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Your Health Content… Can You Understand It? Can Your Visitors?
By Matthew Dillingham | March 14, 2008
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In regards to the health content on your web site how much of it do you understand? How much do you think the general public understands? Very little. This is something to think about when you are adding content to your web site. Most people who come to your site are not doctors, nor have they ever worked for a hospital. Many of them probably have never even stepped into a hospital.
This is a problem. Developing content with internal jargon and arbitrary healthcare only classifications is a problem on many hospital web sites, and causes confusion and frustration for your visitors. The content needs to be developed with the end-user in mind. Developed for someone who is not familiar with specific diseases, symptoms or procedures. Many people who come to your site are not just surfing the web for pleasure. Most likely they have just found out about a particular health issue about themselves or a loved one, and need more information, from you. They are turning to your hospital for information on their health problem, and how you can help them. They don’t care about your organization’s ivory tower, “we’re really smart, but don’t know how to communicate” internal speak. They want well written information that quickly and easily explains their concern. It can be done, but it takes work and planning. It takes forethought and research. Here are a few things you can do to help your visitors.
- Go over your site metrics and look at what keywords people are using to either find your site, or what they are searching for once they come to your site.
- Look at sites such as WebMd and Revolution Health. They are consumer focused sites that speak to the consumer.
- Conduct usability studies just on terminology and content.
- Have your high school student read it and get feedback from them.
- Contact us. We have a lot of good ideas.
At the end of the day, people come to your hospital’s site to find information that makes them feel better about their condition, and confirms that your hospital can help them. Frustrating your visitors with hard to read content is not good marketing.
Topics: Health Content |