Google is the number one way in which patients and customers will find your optical practice. So keeping up with the latest developments in an arena that has a direct impact on the stream of leads and patients your web presence can generate for you is essential for the savvy practice owner.

On 21st April 2015, Google made an important change that made it absolutely essential for your practice to have the right kind of website. It’s paramount that you get this right – otherwise your optical business will lose money in one way or another.

What was the big news from Google then?

Well, Google changed its mobile search algorithm to favour mobile friendly websites in its search results.

This means, if somebody is searching for an optician or optical service in your area, mobile friendly websites will be more likely to show up higher in the rankings than those websites that are not mobile friendly.

The Google Blog quotes the following as factors that the Google Search Engine will consider when ranking websites for mobile devices.

• Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash
• Uses text that is readable without zooming
• Sizes content to the screen so users don’t have to scroll horizontally or zoom
• Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped

How Does My Website Look On Mobiles?

Try the following 2 website health-checks yourself right now.

(If you don’t have a smartphone or a website – ug, ug-ug, ug-ug ug-ug ug! )

Website Health-Check 1.

Type in your own website address/url into your mobile search browser and see what your own website looks like. Do you have to zoom in just to read the telephone number or address? Is the key information right down at the bottom of the screen? Can you easily tap the buttons to get to the pages you want to read?

Google has a free-tool you can use to check if your website is mobile friendly.

Go to https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

Type in your web address and Google will give you a report on your website’s mobile friendliness.

Website Health-Check 2.

Go to Google.co.uk on your smart phone and search Opticians ‘’Mytown’’ – so if you’re in Oxford search for Opticians Oxford or Optician in Oxford. Can you see your practice high up on the search results? If you can’t, how far do you have to scroll down or go to page 2 of the search results to find your practice?

Think – when was the last time you went to page 2 of a Google search in order to find what you’re looking for?

The reality is that if you’re not high up on Google, your competitors who are higher up the page will be getting that traffic. Expecting your customers to work hard to find you (if they know you already) or thinking that potential new customers looking for opticians online will find you even if you’re not near the top on page 1 on Google is just wishful thinking. Moreover, once they arrive on your website, if they have to zoom in and scroll around left to right to read your website, the most likely outcome is that they won’t bother and will go to another website instead. When people are online they are lazy – make it easy for them if you want their business.

Statistics-Statistics-and more Statistics

Here are some fact and figures to demonstrate why the above two factors are so important for your practice?

Google gets 90% of web search traffic in the UK.

Secondly, about 50% of search traffic is on mobile devices.

That’s a whole lot of people looking for opticians, optical products and services using their mobile devices.

‘Think BUX For More Bucks’

The buzz word is ‘user experience’ or UX as it’s known. Better User (e)Xperience (BUX) is an art and a science rolled into one and it’s aimed at enhancing the customer’s experience when they are on your website so that the chances of them doing business with you increases. Focusing on ‘better user experience’ (BUX) will lead to more revenues for your business.

Question: What the easiest fastest thing to do to make your improve your website user experience?

Answer: Make it mobile friendly or ‘mobile-responsive’.

It’s a real no-brainer!

Dr Kuki Hundal

The ‘Real’ Web Doctor

Co-Founder – OptiCommerce Web Solutions

www.OptiCommerce.co.uk