Healthcare Website Design: Tips, Ideas Best Examples (2024)

Healthcare Website Design: Tips, Ideas & Best Examples 2023

Building a new healthcare website?

Modernizing an existing healthcare site?

If you're looking for the best healthcare website design tips so you can ...

Attract new patients.
Grow your practice.
Establish yourself as a premier healthcare provider.

... I manually reviewed over 1,000 healthcare websites (1,192 to be exact) and below is my report of findings. Let's begin with the ...

Best healthcare website design examples

Need ideas for what a good healthcare website should look like? A picture is worth 1,000 words. Here are 16 fantastic examples to model ...

1. Allergy and Immunology

www.aaicmi.com

What I like:

Clean, uncluttered design with a tasteful, coherent color scheme.
Easy to read, descriptive homepage headline (with matching feature image) clearly explaining what they do.
Highly visible, assertive call-to-action.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

2. Cardiology

www.drjindal.com

What I like:

Excellent homepage feature image. You know immediately this is a healthcare website for a heart specialist.
Clean, uncluttered design with a tasteful, coherent color scheme.
Highly visible, assertive call-to-action.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

3. Cardiology

www.georgesfeghalimd.com

What I like:

Same comments as with previous cardiology website.
Excellent homepage imagery.
Clear, descriptive headline.
Simple, uncluttered page layout.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

4. Chiropractic

www.lukowskichiropractic.com

What I like:

Homepage feature image and headline are clear and direct.
Professional logo + integrated, coherent color scheme throughout website.
Emphasis on a special offer for new patients as an incentive for them to take action.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

5. Colon Rectal Specialist

www.mycrsdoc.com

What I like:

One of my favorite medical website examples on this list. It's clear a lot of thought (and work) went into this site.
Beautiful, high-quality images with tightly integrated color scheme.
Clear, well-organized, substantive content.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

6. Dermatology

www.theartofderm.com

What I like:

Nice homepage feature image with clear, descriptive headline.
Clean, uncluttered design with a tasteful, coherent color scheme.
Highly visible, assertive call-to-action.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

7. Endocrinology

www.endocrinekids.com

What I like:

Another of my favorite healthcare websites on this list.
This is a medical practice focused on children's health, so they have a homepage feature image of ... kids!
The fonts in the logo also clearly communicate this is a medical office specializing in children's health.
Well-organized page layouts with well-written content.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

8. Family Medicine/General Practice

Family Medicine/General Practice Website Example

www.paradisefamilyhealthcare.com

What I like:

Easy to read, descriptive homepage with a crystal clear headline.
Highly visible, easily accessible button at the top of all pages linking to the patient portal.
Clean, uncluttered design with a tasteful, coherent color scheme.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

9. Family Medicine/General Practice

www.stclairmedical.ca

What I like:

This medical website is a great example of "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".
You don't see many healthcare websites with a purple color scheme. But this site pulls it off quite nicely.
Highly visible, clear and obvious call-to-action.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

10. Ophthalmology

www.miamieyespecialists.com

What I like:

This site is a textbook example of how to create a great homepage feature area (i.e. clear headline + supporting feature image + call to action)
Well-organized, straight-to-the-point content.
Highly visible, consistent and obvious call-to-action.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

11. Orthopedic Surgery

www.macomborthopedics.com

What I like:

Another medical website with well-designed feature area.
The homepage feature image show s the desired outcome of their orthopedic treatment.
Tons of glowing patient testimonials.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

12. Pediatric Gastroenterology

Pediatric Gastroenterology Website Example

www.smadanimd.com

What I like:

Nearly identical comments as with the pediatric endocrinology website above: The homepage feature image + logo clearly communicate "kids".
Clear, bold homepage headline leaves no doubt about the type of healthcare office this is.
Contact info and patient portal are visible and easy to access throughout site.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

13. Plastic Surgery

www.drdanish.com

What I like:

Another example of a well-designed homepage feature area (headline + image + call-to-action)
Tons of detailed information about all the various services she offers.
A large before/after photo gallery showing the results her patients have experienced.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

14. Psychiatry

www.drpatriciahalligan.com

What I like:

Clear homepage headline explaining exactly what this doctor specializes in.
Lots of high-quality content in the form of blog posts and podcasts demonstrating this doctor's level of expertise.
Bold, consistent call-to-action displayed repeatedly throughout site.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

15. Urgent Care

www.urgentcaretroy.com

What I like:

This is not a "traditional" healthcare website design ... but it works. Everything about this design screams urgent.
The homepage feature image shows an external view of the clinic so patients (with an urgent healthcare matter) can easily see where to go. Brilliant.
The website content is short and to-the-point because a person with an urgent healthcare matter doesn't have time to consume mountains of information.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

16. Urgent Care

www.urgentcaremadisonheights.com

What I like:

