There’s a new change coming for your practice’s website in July of 2018. Sure, that’s still a way’s off, but you’ll want to be ready for this change early.

Your website speed on mobile devices will become a search ranking factor in Google’s search results.

Over half of all clients are now searching for your practice on a mobile device, like a smartphone. Because of this, slow-loading web pages might rank lower in search results.

Make sure your practice website is mobile-friendly. If it’s not, your search ranking might take a penalty.
You don’t want to end up ranking below another practice in search results.

Slow-Loading Websites Frustrate Clients

According to Google, 53% of website visitors will leave a website if it takes more than three seconds to load. This might sound imclient, but it’s the reality of how people use the web.

When people leave a website frustrated, they usually don’t come back.

If you want to prevent potential clients from leaving your website, simply give them what they’re looking for – a fast, responsive website design.

Give Clients What They’re Looking For

You’ve probably had frustrating experiences trying to load a webpage on your phone that didn’t use responsive design.

The entire webpage gets crammed onto a small screen. You can’t read any of the text without a magnifying glass. It’s extremely difficult to click on navigation (and you have to hit the back button more than once because you accidentally clicked the wrong link).

That’s an example of a website that wasn’t designed with mobile devices in mind.

Responsive design prevents that frustrating experience because it’s designed to display correctly on any device – from a laptop to a tablet, to a smartphone.

Everything works the way it’s supposed to work. And not only that.

It Shows That You Care About Your Clients

Having a fast and responsive website doesn’t only showcase your practice online. It shows clients that you care about their entire experience with your practice.

Your website is your first impression. When it’s fast, easy to use, and gives clients what they’re looking for, it shows you care.

A responsive website allows clients to have a positive experience from the moment they click on your website link on Google to the time they come in for their first appointment.

When they have a positive experience from beginning to end, they’ll be much more likely to stick with your practice for the long term and will be glad to recommend your practice to family and friends – increasing your referrals.

Are You Ready for This Change?

Google will be updating its search algorithm to place more weight on webpage loading speed on mobile devices. Slow-loading pages might not only take a penalty in search results, but also frustrate clients.

When you give clients a positive experience, they have a higher chance of becoming long-term clients and recommending you to family and friends.

Is your practice ready?

If you’re not sure or if you’d like to upgrade your website design to a responsive design, contact us today. We’re here to answer any questions you may have or to get you started.