Less Really is More
Let’s talk about decision paralysis. You may have heard of this concept already, but if not then you’ve certainly experienced it at one point or another. To understand the impact that this concept can have, let’s put ourselves into the shoes of one of our clients (and temporarily wipe all our expert knowledge of skin…)
The Impact of Decision Paralysis
Imagine you’re finally ready to tackle the skin issue that’s bothered you for years, your acne scars. You decide to Google treatment options, which sounds simple enough, until you realise how many modern day treatments are now available to you that once weren’t. Before too long you’ve very quickly been bombarded with 50 different serums, creams and boosters all promising the same radiant results but containing very different ingredients. Overwhelmed, you decide to pursue the option of visiting a skin clinic for specialist care instead. After a few clicks you land on a clinic who offers an extensive line of treatment options, with many that you’ve never heard of and know nothing about. There’s no categorisation, no explanation and you immediately leave despite being the perfect candidate for conversion.
Mastering Aesthetic Clinic Website Navigation to Simplify and Sell More
So how do we guide the client to the right place without being there to talk to them? Simply, we must consider the level of knowledge they’ll have compared to us, and we must organise and limit our menus to cater to this. Not only is this good from a client’s perspective when they land on your website, but it will also boost your rankings in Google by naturally improving your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Here’s some tips we like to consider when we build sites for skin clinics:
Limit the amount of options available on first glance
We’re not telling you to cut down on the amount of pages you have, but it’s important not to scare off the customer immediately with too many choices. 5-7 options is generally the rule of thumb to prevent cognitive overload, and it also makes your menu easier to read on mobile. Dropdowns can be utilised to hide more information behind wider categories.
Categorise menus for “Treatments” and “Conditions”
A client may not know what treatment is going to solve their skin concern, instead you should provide them with an option to view a list of conditions you can treat. In our example above, a condition labeled “acne scars” is the perfect way to guide them to the right place. These pages can then hold links to specific treatments that will cater to those issues, cutting out the guesswork for the client and landing them directly to the correct “Book now” button.
Categorise treatments by target area
Perhaps your client is unsure of their condition or what they might want help with, but they know the area they’re unhappy with. Organise your menu by target areas, such as “face”, “body” and “skin”. This enables your client to consider just a few curated options, making the information far easier to digest and understand, with less time spent clicking around aimlessly and building less frustration which might cause them to leave prematurely.
Clear up confusion
If you have a large variety of treatments available, consider menu items that state in a more simplified way the desired outcomes. For example “facial treatments”, which on the page will house more specific options, allowing the client to read a short description of each treatment (e.g. chemical peels, microneedling, etc) before they decide to view more information.
Don’t forget your book now button!
Sometimes, clients may just want to book a consultation. They also might know exactly what they’re after and need no further guidance. For these cases we want to make sure that the option to book in is unmissable. Make it sticky so that it’s always at the top of every page alongside your menu, make sure it’s in a high contrasting colour so it can’t be overlooked and use strong, benefit focused language so there’s no confusion: “Book Now”, “Start my Skin Journey” and “Get a Free Skin Assessment” are all great options.
And with that, you should know exactly how to stop overwhelming your clients, and increase your conversions! Giving a client 20 treatment options in a messy menu might feel like a good idea, but the reality is they often just freeze up and leave. By limiting your main menu to a focused 5-7 categories and organising them by Conditions or Target Area, you’re doing the selling for them, reducing that “brain freeze” and guiding them straight to your services. We know that every £1 invested in this kind of user experience can bring back £100 in return.
Ready to make your website work harder and smarter? We know our stuff and we’d love you to join the many clinics we’ve helped to succeed online. Claim your Free Website Audit with us today and we’ll show you the quick wins on your aesthetic clinic website navigation that will turn your confusing menu into a high-converting sales machine!