Sep 17, 2019 10:50:44 AM
Benjamin Pure
In 2021, over 87% of patients used the internet to lookup their healthcare options. Because the Internet is the first source of medical information for most people, building a strong online presence becomes increasingly important for all healthcare businesses.
“63% of respondents will choose one healthcare provider over another because of a strong online presence.”
[Source: Doctor.com]
Designing a hospital or healthcare website is the same as planning any other highly-performing web page. Typical key elements include clutter-free layout, effective use of headings and of course, easy navigation. Put these elements together successfully and the end result will be a user friendly website that will help you not only maintain your patients but help attract new ones.
Check these eleven prominent examples to see if your website has what it takes to make their online experience smooth and enjoyable for your patients.
1. Johns Hopkins Medicine
This academic non-profit medical center in Baltimore MD is a highly sophisticated organization with several hospitals, multiple healthcare and surgery centers, dozens of practices and its website will delight every visitor with its simplicity and ease of navigation.
The images are engaging, sections are well-defined and the easy navigation tools makes it simple for any patient to find what they need, quickly.
Strengths: Uncluttered design, clearly-defined sections, short and personal messaging
Website: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/
2. Baylor Scott & White Health
Considering it’s one of the nation’s largest and longest-operating not-for-profit healthcare system providers, Baylor Scott & White Health has an incredibly modern and slick website. It stands out from the crowd with a clearly-defined value proposition, extensive search options, and savvy use of whitespace that makes it look light and breezy.
Strengths: Simplicity, great use of icons, effective color scheme
Website: https://www.bswhealth.com/
3. Northwestern Memorial Hospital
This facility ranks as the #1 Best Hospital in Chicago, according to US News, and it’s also leading the pack when it comes to website design.
The site maintains a highly professional look thanks to the consistent use of violet. The home page already delivers all vital information such as hospital directions, opening hours, and important phone numbers, so the visitors don’t waste any time on browsing for these details. Additionally, it features a "Quick Links" section to make the online experience even more efficient for patients.
Strengths: Descriptive navigation menu, critical information at fingertips, powerful call-to-actions
Website: https://www.nm.org/locations/northwestern-memorial-hospital
4. Woman’s Hospital
Woman’s Hospital is a complex of medical facilities in Baton Rouge, oriented specifically at women care. The website makes that mission clear immediately. From colors and imagery to fonts and copy, it appeals to the hospital’s target group, creating a sense of relevance.
Through female-friendly design, the website emanates positive energy and establishes trust among visitors, which is critical for a healthcare facility of this type.
Strengths: Design targeted at the target audience, clearly-defined sections, distinct and intuitive icons
Website: http://www.womans.org/
5. Weill Cornell Medicine
The first thing that immediately pops up to your mind when you see this next hospital website is how modern and upbeat it is, thanks to the energetic color scheme and friendly images. The pictures are bright, dynamic, and so realistic that it seems as if the captured staff members were standing right next to you. The website also stands out with extra intuitive navigation and a lucid, direct tone of voice.
Strengths: Dynamic look & feel, clear value proposition defined for each target group, powerful images that build trust and create engagement
Website: https://weill.cornell.edu/
6. Geisinger Caring
As this example shows, medical websites don’t need to be complex to be effective. Thanks to the balanced use of images and text, Geisinger Caring’s website looks neat and tidy. The contemporary design reflects the organization's progressive attitude toward healthcare. Numerous links and CTAs guide the visitors quickly to relevant sections. This speed and precision are the exact qualities patients expect from healthcare providers.
Strengths: Compact design, direct, active call-to-actions, quick navigation
Website: https://www.geisinger.org/
7. Southern New Hampshire Health
As you open the home page of Southern New Hampshire Health, the discernible violet tabs bring your eyes straight to the navigation bar. This simple design trick facilitates navigation on the website and drives visitors directly to sections that are used most often.
Another smart usability feature that draws the visitors’ attention and helps them achieve their goals faster is the horizontal stripe below the hero picture. This brings the users to the list of facilities and provides them with immediate contact details.
Strengths: Uplifting design, distinct menu bar, clear and concise copy
Website: https://www.snhhealth.org/
8. St. Louis Children’s Hospital
St. Louis Children’s Hospital sets an example for other healthcare providers of how to build credibility through the use of patient testimonials. The home page features ‘The Pulse’ section where the hospital proudly shares the stories of its patients and provides expert advice in a series of articles.
While this section is the website’s strongest asset, overall, the entire page is the leading edge with colorful, serene design, visual cues, and direct, simple copy. Notice also the loopy, playful logo that ideally represents the hospital’s specialty and vibe.
Strengths: Positive design, helpful visual cues, engaging patient stories
Website: https://www.stlouischildrens.org/
9. Huntington Hospital
Huntington Hospital is an independent facility providing a wide spectrum of healthcare services to the Pasadena community. The hospital’s website embraces this diversity by using the home page slider with alternating messages for different patient groups.
As the website is quite complex, it makes navigation easier for the users, by leveraging buttons above the navigation menu that address different audiences. The light pastel colors produce a soothing effect and reinforce the feeling of calm and repose.
Strengths: Soothing color scheme, well-defined sections, easily accessible contact details
Website: https://www.huntingtonhospital.org/
10. University of Maryland Medical Center
University of Maryland Medical Center has a website that is simple, pleasing to the eye and a class of its own when it comes to a well-organized, neat layout. It uses the orange color and image boxes to point visitors to vital sections and leverages whitespace to bring out the text throughout.
From the home page, the visitor can access all services, see the latest news, discover emotional accounts of the hospital patients, and easily navigate to any page they need.
Strengths: Simple navigation, upbeat colors, spotlight on patient stories
Website: https://www.umms.org/ummc
11. Craig Hospital
Craig is a specialty rehab facility for people with spinal cord and brain injuries (notice how the hero statement and photo make it explicit). One of the reasons why this hospital website deserves mention is the way it showcases success by displaying a host of awards and recognitions on the home page.
Another noteworthy feature is Patient Stories, where each patient is named and given a voice to share their journey to recovery with Craig. What’s more, clear-cut copy and neat layout make it easy for anyone to navigate the page, and modern images make the entire design fresh and appealing, giving the website that extra oomph.
Strengths: Short copy, easy navigation, patient stories, and awards section
Website: https://craighospital.org
Summary
No two hospitals are the same. Each facility has a different vibe, way of working, operations, and delivers distinctive patient experiences. As such, hospital websites should reflect that variety. Are you a research facility, or do you primarily concentrate on providing care? Who are your patients? What matters to them?
Those are some of the questions that need to be answered before you start revamping your current website. Use the above examples as an inspiration but also remember to convey the unique personality of your facility, and stick to the number one priority of healthcare websites - user-friendliness.
Would you like to connect with your patients on Facebook? Check our latest article on the best Facebook profiles in healthcare and see how other medical providers use social media to generate greater patient engagement.