Each year trends and data are analyzed to predict what we should focus on in the coming new year.

In this instance, we will cover trends in web design and marketing that will impact the healthcare industry. 

Whether you are a senior community or a large hospital, you may benefit from keeping up-to-date on digital expectations. 

Responsive Design

Those in the healthcare industry are not the only ones that may benefit from a responsive design. 

This year, in April, Google began prioritizing mobile-friendly websites in search results.

A responsive design will allow your website to display across various devices which will in turn expand your reach to even more users.

Tools Of The Trade

"Where do your patients start their journey for healthcare information? According to Pew Research, when asked to think about the last time they hunted for health or medical information, 77% of online health seekers say they began at a search engine such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Another 13% say they began at a site that specializes in health information, like WebMD. Just 2% say they started their research at a more general site like Wikipedia and an additional 1% say they started at a social network site such as Facebook.

The answer is clear: healthcare providers need to incorporate a top of funnel search engine optimized strategy in their plan." 

Patty Cisco

Armed with the knowledge of where patients start at the sales funnel, you will easily understand where you need to focus as well. Cisco recommends search engine optimization (SEO) for 2016. 

Search Options

• Technical optimization
  • Make sure your website is optimized from code to content
• Pay-Per-Click
  • Ever see ads when you search on Google? You may benefit from them when people are searching their symptoms.

Content Is King

Ultimately, you will benefit your SEO strategy the most by focusing on content. Quality content will be easier to find online since it will be more likely to be shared. 

Creating Content

• Blogging on educational topics and tips
• Whitepapers
• eBooks

Social Media

Content also comes back into the picture for 2016 when social media trends are mentioned. This is an excellent outlet to create strong bonds and conversations with patients. 

"A recent study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine–which compared how 4,800 U.S. hospitals rated on Facebook’s five-star scale with their 30-day readmission rates–researchers found that the average Facebook rating was higher for hospitals with lower-than-average readmission rates, while hospitals with the highest readmission rates received fewer stars from Facebook users.

Social media has greatly impacted how health care providers engage with patients online."

Patty Cisco

Social media can reinforce the above notion of where patients begin looking for information by providing helpful tips in the content shared.

It may also give someone a chance to decide on their medical profession by reading consumer reviews. Credibility is crucial for those in the healthcare industry and social media may be a way of confirming that in 2016. 

Video Ads

"Video is the perfect medium for conveying complex topics and emotional messages, so it’s a great format for healthcare marketers. While TV still counts for 72% of all video viewing, online video is one of the fastest growing media formats and its share of digital ad spend is expected to rise again next year thanks to increased adoption of smartphones and tablet devices."

 Chowning Johnson

Advertising in the digital world may be beneficial for the industry in the coming new year, especially in the form of a personable video. Facebook even tailored their algorithm to prioritize video over texts posts in 2015 which strengthened this concept.

Video can bring a compassionate, human voice to your brand which is crucial in the industry. 

Welcoming 2016

If you're ready to start the new year with a fresh digital presence, we can help.