protected health information (PHI) is one of the most important aspects of healthcare website development. The key to HIPAA compliance is how a business sends and stores patient data. Vulnerabilities are extremely harmful.

Breaches do more than attract legal issues; they damage reputations in severe, irreparable ways. Custom websites help mitigate these risks because they give developers greater control over their components. That allows a business to perfectly layer security options to prevent issues.

For instance, custom websites can refine how data is handled, including encryption protocols on your website, namely TLS (Transport Layer Security) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Another way to secure data is by adding strong authentication to deter hackers and limit outside access.

Summing Up

A website is more than just a place for patients to find information on a clinic, hospital, or other healthcare service provider. While a customizable website may look attractive, a custom website can serve your needs and help your business grow. 

Custom healthcare website development brings the benefits of stronger security, smoother UX, and faster turnaround time. Bespoke websites are exactly what and how you and your target market need them to be, ensuring that everything is built to address vital concerns.

Need help building a custom healthcare website for your organization? Contact Digital Authority Partners to learn how we can help.