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Why Frequent Updates to Your Practice’s Website Are Necessary

By now, we all know how important it is to have an online presence. (If you don’t, see Do I Need a Website for My Medical Practice?.) But it is not enough to simply create a website and then leave it to run its course while you move on to bigger and better things. Maintaining your website is crucial to relevancy and security in this predominately digital world.

Staying Relevant

When users visit your website, they are almost always searching for specific information. Whether it is information about your practice, a service your practice provides or a trending topic in your practice’s industry, if your website does not provide users with what they are looking for, they will find another website that does. If the information on your website is not up-to-date or accurate, that is an instant indication to the user that your practice is outdated and unreliable. This is why it is crucial that when something changes within your practice, whether it be contact information or a service you provide, it is a part of your process to update this information on your website.

In order to remain relevant in your industry, provide patients with information that they find current and useful in their daily lives. One way to do so is through a “News/Blogs” page on your website. The content of these posts can be anything from a Q&A with one of your physicians to an analysis of a current healthcare trend to tips on staying healthy.

Having fresh and relevant content on your website is also important when it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In the eyes of Google (and other major search engines), fresh content is king. Although Google is constantly changing their algorithm, there is one thing we know for sure: The more relevant your content is to what the user is searching for, the better you will rank. If your website content is being updated frequently with relevant information, you may even become a go-to source for Google.

Keeping Your Website Secure

Thousands of websites are hacked every single day. If you have the it won’t happen to me mentality, you are mistaken. Just because your website is not used by millions or doesn’t have personal information stored in its database does not mean hackers are not interested. Vulnerable websites are exploited for many other reasons including advertising for products you would never voluntarily advertise or spamming.

Content management systems such as WordPress and Drupal are constantly updating their software. Hackers make it their mission to find loopholes in these systems, and when they do, these systems make updates to keep them out. If you are not updating your website’s system to the latest version your website is vulnerable.

If a hacker does get into your website and the intrusion is immediately determined, it can be handled pretty easily. But if it goes unnoticed for too long, it could be detrimental to your business. That is why it is vital for there to be someone constantly keeping an eye on your code and making frequent updates to your website.

Maintaining a website is a lot of work, but it is important. At Points Group, we specialize in website development and maintenance. We even have a team of awesome writers who can produce relevant content for your website that keeps patients (and Google) coming back for more. If you have a website that needs a little TLC, contact us and we’ll get you back where you need to be.