Optimizing Your Home Health Website for the Web
How can I Attract Clients with my Homecare Agency Website?
It's vital to attract clients for a home healthcare agency
to thrive. Getting caught up in the day-to-day challenges of running a home
health business is easy. There is a lot of competition in many locations for
business. However, home healthcare agency leaders must take time to look at their
agency through the eyes of consumers and professionals. A good practice is to analyze
your local competition. We experimented to see how various home care agency
websites appear to consumers.
An experiment to evaluate homecare agencies
We experimented to see how various home care agency websites
appear to consumers. To do the research, we chose an unfamiliar market to
eliminate bias. We looked at a list of agencies provided by the state and
selected three agencies that offered a wide array of services. Then we compared
the websites, evaluating their perceived strengths and weaknesses. We
considered if the site made us want to contact them if we were looking for care
for an older family member with health care problems.
Unexpected challenges consumers face
One of the barriers we did not expect was that a couple of
the agency's websites were not secure. We immediately ruled those out and did
not even compare them. Another difficulty was that the state site listed types
of agencies by abbreviations. Most consumers probably would not understand what
the abbreviations represented. Here is what we found out about the three
companies.
Home health agency #1
Here are the positive aspects that we discovered.
· - The agency has been around since 1984, which is reassuring.
· - They offer various services, from companions to
specialized care and care management. This agency seems like "one-stop
shopping" for a person's care needs.
· - They explain home health care and even have a short
video.
· - Their stated beliefs would resonate with consumers.
Their motto is that they provide home healthcare with dignity.
· - The writers provided information to make consumers
feel they are talking to them and understanding their needs.
· - They mention a state program that can help with
payment.
· - The site lists the benefits of home care, including
independence, relationships, comfort, and support.
· - The agency seemed well organized, aware of
regulatory compliance, use of their EMR for home health
for efficiency, an EVV system, and
other tools.
· - They explain how the agency screens its workers assuring
people that their loved ones receive services from skilled, qualified, caring
people.
· - The site explains how the various workers help their
clients and families.
- There were a few negatives. The site was not particularly
attractive. It was average as far as linking to other pages. More pictures
would have been nice. This appeared to be an agency that would be a good
option.
Home Health Agency #2
- Here are our findings, starting with the plusses:
· - This website is beautiful. It has lots of
pictures and is easy to use. The print is easy to read and large.
· - The agency has been open since 2000, which is
reassuring.
· - Their
slogans assure consumers that peace of mind starts with their company and that
they work with families to provide compassionate, specialized care for loved
ones.
· - The home page has highly visible links to other
pages explaining how to pay for home health care, what sets their agency apart,
and what services are provided.
· - They offer a free home care guide that consumers
can immediately download.
· - There is a video of a patient talking about her experience
with the agency.
· - The site explains how the agency ensures that its
team members are top-notch.
· - The agency provides highly trained caregivers
from local neighborhoods. They offer customized services.
· - The agency highlighted their processes and tools,
including Home Health Software,
mobile devices for caregivers and EVV, and Telehealth options
· - They have photos and statements from patients
and workers. It seems friendly.
· - There is a resource section that discusses common
challenges family caregivers face. They discuss caregiver stress and how to
cope with it.
· - The site offers family caregivers tips about caring for themselves, not just their loved ones. They discuss caregiver stress and how to cope with it.
This site would likely make family members feel supported and assure them that their loved ones would get excellent care. I did not see any negatives.
Home Health Agency #3
Positive aspects were limited and generally portrayed in
ways consumers might find unfavorable. Here are our findings:
· - The site's main page was well organized but not
especially attractive.
· - The mission and vision are impersonal. For
example, the vision is to become the provider that clients trust. It lacks
warmth.
· - The agency offers many services, each described
briefly, but descriptions read like textbooks or canned statements.
· - There is a source section, but it is linked to
various agencies that consumers may not be interested in. For example, most
people who need homecare services don't need links to the Red Cross or the
American Medical Association. They are looking for help for their loved ones.
· - No information ensured that the staff consisted
of trusted, caring workers.
· - There was little information about the agency
and how it can help families and clients.
· - Payment information was lacking.
· - Families and clients were not informed of what
to expect when receiving services.
- There is little to find positive about this agency.
Key Takeaways
The strengths of these websites
highlighted these best practices for website user experience and SEO. The first
two companies did an excellent job, including their keywords, the locations
they served, and a lengthy about us page. Hometown Healthcare stood out from
the competition. It was very informative and personable. Neither of the other
companies had images of their staff or ownership, detracting from the personal
touch a home care agency needs to convey confidence and transparency. All
provided clear information about how to contact the company. Each provided
information about the services offered.
Analyze your competition
Our findings were surprising. Now it's your turn to do what we
did. Look at your agency's website. Compare it to your competitors. Look at
sites you admire, even if they are not in your locale. Look at the values your
agency portrays. How user-friendly does your company appear? Do you offer
support that others don't? It's not enough to be the best; you must show that
your agency is exceptional! The initial contact must be easy to use, friendly,
and professional.
Read more home health
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