In healthcare, trust starts long before the first appointment - it begins online. Yet too many healthcare websites fail to convey the care and credibility patients expect.
When someone visits a healthcare website, they’re not just browsing – they’re seeking reassurance. Whether it’s a patient looking for treatment information or a clinician exploring a partnership, trust is everything. Yet many healthcare websites unintentionally erode that trust through poor design choices and unclear communication.
1. They look clinical instead of caring
Healthcare brands often mistake professionalism for credibility. Cold colours, stock photos of doctors, and jargon-heavy content make sites feel detached. It’s hard to trust an organisation that feels distant.
Better approach:
Use real photography, calm accessible colours, and clear, human language. Patients and partners need empathy more than polish.
2. Accessibility is treated as a checklist
Too many healthcare sites aim for compliance rather than inclusion. They might pass WCAG audits but fail real users, especially those with disabilities, older visitors, or anyone on a slow connection. For a sector built on care, that’s a contradiction.
Better approach:
Design for people, not guidelines. Test with real users. Write in plain English. Accessibility should feel like part of your care standard, not a compliance task.
At We Create Digital, we have created sites with accessibility at their core – not as an afterthought. It’s one reason our clients retain us long term.
3. Overloaded with information, underpowered navigation
Healthcare organisations often try to include everything. The result is long pages, dense copy, and cluttered menus. Visitors leave confused, not informed.
Better approach:
Structure content around user goals – not internal departments. Keep pathways simple, use clear summaries, and surface key actions. When people can find what they need easily, trust follows naturally.
4. Missing signals of credibility
Ironically, many healthcare sites hide their most trust-building elements: clinician credentials, patient results, affiliations, and accreditations. Without these, users are asked to take everything on faith.
Better approach:
Show evidence. Include patient outcomes, satisfaction scores, and team profiles. Trust is earned through transparency, not tone.
5. Weak mobile experience
Most patients use mobile devices to find healthcare information. Yet many sites still prioritise desktop layouts and dense text. A poor mobile experience may send a signal of poor service.
Better approach:
Design mobile-first. Focus on speed, clarity, and quick actions. Every second a user struggles to navigate on mobile is a second they question your reliability.
In summary:
Designing healthcare websites isn’t about looking advanced, it’s about building trust. The most credible sites combine empathy, accessibility, and evidence. They make users feel cared for before they even make contact.
That’s what we aim for with every healthcare project at We Create Digital – creating websites that feel as trustworthy as the organisations behind them.
