There are many things to consider when deciding if you should try your hand at designing and building a website for your practice. While several website builders offer an opportunity to save money, it’s important to remember the incredible amount of elements at play on a dental site. There’s information about your practice you’ll want to convey, like details about your staff and hours and online scheduling while staying HIPAA-compliant and SSL secure.
Though we don’t recommend dentists spend too much of their valuable time taking a completely DIY approach to their websites, we understand that some may want to look into the options. There are hundreds of well-known website builders, but here are some of the best website builders a dentist can benefit from.
Comparison Table for Dental Website Template Systems
| Feature | WiX | WordPress | SITE123 | GoDaddy | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Ideal for technically-challenged | Moderate | Quick and easy to use | User-friendly | User-friendly |
| Dental Template Options | Yes | Free dental templates are available | Limited, with few dental-specific templates | Yes, designed for healthcare providers | Yes, with sleek designs |
| Customization options | Extensive range of customization features | Customizable with hundreds of plugins | Customizable with free logo maker, landing pages, and icons | Customizable with a range of templates and customization options | Customizable with a drag-and-drop editor |
| Marketing tools | Patient review portals, social media integrations | Email campaigns, SEO optimization, social media management | Free logo maker, customizable landing pages and icons | Email campaigns, SEO optimization, social media management | Blogging and social media integration tools |
| E-commerce capabilities | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| HIPAA compliance | Yes | Separate security solution required | No information available | SSL certificates available; separate solution required | SSL certificates available; separate security required |
| Migration ability | Difficult | Possible | No information available | May face limitations | May face limitations |
WiX – ideal for the technically-challenged
Are you a dentist looking to create a website but feeling like you don’t have the technical skills to do so? Look no further than WiX, an ideal website template system for the technically challenged. Here’s why:
A vast array of useful tools
Despite not being created for any specific sector in particular, WiX still offers a vast array of useful tools appropriate for dental websites. Because it’s such a widely used platform, it’s acquired some of the best templates online with an extensive range of customization features, many of which are perfectly suited for dental practices. Drag-and-drop design assets make customizing templates with your logos easy without requiring much technical knowledge.
Supplement your marketing efforts
There are also ways you can supplement your marketing efforts on WiX, as they offer patient review portals and social media integrations.
HIPAA-Compliant
Websites built on WiX are also HIPAA compliant. Learn why HIPAA rules are important for dentists. They promise the highest level of protection, which means you can gather patient information and be confident that it will remain secure.
Free version and paid plans
WiX has a version you can use for free, but it also offers paid plans, which include additional features and storage space. Some paid plans even include digital ad vouchers to your marketing budget! A calendar add-on would allow patients to schedule appointments directly on the site in real-time without picking up the phone.
Migration issues
The biggest drawback of building a site on WiX is definitely migration, or rather, the lack of this ability. If you decide you’d like to self-host or change platforms in the future, WiX doesn’t allow for easy migration, so you’d likely have to leave all your hard work behind and start from scratch.
Pros and cons of dental lab website templates
WordPress – Free Dental Website Template
Another popular dental web template system that’s also a leader in content management is WordPress. Yes, one of the oldest and most free open-source platforms has actually become a favorite among dentists. The very specific needs of a dental website can be met through a curated set of themes geared toward dental providers.
Blogging and SEO
You might remember that WordPress started almost 20 years ago mainly as a blog-publishing platform, and though it’s evolved over that time, it has retained the blogging aspect of its roots. Blog posts are still leveraged daily for SEO marketing purposes, and connecting a robust blog to your website can help attract new patients to your practice.
Hundreds of plugins
They also offer hundreds of plugins, including booking calendars, chatbots, and forms. They have great customer service and occasionally host webinars that may be helpful to those who need more guidance.
Transferring websites
Unlike WiX, websites built on WordPress can be transferred to the host of your choice. Because WordPress is an open-source platform, you must develop a separate security solution before collecting patient data.
SITE123 – quick and easy to use
Another option for dentists that’s much less discussed is SITE123, whose main selling point is that it’s “by far the easiest free website builder” to use. They have a 3-step onboarding process that requires no coding experience. Instead, they walk you through the design process via a series of pop-ups and tutorials.
Limited templates
The main drawback of SITE123 is that they don’t have as wide of a selection of themes specifically dedicated for use by dental practices; SITE123 does have templates that would be appropriate for this niche, but very few. They offset this minor disadvantage by offering other features, such as a free dental logo maker for those who don’t yet have one and a variety of gorgeous landing pages and icons you can customize.
GoDaddy – Comprehensive Solution with Marketing Tools
GoDaddy is a well-known domain registrar and hosting provider that offers a user-friendly website builder. It has a variety of dental templates that can be easily adapted to suit the needs of healthcare providers, including dental practices. The platform’s drag-and-drop interface makes creating a professional-looking website simple for those with limited technical skills.
Templates for Dental Practices
GoDaddy offers a range of templates that are designed for various industries, including healthcare. Their templates can be easily customized to showcase your dental practice’s unique features. You can add images of your practice, list your services, and include patient testimonials to attract new patients. The platform also offers a range of customization options, such as changing the color scheme and font style to match your branding.
Marketing Tools
GoDaddy provides various built-in marketing tools to help promote your dental practice online. These tools include email campaigns, SEO optimization, and social media management. With email campaigns, you can send newsletters and promotions to your patients, while SEO optimization helps your website rank higher in search engine results. Social media management enables you to connect easily with patients on various social media platforms and promote your practice.
Security and HIPAA Compliance
GoDaddy offers SSL certificates for secure data transmission. However, verifying HIPAA compliance is important before collecting sensitive patient information on your website. GoDaddy’s website builder is separate from their dental hosting services, so if you decide to migrate your website to another platform, you may face some limitations.
Squarespace – Sleek Design with E-commerce Capabilities
Squarespace is a popular option known for its visually appealing templates and user-friendly interface.
Templates for Dental Practices
Like GoDaddy, Squarespace offers a variety of templates that can be easily customized to showcase your dental practice’s unique features. Their templates have a sleek design that can help your website stand out. Additionally, Squarespace offers e-commerce capabilities, which can be useful for selling dental care products directly through your website.
Marketing Tools
Squarespace has built-in blogging and social media integration tools that can help boost your online presence and attract new patients. Their drag-and-drop editor allows for seamless customization, and you can add images, videos, and text to your website.
Security and HIPAA Compliance
Squarespace websites come with SSL certificates, but verifying HIPAA compliance is essential before handling sensitive patient information on the platform. Like GoDaddy, Squarespace does not support easy migration, which may pose a challenge if you decide to switch platforms or self-host in the future.
Final things to consider
Remember that these website builders were all designed for those with limited technical expertise. This makes them great in terms of ease of use, but you’ll also need to sacrifice some features that require more technical nuance. Check our blog about 6 reasons to not choose a dental website template.
As a doctor, you likely prefer to spend most of your professional hours caring for the patients who have entrusted their care to you. So while there are DIY options out there, there’s still plenty to consider before you dive into designing your own dental website. If you want to save time and generate a much more impressive result, check these great dental websites by O360.
