Not using images on your clinic’s website is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. In today’s digital age, your clinic’s online presence is no longer optional but necessary. Your clinic’s website is a virtual front door for your practice, so make it visually appealing and user-friendly to attract and retain patients.
Adding images is an effective way to make your healthcare website more engaging and informative. However, finding and choosing the right photos can become a daunting task, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the best practices. Here are some things to know about adding images, why you need them, and how to upload images to your website.
Why do clinic websites need images?
A website with little to no images won’t make site visitors spend time on it. Yes, written content is best, but visual content is just as important. They draw people’s attention and help boost page views.
Images are essential aspects of your clinic’s website because:
They make your content relevant.
Graphs, diagrams, and other image types add relevance to the facts, statistics, and additional information your clinic presents, especially when it could benefit a wide range of visitors. These images are also important for medical website design since they catch visitors’ attention and draw them to crucial information they would otherwise miss.
Our brains are wired to process visual information more efficiently than any other sensory input, making them more appealing. In fact, vision takes up to 50% of our brain’s resources. When browsing online, we prefer looking at images over text, and content that includes images tend to get more clicks.
However, don’t overdo it; you might distract the reader from the main content.
They make your practice look approachable.
Visual content can effectively make your medical practice friendly and welcoming. Pictures of a welcoming staff and comfortable clinic will help introduce your practice and convey a sense of familiarity that will surely make them feel more at ease when they come to your practice.
What types of images can you use for your clinic’s website?
Not all images are equally effective on healthcare clinic websites. Some will work, while others won’t. Depending on what you’re trying to show, here are some image types that you can use on your clinic’s website:
- Click-through offers – You can easily include links to promotions, discounts, and special offers in your written content. However, they may go unnoticed. Make sure your patients see them by using click-through images.
- Staff portraits – Staff portraits allow you to introduce your staff to potential clients. Use headshots that capture their best smiles.
- Infographics – Infographics and other educational explainers make it easier for patients to understand what you’re trying to tell them.
- Property photos – Aside from pictures of your clinic’s front, you can also include images of your lobby and examination rooms to make your clinic a familiar space.
- Product images – You can include pictures of top-of-the-line equipment you use and products your clinic offers to give patients an idea of what your clinic offers.
- Relevant stock photos – Choose inviting and relatable images when selecting stock photos. Use pictures that show smiling faces instead of an office or a sports field if you’re a dentist.
How To Upload Images To Your Website
Uploading images will depend on your platform or content management system (CMS). Here are the general steps you can follow:
- Choose the image you want to upload.
- Check the image’s size. Ensure that it’s under the maximum allowed by your web hosting service.
- Upload the image online using an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program, your web hosting service’s file-upload program, or an image hosting service.
- Know the image’s URL so you can easily link it to your website.
- Decide where on your website you want to insert the image and use your server’s hyperlink function to link your URL to the word or phrase in the sentence that points people to the picture. You can also use the pages’ HTML code.
Choosing Images for Your Clinic’s Website: Strategies and Best Practices
Sometimes, finding good healthcare or medical images is challenging, especially if you don’t have your own picture. Here are some strategies and tips to make things easier:
Create or follow a mood board.
Creating or following a mood board can help avoid making your website monotonous. They feature various image types, such as stock photos with people, illustrations, conceptual stock images, medical renderings, and more in a cohesive color scheme.
It will give you a visual representation of your desired aesthetic and set parameters for the images you want to use.
Use images that accurately represent your message.
Using images that accurately depict the subject matter is important. Aside from a deep understanding of the content, you should also use relevant search terms and descriptors to find the most accurate and appropriate imagery to ensure the images you select genuinely reflect the content and enhance the message you’re trying to convey.
Avoid images trying to depict pain.
We say “trying” because stock images of conditions such as pelvic pain or migraines tend to feature people in exaggerated and inauthentic expressions of pain. It’s best to avoid them.
Dig a little deeper for more authentic and subtle images. Look for closely-cropped photos or have an editorial feel. Instead of focusing solely on the symptoms, consider pictures focusing on treatment or other related aspects.
Consider conceptual or editorial images.
While medical illustrations help depict organs or cells, exploring more abstract illustrations conveying ideas and concepts is worthwhile. These also allow you to move away from overused stock images. For example, you can use graphics to highlight the impact of informatics in health care or the growing trend of telehealth.
Use diverse and inclusive images.
Choosing images that reflect the diversity of your audiences helps make your website welcoming to a wide range of visitors. Consider factors such as race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, gender expression or identity, disability, economic status, and other diverse backgrounds. Diverse and inclusive representation helps create a welcoming and supportive online environment.
Use high-quality and impactful images.
Impactful images for your clinic’s website leave a lasting impression on your visitors. High-quality photos that accurately represent your organization are essential in conveying your identity and values. Using original photos instead of generic ones available on creative commons and using captions can help in this regard.
Use the right size and file type.
The type and size of your image files can significantly affect your website’s loading time. Most visitors get frustrated with slow-loading pages, which could happen if your image’s file size is too large. Avoid this by compressing photo files with a 150 DPI (dots per inch) and choosing the appropriate file type; JPEG file format works best for photos with intricate details and complex colors.
Crop images to the dimensions of the space they will fill to ensure important focal points in the picture are not cut out and viewed properly.
Key Takeaway
A visually appealing and user-friendly website is necessary for your medical practice in today’s digital age. Adding images is an easy way to do this. You can use various image types, from infographics to staff portraits, to make your content more engaging, relevant, and approachable.
When choosing images, follow or create mood boards and use high-quality and diverse photos that accurately represent patients and staff. Avoid using images that look inauthentic and exaggerated.
Let experts do it for you.
Sometimes, handling clinic websites are a handful, especially when you’re also taking care of patients and managing your practice.
Don’t stress out; let Advanced Digital Medical Services do it for you. We provide the best content management and web development services to help your clinic’s website stand out.
Contact us and reach more patients today.
