Every pregnancy center needs an up-to-date, professional, and relevant website to build credibility with clients and compete with local abortion providers. It should load in three seconds, be simple to navigate, and easily lead visitors to your appointment page.
Why is a Website Critical to Your Mission?
More than any other marketing tool, your website is necessary for the normal operations of your center. Not only does it serve as your modern-day business card, but it’s extremely practical.
It helps women discover your center, schedule appointments, and locate your hours, address, and contact information. If it’s a donor website, it will help donors understand and join your mission, while enabling them to safely and securely donate.
Why Website Design Matters
In addition to simply having a website, it must resonate with your target audience and trigger a positive first impression. If your website looks like it’s twenty years old, grainy, and takes ten seconds to load, women may lose interest and seek out your competition.
Potential clients want to see a website that shows you are professional, and see messaging and services relevant to their unplanned pregnancy situations.
Here are a few best practices to consider when designing a client website:
- Images show current and confident Gen Z women
- Images do not show babies or pregnant belly bumps
- Aim for clean and minimal designs
- Ensure all fonts are clear and easy-to-read
- Messaging is short, digestible, and impactful
You want your design to showcase your brand’s personality, while also showing professionalism and resonating with your target audience.
The Importance of Website Functionality
Have you ever tried to submit an online form on your phone when the website wasn’t very mobile-friendly? It can be frustrating trying to click a tiny button or have to rotate your phone in order to see the whole picture.
About 54.4% of all global website traffic is now mobile according to Statista. This means it’s more important than ever for websites to be responsive for mobile devices. If your website hasn’t been updated in years, it may not be very responsive or attractive on mobile. It’s really critical though. This is how most women will first see your center’s website.
Your website’s functionality, speed, and user experience also plays a major role in ushering clients and donors into taking action on your website.
Do you offer online scheduling? This provides a comfortable and fast way for women to schedule an appointment at a time that works for them. If you have the capacity to manage online scheduling, we recommend adding it to your site.
For your donors, making sure you have an SSL certificate when you have online giving options is important. This offers convenience and peace of mind as they see you have a secure and safe website that accepts their preferred payment methods.
Here are a few best practices to consider for functionality:
- Website pages load in three seconds or less
- Responsive design works for mobile, tablet, and desktop
- Online scheduler or giving platform is fast, secure, and easy to use
- Easy to Navigate
User experience should never be overlooked. Remember, while it’s your website, potential clients and donors are the real users. We must design with them in mind, and great results will follow.
Website Health Check
How old is your website?
A competitive, relevant website should be updated every three years. If you can’t remember when you first designed your website, it’s time for a refresh. This is the most crucial marketing tool in your toolbox, and the online face of your pregnancy center.
Below we’ve included a Website Best Practices Checklist as a health check for your website. See how many you can check off the list. If many can’t be checked off, it’s a tell-tale sign you’re due for website improvements.
Website Best Practices Checklist:
Design and Content
- Professional appearance
- Clean and minimal design
- Aligned with your center’s brand
- Imagery resonates with your target audience (client or donor)
- Images are high-quality
- Logo is clear with a transparent background
- Text is highly legible
- Content is well-written
- Consistent branding throughout in content and design
- All information is current and correct
- Includes a mixture of content: images, videos, blogs, etc.
Function
- Loads in 3 seconds or less
- Easy to navigate
- Desktop, tablet, and mobile-friendly
- Links work and aren’t broken or go to 404 pages
- The website works how users would expect
- Your call-to-action buttons pop and are easy to find
- Your location(s) are on a map
- Clients can schedule appointments online
- Donors can make donations online *(if donor website)
Search Engine Optimization
- Website has been optimized for search engines
- Pictures include alt text
- Headers are properly tagged
- Website URLs are short and descriptive
- Search keywords are throughout the website
- Relevant blogs are regularly published
How did it go? We can up your game.
There’s always room for improvement. Whether you need SEO assistance, a small refresh, or a full makeover, we can help. Our team of digital, content, design, and web development experts can help you achieve a website that leads to more appointments and donations.
Call us at 573-445-9295 or email us at info@chooselifemarketing.com to get started.
