Web Design for Physical Therapists

Planning a website for your physical therapy practice? Many of the decisions you make will be the same as the decisions required for any website — but there are some specific issues in web design for physical therapists.

Consider these points as you’re planning your website.

What pages should you include?

Here are some pages you should be sure to include:

• Home page: this is usually the page that gets the most traffic. It’s the page that should come up first in search when someone searches for your name or the name of your clinic.
• Services: Your visitors should be able to tell exactly what services you offer before they call for an appointment. Link from each service on your list to a page with more information, rather than creating a page with so much detail that it’s visually daunting.
• Staff: Introduce your team and share their credentials. You’ll probably get best results with quality photos of your team.
• About Us: This page helps give visitors confidence before they call. It may also show a map, list the kinds of insurance you accept, and share your payment policies.
• Patient Tools or Patient Resources: This page or section of your website can include forms to download, a link to your patient portal, privacy policies, and your blog or patient information knowledgebase. If you have a scheduling app, make sure there’s a link on this page, even if it can also be reached from the homepage and contact page.
• News: If you don’t include your blog in your Patient Tools section, give it its own tab in the main navigation. It will keep visitors coming back for more.
• Contact: This page should include your name address, phone number, a map, your email address (or mail-to link), and your hours. You can also include a link to your patient portal or scheduling tools.

You can have as many as seven pages in your main navigation. If you want to include another page, such as a gallery or an ecommerce page, talk with your web team about creative options for including everything you want without having too many navigation options. Too many choices can become confusing for your visitors. 

What belongs on your homepage?

Some people — especially current patients — will visit your homepage just to get your phone number, to check your hours, or to find your map. Make sure that all this information is easy to find.

But other people will be visiting because they’re looking for a physical therapist. They may find you by Googling “physical therapist near me” or they might be checking you out after getting a referral to you. These visitors need to be able to determine whether you provide the services they need, accept their insurance, and get in contact right away.

Your homepage is also the place to connect with prospective clients and create a good feeling. An attractive, polished design is a big plus.

The most important thing to have on your homepage is a clear statement of what you have to offer and how visitors can get it.

More elements to think about for the homepage of your physical therapy practice website:

• Your phone number in the upper right hand corner
• Your logo in the upper left hand corner
• A link to a New Patient page
• Social media icons leading visitors to your social media pages
• A search box so visitors can find information easily
• Links (in the footer, usually) to privacy policy pages, foreign language translations for Section 1557 compliance, and a legal disclaimer if needed
• Blog posts or your social media feed pulled to the front page
• A callout to your insurance or billing page
• A link to your patient portal

Remember, while your homepage will probably be the most popular page, your visitors will probably enter on many different pages, and they may not all reach your homepage. Be sure you don’t isolate information on the homepage. 

A plan for the future

The days when you could just launch your website and forget about it are gone. Your website will work hard for you if you make sure to keep it updated — ideally, with a regular flow of valuable content for your visitors and for the search engines.

Make sure that you have a content marketing plan for your website. Already have a website? Then you may also want our SEO Strategy Document.