This is a more conventional example of an urgent care clinic website.
The homepage feature image of a smiling doctor is clearly designed to put your mind at ease and allay any fear that you'll be "processed" like a vehicle on an assembly line.
As with the previous urgent care clinic website example, the color red is feature prominently to communicate urgency.
Patient-focused.
Mobile-friendly

Healthcare website design mistakes to avoid

Here are 13 mistakes that will absolutely tank the effectiveness of your healthcare website:

1. Making it all about you. The # 1 mistake I see on healthcare websites is the doctor or clinic making themselves the feature attraction instead of the patient. Newsflash >> Prospective patients don't care how big your staff is or how fancy your office is. What they do care about is, "Can you help me?" and "Will you take good care of me?"
2. Vague or confusing headline area: It's shocking how many healthcare websites struggle to clearly articulate what they do. I often see a homepage image of a physician's lab coat ... which is a good first step ... but then they use a bland, non-descript homepage headline like "we'll help you live your best life" or "a modern approach to healthcare". So, are you a kidney specialist or psychiatrist???
3. Cluttered site navigation. Many medical sites jam way too many links into their site's main navigation. Unorganized site navigation adversely affects your brand, lead generation, search traffic and more. The solution >> less is more. Include only the most essential items in your site's main navigation and put everything else in the secondary navigation (at the bottom of the page).
4. Text difficult to read. Either the text size is too small or there is not enough contrast between the text and background color. The font size of words on a website (body copy, specifically) should be at least 18-20 pixels and the text should be sufficiently dark on a white background so people don't have to squint.
5. Unpolished site design. This usually indicates that a boilerplate website template was used and the healthcare provider either didn't know how to customize it themselves or they chose not to invest a few dollars to get professional help with their site. Fair or not, looks matter. The appearance of your site affects your brand. Why not look your best?
6. Focusing only on design. - I visit many medical websites with bold, beautiful imagery and color schemes, but they're weak on messaging and substance. As previously mentioned, looks definitely matter. But you're going to need more than a pretty website to get new patients and grow your practice.
7. Not addressing insurance and financial policies. One of the top questions people have when viewing any medical website is, "How much?" It's the elephant in the room that many healthcare websites choose to avoid. You don't necessarily have to list prices like on a takeout menu, but you do need to address insurance and financial policies. Patients and prospective patients will appreciate and respect you for it.
8. Amateurish logo. Many healthcare websites have cringeworthy logos. If you're going to have a logo, probably best to do it right or don't have one at all. Don't try and do it yourself. Hire an experienced graphic designer. You should be able to get a professionally-designed, custom logo from a graphic designer for $500-$1,000.
9. Money, money, money! Having "Bill Pay" links or buttons in the main navigation at the top of a website seems a bit aggressive to me. It's like going on a first date and asking to see your date's credit card before ordering. Awkward. Look, I'm all about getting paid. But maybe move the "Bill Pay" links or buttons to the footer of your site where they're less obtrusive, but still easy to get to.
10. Using sliders. Homepage image sliders are those image carousel things that resemble a slide show. Here's why they're no longer recommended: (a) They're resource hogs and they'll slow down your site, (b) They're virtually useless on a mobile device, (c) No one is going to wait around and watch your slide show. Instead of an image slider, the current best practice is to just use a really nice static image. The days of trying to impress your visitors with website eye-candy are long gone.
11. Low-resolution headshots or images. Your website appearance affects your brand. With the amazing camera technology on all of our smartphones, there's really no excuse for blurry, low-resolution website images. We live in a high-definition world, so make sure all images on your site are crisp, clear and high-resolution.
12. Old copyright date - This is a pet peeve of mine. If you're going to display a copyright date in the footer of your website, for goodness sake, make sure it's the current year. Just yesterday I saw a *2017* copyright date on a medical website! To me, an old copyright date makes me wonder (a) Can I trust the info on their website since it appears they haven't updated it in years?, or (b) Would this office pay attention to details concerning my health? Details matter.
13. No SSL certificate. - Just in the past few days, I visited multiple healthcare websites that still did not have an SSL certificate installed. An SSL certificate lets visitors know your site is secure because they'll see the little padlock in their web browser. If visitors don't see that padlock when they visit your site, I guarantee they will bolt. Most website hosting companies today offer a free SSL certificate as part of your website hosting plan. You just have to install it and set it up correctly. For more info on SSL certificates, you can check out my article here.

Now let's shift gears and look at how to make a great medical website.

