When was the last time you changed something on your Practice Website?
Maybe you’ve added information about a new Optical Dispenser on your team. Perhaps you’ve updated your Qualifications or added ‘Clinical Interests’. Perhaps you’ve added a link to your Facebook Page. Or you got someone else to do it for you.
As I’ve discussed previously, your Practice Website is like your home base. You own it. You control it. It is your slice of the internet.
Apple Computers
Lets think about Apple Inc. You’re probably using one of their products to read this post.
Apple has been around for quite a while. A long time in computer terms. Thanks to archive.org/web, we can zoom back in time to look at snapshots of their website.
Here’s what the Apple Website looked like on 14th July 1997
What things did Apple want visitors to do on their site?
Straight off the bat, visitors see the Apple Logo and know that they’ve come to the intended website.
Next, they’re encouraged to Register for a CD-ROM about a program (Cyberdrive). There’s also a picture of a small electronic gadget in the top right.
Below this is a text-heavy News Section. This is where diligent Apple Visitors will read through each news item. And then load some or all of the items of interest. They even mention help for small businesses (see Apple Small Business near the bottom of the screenshot).
Apple thought about what they wanted people to do on their site. They want people to Register for Updates, Enter a Competition, View Product Information or Preorder Software.
Clearly, Apple wanted their visitors to find the information they wanted and take action. And they want this directed towards things that grew their business.
Back in 1997, it is estimated that there were 1,117,255 known websites according to internetlivestats.com. Although this sounds like a lot, internet speeds were a lot slower then. (You may remember Dial-Up Modems running fast at 56kb/s.) Arguably, visitors to a website needed to be more committed to reading the pages they clicked on.
And Now?
Today, there are over 932,137,122 known websites. Average Internet speeds in Australia today are about six hundred times faster.
Given the overwhelming information online and fast internet speeds, website visitors demand clarity and quick answers.
Apple Website Today
Lets have a look at what the Apple website looks like today
Clearly, there are a lot more images on today’s Apple Website.
Apple still wants website visitors to Sign Up for Updates, Learn More about Products, or Pre-Order an item. And yet Apple Visitors don’t have to diligently read through chunks of text, as in 1997.
From the Apple Website, then and now, it’s easy to see the huge improvements in designing a website for your visitors. They know that people can quickly jump from one website to another. And that visitors crave clarity.
So, What Will Your Practice Website Look Like in 2033?
Your website may be an Application (think iPhone/Android App) rather than a traditional website.
Marc Andreeson, Board Member of Facebook, eBay & HP, puts it like this:
“People tend to think of the web as a way to get information or perhaps as a place to carry out ecommerce. But really, the web is about accessing applications. Think of each website as an application, and every single click, every single interaction with that site, is an opportunity to be on the very latest version of that application.” – Marc Andreeson
Whether your website becomes an App or a newer wearable technology, your patients will still search for answers online. In 2033, it will still be imperative to think about your Practice Goals and Actions that you want patients to do on your site.
In 1997, Apple embraced change. They weren’t content with the status quo. Today, Apple is the 12th Largest Company in the World, according to Forbes.
Modify your website. Give exceptional clarity. Grow Your Practice.
