(Note: this article is part 2 of 7 in a series on Building a Website to Grow Your Medical Practice. Check out the entire series here.)

Build a Website Part 2: Plan Your Website Functions

Now that you've followed the StoryBrand BrandScript to craft your message and your website copy, you're ready to move on to the next step of building a website you love.

Your website should be an integral part of your business model and marketing plan. To be sure that your website will play well with the other parts of your business and marketing, you need to plan its functions. If you don’t think about the functionality of your website before you start building, you could end up choosing the wrong website builder and needing to start all over from scratch.

I have seen business owners build a website on WordPress and then realize that they should’ve built it directly on Shopify because their entire business model revolved around their online store. I’ve seen other business owners build a website on NaturaeSoft and then realize they want to start a blog and don’t have a simple way to do that on their site. Here are a few more reasons you need to plan your website functions in advance:

• You'll get a more accurate quote from website designers if they understand the functions that you need.
• You'll save yourself the headache of starting with one website builder only to find out it won't do what you want.
• You'll save time and money if you are clear from the beginning what you want your website to accomplish.

Planning the functionality of your site is absolutely essential, and you need to do it even before choosing your website builder. Below is a checklist of functions you may or may not need. Think through this list carefully. In next week’s blog post, we’ll look at how to decide what website builder to use. The functionality you need will help you decide which builder will be best for you.

Checklist of Website Functions

Which of the following do you need? Be sure to keep these in mind when choosing your website builder:

• Blog
• Podcast
• Video
• Integration with Email Service Provider
• Membership Site
• Online Course Site
• Online Store or Shop
• Online Scheduling
• Online Forms Submission
• Online Quizzes
• Event Scheduling
• Chat Support
• Integration with Google Maps or Google Reviews
• Ability to Easily Integrate with any specific external applications you currently use or plan to use in the future

Make a list of the functions you need. Also, make note of whether or not you already have some of these functions and need them to integrate with your website. If you already use a specific online scheduler, for example, do you want to continue to use the same one and integrate it with your site? Or are you open to using an online scheduler that is built into a new website builder?

Keep this list handy when we dive into the details of choosing a website builder in the next blog post!

Up next

This article is part 2 of 7 in a series on Building a Website to Grow Your Medical Practice. It's essential to plan your website functions before choosing a website builder or starting to design. Be sure not to miss what's next: Step 3: Choose the Best Website Builder