The ultimate guide to websites for vet practices

In a largely digital world, having a high-quality and informative website is absolutely essential to running a veterinary practice. Serving as the main point of reference for both your current and future clients, your website is the face of your clinic and is oftentimes the first impression clients have of your clinic before they even step foot in your veterinary practice. With so many vet clinics out there, potential clients will often browse a number of different clinics before they make the commitment to visit - so how do you make them choose yours? The answer lies in optimizing your website to garner trust and confidence in clients by including several useful tools and key features. The ideal goal is to have a website that works for you and converts visitors into clients. Driving client confidence is key in building trust and loyalty.

Highlight key services offered

Most of the time, clients intend on visiting vet clinics seeking specific care or services for their furry friends. In order for them to know whether or not your clinic is the right one for them to trust with caring for their pets, it only makes sense for them to know whether your clinic even offers the service/s they are seeking. Whether it be vaccinations, check-ups, or even specialized treatments and surgery, listing the quality services offered by your clinic will help clients favor your clinic over another that might have little to no description of the services they provide. Additionally, by showcasing your services and updating them regularly whenever there are additions or changes, you are expanding your reach out to more potential customers while also strengthening your existing client relationships.

Online booking

Once clients are satisfied with the list of services offered by your clinic, having an online booking platform for clients to quickly book appointments is a great way to attract more clients. Having a hassle-free booking system is very useful because clients are able to book in the comfort of their own time. Having a system where clients can reschedule, cancel, and pay for appointments online is also a powerful feature to have on your website. Having an online booking system with a selection of dates and times set by your clinic for clients to choose from saves a lot of time and effort for all parties involved. The convenience of allowing clients to choose the times that fit their schedule best ahead of time will not only increase client satisfaction, but eases a lot of the administrative burden from your receptionist team - providing them with more time to focus on other aspects of your clinic’s running and growth, and therefore enables them to work more productively. A 2020 survey by VetCheck reported that having an online appointment system and online forms are among the top website features that drive client confidence.

Contact Information

Many clients have questions they might want to be answered or clarified before they book an appointment at your clinic, and some may have specific concerns or arrangements they might want to take with you. To suit the specific needs of each client with their individual and unique cases, it’s important to provide various contact options for clients to reach you. This may include phone numbers, email, and social media pages for clients to seek more information. By having more than one option, clients can choose the mode of communication that is most comfortable, convenient, and suitable for their circumstances.

Features to increase client trust

Most clients regard their beloved animals as members of their family and want to provide the best care they can provide for their fur babies - that includes choosing the right veterinarian practice to maintain their pet’s health and wellbeing. With so many vet clinics out there, it can be overwhelming for clients to choose the right clinic to trust with caring for their pets. A 2020 survey conducted by VetCheck found that having google reviews and testimonials by past clients embedded in your website is one of the top ways to boost client confidence. Another very important feature to have on your clinic’s website is a ‘Meet Our Team’ page where clients can learn more about the team running the practice. According to the same 2020 VetCheck survey, introducing your team and showcasing their veterinary qualifications and accreditations are extremely effective in driving your clients’ confidence in your practice. While showcasing your vet team, it is also worth exhibiting your company’s core values and mission statement - surveys have reported that clients have higher confidence in clinics with a strong sense of community. The higher the client's confidence, the more likely they are to trust your practice and ultimately book a visit to your clinic.

Professional and user-friendly website

Your clinic’s website is often the first impression clients have when looking for a vet clinic. This is why having a clean, visually appealing, and user-friendly website design that is compatible on both mobile and desktop is very important. A 2020 survey reported that vet clinics with professional and modern website designs are regarded with higher confidence by clients. When designing your website, it is also worth considering investing a bit of extra effort to make the website accessible for all ability levels - such as having a text-to-speech function. The addition of a search function is also imperative as it allows clients to quickly access their desired information and therefore increases customer satisfaction. Finally, when choosing a website domain, try to keep it short and simple if possible - having an unnecessarily long and complex domain that is hard to spell will risk-taking traffic away from your website.

Educational information

Pet owners regard vets as the most reliable and credible source of information for all things related to their pet’s care. By utilizing your website to spread education on ways pet owners can provide the best care possible for their pets, not only will you be increasing the pets’ quality of life, but it will help to foster feelings of trust in potential as well as existing clients towards your clinic. Resources provided may be in the form of blog posts or informative pages which allow clients to refer to relevant general pet care and their responsibilities as a pet owner. Examples of information you can provide include those surrounding vaccinations, desexing, puppy school, and other common pet conditions owners should be aware of.