The perfect practice website: 12 things patients look for

What counts in the first few seconds

Imagine a patient with a sore throat who types “Hausarzt Wien Neubau” or “Hausarzt München Schwabing” (GP in a Vienna or Munich neighbourhood) into her phone in the morning. She opens three results and stays with the practice that tells her straight away: open today until 12 noon, appointment without a long wait, tap to call. Everything else – philosophy, the history of the practice, career path – comes later.

The following twelve points are sorted by this logic: first what patients need to make a decision, then what builds trust, and finally what makes a website technically good. They apply to medical practices just as much as to physiotherapy, psychotherapy and psychology practices.

1–4: The basics every visitor looks for

1. Opening hours – ideally with a live status

Opening hours are the most searched-for content on any practice website. Show them on the home page, not hidden under “Contact”. Even better is a live status (“Open now · closes at 6 pm”) that knows about public holidays and vacations. Announce holidays and cover arrangements in good time – with the name and address of the practice covering for you.

2. Phone, email and address with a single tap

The phone number must be clickable on a mobile phone, and the address should open navigation directly. State when you can be reached by phone – that saves your team calls during the lunch break.

3. Directions, parking, public transport and access

“How do I get there?” is the second most important question for new patients. Name the nearest underground, suburban rail, tram or bus stop, parking options, the floor and whether there is a lift. For people using a wheelchair, pushchair or crutches, the note “accessible entrance” is often decisive – or, where that applies, the honest note that there are two steps.

4. Services in patients’ own words

A list like “manual therapy, PNF, lymphatic drainage” is correct but doesn’t help much. Patients search for their problem: back pain, knee after a cruciate ligament tear, sleep problems, exam anxiety. Describe each service in two or three sentences: who it is for, how it works, what it costs or whether the health insurance covers it. For Google, a separate subpage for each important service pays off – more in the guide to local SEO.

5–8: Content that builds trust

5. The team – with real photos

People choose people. A friendly portrait, name, training, areas of focus and languages are enough. Professional photos of the premises and the team work much better than stock photos – especially in psychotherapy, where the relationship with the therapist is at the centre.

6. The first appointment, step by step

What do I need to bring? Do I need a referral or prescription? How long does the appointment take, what does it cost, and how much do I get back from my health insurance? Answering these questions removes uncertainty – and means fewer questions on the phone.

7. Health insurance, fees and reimbursement

Say clearly how you bill. The terms differ between Austria and Germany – use the ones your patients know, and explain in one sentence what they mean for them:

Transparent fees are permitted and build trust. How you present them factually is governed by the advertising rules of your profession – you will find the guides for your country and profession in the table at the end of this post.

8. Reviews and memberships

Embedded reviews from Google, DocFinder (Austria) or Jameda (Germany) show that others have had good experiences. Add memberships in professional societies and certificates. How to get more reviews without pressuring patients is covered in the guide to the Google Business Profile.

9–12: Technology you don’t see – but notice

9. Built for the phone

A large share of visits come from smartphones. “Optimised for mobile” doesn’t just mean that nothing is cut off, but that the most important actions – call, directions, appointment – can be reached with your thumb and the buttons are large enough.

10. Fast, even with a weak connection

Every second of loading time costs visitors. Compressed images, few scripts and good hosting make the difference. Google measures the user experience with the so-called Core Web Vitals (loading time, responsiveness, stable layout) and takes them into account in its ranking – but what matters more is that your content matches the search.

11. Accessible

Sufficient contrast, easy-to-read font sizes, alternative text for images and keyboard navigation help older people, people with visual impairments – and ultimately everyone. Since 28 June 2025, the Barrierefreiheitsgesetz (BaFG, Accessibility Act) in Austria and the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG, Accessibility Strengthening Act) in Germany require accessibility for certain digital services, such as online booking. Micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than €2 million are exempt for services – which covers most solo practices. Larger practices with their own online booking should have this checked. Regardless of the law, an accessible website is a sign of care for any healthcare provider.

12. Multilingual, if your patients are

Do you or your team speak English, Turkish, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Polish or Russian? Then say so – ideally with a separate language version of the most important pages. For many patients, that is the reason to choose you in particular.

Checklist: is your website complete?

Mandatory information and advertising rules: by country and profession

The twelve elements above apply everywhere. What has to go into the Impressum and how you may advertise services and fees, on the other hand, depends on your country and your profession. There are separate guides for this:

Would you like to see what this looks like in practice first? Our example websites include medical, physiotherapy and psychotherapy practices with all the content described. What a website like this costs is explained in the guide to the cost of a practice website.