Is Your Hospital Website Mobile?

Pew Research Center's new report reveals that just over a quarter of American adults now read news on their cell phones. Coupled with the fact that 73% of all patients search for medical information before or after a doctor's visit, it makes sense to make sure your hospital’s online presence is compatible with today’s mobile devices.

People spend 2.7 hours a day on the mobile Internet, which is why news media outlets like CNN and retail brands like EBay and Amazon now offer mobile-friendly versions of their websites. 

According to Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, immediacy is the currency of the mobile web. In other words, how easy is it to access information on your hospital's website from an iPhone?

Offering your consumers an all mobile version of your hospital's website doesn't have to be your first step into the mobile realm. Consider these ideas as you examine the next phase of your online conversation with consumers.

• Create mobile versions of popular sections of your hospital's site, such as the physician directory or the directory of department phone numbers and location addresses
• Create mobile phone "apps" for your Emergency Department locations, offering consumers instant access to maps of locations and approximate wait times for each ER
• With the increase of hospitals offering social media content, consider creating a phone app for your hospital's YouTube channel, blogs, and podcasts
• Use text messaging for fundraising campaigns. The American Red Cross has raised $1,000,000 for Haiti relief through its text fundraising campaign
• Use text campaigns for community education, like the White House recently did with its text4baby program

As other hospitals play the "wait and see game," take advantage of the trend of mobile Internet usage. After all, more people used their phones today to access news than the day before... and that will be true tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and the day after that.

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