What should the page for each treatment or service of a clinic include?

When someone searches for a treatment or a speciality, what they want is an answer: what it is, who it is for, what to expect, who does it, how to book. A list of services with one line each does not answer. A page per service, well thought through, does, and it is also the one that most helps the clinic to be found.

What each page should explain

1. The clear name of the service. What the person searches for, not the technical term only professionals use. If both are useful, use both.
2. Who it is for, and when to seek it. In which situations it makes sense; and when it is better to look for another kind of help.
3. How it works. The stages, from the first appointment to follow-up. Whoever knows what will happen is less apprehensive.
4. Who does it. Name and training of the responsible professional, in simple language.
5. What you need to know beforehand. Preparation, approximate length, what to bring.
6. Fees and reimbursements. If you publish them, keep them up to date; if you do not, say how to get the information.
7. Frequently asked questions. The real doubts reception hears, with direct answers.
8. How to book. A visible button or phone number, without making people look for it.

What to avoid

• Promises of results. Every person is different. In health, promising a result is risky and, in many cases, goes against the sector's communication rules.
• Before and after pictures and images of patients, unless there is clear consent and the profession's rules allow it. If in doubt, check with your professional body.
• Language that is too technical. Write for people who do not know, without being childish.
• Language of urgency or fear. Inform, do not frighten.
• Copied text. Pages identical to other clinics' have nothing to make them useful.

Two details that help

• The update date. It shows the information has been reviewed and builds confidence.
• Links between pages. Each service links to related ones, to the team and to booking.

Where to start

You do not need to write everything at once. Choose the two or three most sought-after services in the clinic and make those pages first. When they are ready, check what improves in how patients arrive and move on to the next ones.

For the bigger picture of a clinic's communication, read marketing for clinics. And if you need help organising this, on the services for clinics page we explain how we work.

An example of structure

For a physiotherapy page, for example: a title with the treatment name; a "Who it is for" paragraph; a "What happens at the first appointment" list; "Who does it"; "Frequently asked questions"; and a booking button. Each block answers a question the patient would ask on the phone. If reception already answers that aloud, the page can answer it in writing.

How to tell whether the page works

Ask someone who does not know the clinic to read the page and say aloud what they understood and what doubt remained. The doubts that remain are what is left to write. Repeat with a second person: if both are left with the same doubt, it is the first one to fix. This reading, done by two or three different people, takes half an hour and is worth more than many hours of review by whoever wrote the text. Note the changes and test again with another person in a few months.

In short

• One page per service, with the name the patient searches for.
• Explain who it is for, how it works, who does it, what to prepare and how to book.
• Avoid promises of results and images of patients without consent.

Quick questions

Should I publish prices?

It is the clinic's decision. If you publish them, keep them up to date; if not, say clearly how to get the information, so the person does not have to guess.

Do I need a long text?

It needs to be complete, not long. Each patient question with a direct answer; more than that is unnecessary.

How often should I review the pages?

At least once a year, and whenever the service, the professional or the conditions change.