What did we learn when we rebuilt our own website?
January 21, 2025
As a digital marketing agency, building websites is second nature to us…
But when it came to rebuilding our own VetsDigital site, we realised that applying our own advice wasn’t always as straightforward as we thought!
Here are the key lessons we learned during the process, and why they might help you when it’s time to build or refresh your veterinary practice’s website.
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Less Is More
When it comes to copy, pages, and messaging, simplicity is everything. It’s easy to get carried away with all the things you want to say; your values, your team, your services. But overwhelming visitors with too much information can have the opposite effect.
When designing our own site, we focused on prioritising key information that mattered most, like the services we offer and how they help businesses grow. By cutting out unnecessary details and streamlining our messaging to fit our key audiences, we made it easier for visitors to quickly find what they needed without feeling overloaded.
The same principle applies to vet practice websites, keeping things focused ensures pet owners can find the information they need without distraction or frustration.
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Everyone Has an Opinion
When we set out to redesign our site, we quickly realised that gathering input from the team was both a blessing and a challenge. While it’s great to have diverse perspectives, too many opinions can complicate the process and blur the overall vision.
At one point, we had conflicting ideas about the homepage design and what features to prioritise. To avoid going in circles, we revisited our core goals and audience needs to guide our decisions.
Veterinary practices may face similar challenges! Balancing input from the team with what pet owners truly need, like easy appointment booking or clear service descriptions, helps keep things on track.
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Trust the Professionals
We’re experts in building websites, but we know where our expertise ends. For our homepage, we hired a professional to create a stunning header video that elevated the look and feel of our site.
Bringing in experts allowed us to focus on what we do best while ensuring the final product was polished and impactful.
Similarly, we invested in professional photography to showcase our team authentically. These visuals added a personal touch and helped us connect with our audience in a genuine way. For practices, high-quality photos of your team, facilities, or even happy pets can make your website more relatable and welcoming.
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Always Go Back to Your ‘Why’
As we built our new site, we kept coming back to one question: why does this website exist? It’s easy to get distracted by trends or add features that seem exciting but don’t serve a purpose. For us, the ‘why’ was simple: our site needed to connect with veterinary practices and the wider industry, showing how we can help them grow and achieve their objectives. This focus helped us stay on track and make decisions that aligned with our own goals.
But it’s not just about the functional purpose of the website; it’s also about the brand essence. For VetsDigital, this meant ensuring our tone, visuals, and content reflected our values: approachability, expertise, and a passion for helping veterinary businesses thrive so they can improve the life of pets.
For veterinary practices, your website should bring your unique story to life, whether it’s showcasing your commitment to compassionate care, community involvement, or cutting-edge services. Keeping your ‘why’ and brand essence front and centre ensures your site resonates with pet owners on a deeper level.
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Get Professional Photos
When it came to visuals, we knew that high-quality, professional photos would make all the difference. Authentic imagery helped us showcase our team and services in a way that felt personal and engaging, building trust with our audience from the moment they landed on our site.
Seeing our team in action in the final photos reminded us how much more relatable and approachable the site became. For veterinary practices, capturing candid moments with your team or patients can create an immediate connection with pet owners and make your website stand out.
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Use Clear, Simple Graphics
Visuals are a powerful tool, but only when they’re done right. We used clean, simple graphics throughout our site to complement our messaging and make information easier to digest. This approach ensured that the design felt cohesive and didn’t distract from the content.
Instead of cluttering pages with dense text, we used icons to highlight key points, making the content more skimmable and user-friendly. For veterinary practices, using visuals to simplify complex information – like vaccination schedules or pet care tips – can make your site both functional and visually appealing.
Building our own website was a journey filled with insights. It reminded us to keep things simple, stay true to our goals, and trust in the power of great visuals and clear messaging.
If you’re planning your own site, remember: your website is an extension of your practice. Focus on what makes you unique, keep your audience in mind, and don’t be afraid to bring in the experts where needed.
We’re thrilled with how our new site turned out, and we’d love to help you achieve the same for yours- take a look at our low cost, pay monthly websites for veterinary practices.
Ready to start your own website journey? Let’s talk!
Categorised in: News, Web Design, Website