Healthcare website design: Expert tips & best practices

I've been building high-quality, professional business websites for 20+ years. Here are my top 7 tips for building a great healthcare website:

1. Project success. The appearance of your website needs to give prospective patients confidence they're making the right decision by calling your office for an appointment. So how exactly do you do this? You can start with a professionally-designed logo. Use high-quality images and videos. Let patients and colleagues brag about you with glowing testimonials. Share case studies showing how you solve problems. Display trust badges (logos of associations, awards, affiliations, etc) to elevate your credibility. If your site is designed well, even casual visitors will recognize the attention to detail and high-quality craftsmanship.
2. Don't make them think. We all struggle with information overload these days, so don't make your website visitors burn any more mental calories than absolutely necessary. Use clear, simple, direct language to explain what you do and what medical conditions you treat. Organize your site's content and navigation so visitors can find what they're looking for in the fewest clicks. Edit your site's content, then edit some more to root out any potential confusion or unnecessary fluff. One of the best books you'll ever read to help you write excellent website copy is On Writing Well by William Zinsser.
3. Make your site about them. If you want to attract more patients, focus more on them and less on you. What do I mean? Make your patient the hero of your website. Frame everything in terms of how you solve their medical issue and give them the result they're looking for. Let them know you understand their difficulties and frustrations. Take them by the hand and show them how you can help. This approach requires putting your ego on the shelf to truly serve your patient. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."
4. Provide a good user experience (UX). Using your site needs to be pleasant and effortless. That means pages need to load fast — 3 seconds or less (preferably 1-2 seconds). And your site must be mobile-friendly. Back around 2012 when people began surfing the internet on their phones, mobile website traffic accounted for approximately 10% of all visits. Today, mobile website traffic is routinely above 50%.
5. Tell visitors what to do. Don't assume visitors know the next step. You must be assertive and deliberate with your call-to-action. Do you want them to call your office to make an appointment or book online? Or should they first download a PDF or watch a video before requesting an appointment with you? Also, be prepared to ask visitors to take action multiple times due to visitors' ever-shrinking mental bandwidth.
6. Answer questions. People come to your website to solve a problem or achieve a desired outcome. So if you're ever stuck for content ideas for your website, answering questions is a great place to start. Set a timer for 20 minutes and write out as many questions as possible. You should be able to generate 50-100 questions, easy. The obvious questions will relate to the conditions you treat and how you treat them. But equally important are questions like what to bring to your first appointment, where to park, etc. For a deeper dive on this topic, check out They Ask, You Answer.
7. Make a human connection. Let people know you're a real person. Share links to your social media profiles. If you're a podcaster, let them hear you. At a bare minimum, publish your favorite headshot so they can put a name with a face. If you're up to it, a simple 30-60 second welcome video is one of the best ways to connect. No special video equipment is needed. A selfie with your phone works great. Authenticity beats Hollywood production value every day of the week.

TRUE STORY

How a bad medical website can cost you new patients

Mark Brinker

A few years ago I had a weird pea-sized growth on my ear.

I called a doctor friend of mine and asked what type of healthcare specialist I should see to get this thing checked out. He said, “An ENT (Ear, Nose Throat) specialist.”

I asked my friend if he knew a good ENT specialist he could refer me to. Yes, but I'd have to look him up online because my friend didn't have his phone number handy.

I Googled the ENT specialist and found his website alright — it looked like it was built by a 6th grader!

Even though this physician was recommended by a trusted friend, I couldn’t bring myself to make an appointment because his website was so bad.

Instead of instilling trust and confidence, this doctor’s website scared me away.

Getting new patients is hard enough. Don't make it even more difficult with a lousy website.

Note: My medical journey ended well. I called another doctor friend of mine and he connected me with a different ENT specialist ... with a respectable website. I made an appointment, had the weird growth removed from my ear (which was benign) and I’m all good.

Medical website design services & costs

How much does it cost to design and develop a medical website?

The cost to build (or redesign) a medical website is the same as for building any business website. For a detailed cost breakdown or to get a price estimate to build (or redesign) your website, click here.

The cost to build (or redesign) a medical website is the same as for building any business website. To get a detailed cost breakdown for creating a professional, high-quality medical website, click here.

Conclusion

A prospective patient's first interaction with you is usually via your website.

While looks at important, hopefully I've demonstrated that it takes more than a pretty website to attract patients.

Today it's no longer sufficient just to be good at what you do — you have to show patients you're the right healthcare professional that can help them.

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About the Author

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Mark Brinker

Mark Brinker is president of Mark Brinker & Associates — a business website design and development firm in Sterling Heights, MI. Mark offers a FREE masterclass training, "The 5 Steps To Creating A Website That Consistently Attracts Ideal Clients", which you can watch here.

Healthcare Website Design: Tips, Ideas & Best Examples 2024

Best healthcare website design examples

1. Allergy and Immunology

2. Cardiology

3. Cardiology

4. Chiropractic

5. Colon Rectal Specialist

6. Dermatology

7. Endocrinology

8. Family Medicine/General Practice

9. Family Medicine/General Practice

10. Ophthalmology

11. Orthopedic Surgery

12. Pediatric Gastroenterology

13. Plastic Surgery

14. Psychiatry

15. Urgent Care

16. Urgent Care

Healthcare website design mistakes to avoid

Healthcare website design: Expert tips & best practices

How a bad medical website can cost you new patients

Medical website design services & costs

Conclusion

Mark Brinker