For healthcare associations, trust is everything. Your members, funders, patients, and partners all rely on your organisation to provide accurate, timely, and professional information. But what happens when your website—your digital front door—undermines that trust before a word is even read?
Credibility isn’t just built through what you say. It’s also built through how you present it.
In this post, we explore the hidden ways your website could be damaging your organisation’s reputation—and what you can do to turn things around.
Why website credibility matters
Your website is often the first place someone encounters your organisation:
- A clinician looking for CPD resources
- A policymaker checking your latest guidelines
- A potential member evaluating the value of joining
- A journalist searching for a quote or stat
- A member of the public looking for support or answers
If your site looks outdated, loads slowly, contains broken links, or feels confusing—it sends the wrong message:
“If they can’t manage their website, how are they managing their organisation?”
That may sound harsh, but users make credibility judgments in milliseconds. According to research from Stanford University, 75% of users judge an organisation’s credibility based on website design alone.
Let’s take a look at some common credibility killers—and how to fix them.
1. Outdated design and branding
A website that hasn’t been refreshed in 7–10 years might still function, but it likely looks tired. Fonts, colours, layouts, and imagery all play a role in perceived professionalism.
Credibility damage:
- Suggests the organisation is behind the times
- Reduces trust in the relevance of your content
- Discourages younger or digital-savvy audiences
Fix:
- Update your typography and colour palette for clarity and accessibility
- Introduce consistent branding across all pages
- Use modern layouts with clear spacing and responsive design
You don’t always need a full redesign—a Supercharge Plan can breathe new life into your existing site structure.
2. Broken links and missing pages
Few things damage trust faster than clicking a link and hitting a 404 error.
Credibility damage:
- Implies lack of attention to detail
- Frustrates users and increases bounce rates
- Undermines critical content like policy statements or guidelines
Fix:
- Run monthly broken link checks (tools like Broken Link Checker or Ahrefs)
- Create helpful 404 pages with alternative suggestions
- Regularly audit older content and redirect where needed
3. Slow loading times
A one-second delay in load time can lead to a 7% drop in conversions. And in healthcare, speed can impact access to vital information.
Credibility damage:
- Suggests poor infrastructure or outdated tech
- Frustrates mobile users in particular
- Reduces Google rankings (speed is an SEO factor)
Fix:
- Optimise images and enable lazy loading
- Minify CSS and JavaScript
- Use a content delivery network (CDN)
- Choose fast, secure hosting with uptime guarantees
Our Care Plan includes performance monitoring and monthly improvements to ensure your site stays quick and reliable.
4. Poor accessibility
If your site can’t be used by people with vision, hearing, motor, or cognitive impairments, it excludes—and offends—a significant portion of your audience.
Credibility damage:
- Violates legal and ethical obligations
- Signals lack of inclusivity
- Diminishes reach and usability
Fix:
- Use proper heading hierarchies and descriptive link text
- Ensure colour contrast meets WCAG 2.1 standards
- Add alt text to images and captions to video
- Make all functionality usable with a keyboard
More Time To includes accessibility audits in every Supercharge Plan, and can guide you toward full compliance.
5. Inconsistent content and voice
If one page is formal and another is casual, or if content varies in quality and tone, it can feel disjointed and unprofessional.
Credibility damage:
- Creates confusion about your identity and values
- Makes it harder to trust what’s being said
- Lowers perceived authority, especially on sensitive topics
Fix:
- Develop a style guide and tone of voice document
- Train all contributors to follow consistent content practices
- Centralise content review or approvals where possible
6. Lack of clear purpose or calls to action
When users land on a page and aren’t sure what to do next, they disengage.
Credibility damage:
- Makes the organisation appear indecisive or unfocused
- Wastes valuable attention and engagement time
- Reduces conversion to membership, donation, or signup
Fix:
- Ensure every page has a clear next step (join, download, register)
- Use buttons, not just text links
- Test calls to action for clarity and performance
7. No recent updates or news
If your last blog post or press release was over a year ago, it looks like no one’s home.
Credibility damage:
- Suggests inactivity or decline
- Undermines your position as a thought leader
- Reduces media and partnership interest
Fix:
- Add an updates section with bite-sized news or highlights
- Feature upcoming events or new resources on the homepage
- Use automated feeds if you have content elsewhere (e.g. social, YouTube)
8. No HTTPS or security signals
With cyber threats on the rise, users expect reassurance that your site is secure.
Credibility damage:
- Scares users away (especially on forms or donations)
- Triggers browser warnings (“Not secure”)
- Damages search engine rankings
Fix:
- Install and renew your SSL certificate
- Use secure, well-maintained plugins
- Clearly display privacy policies and security statements
Final thought: Small fixes, big impact
The good news? Many of the credibility issues we’ve explored are easy to fix. And the impact of those fixes is outsized.
Improving your website’s trust signals:
- Increases engagement
- Strengthens reputation
- Supports your wider mission
- Shows your organisation takes pride in how it presents itself
How More Time To can help
We specialise in helping healthcare and membership organisations improve their websites—without starting from scratch.
Through our Care and Supercharge Plans, we can:
- Run a full credibility audit of your current site
- Deliver fixes that improve trust and usability
- Refresh your design and content structure
- Train your team to keep things consistent
Let your website reflect the quality of your work. Because credibility starts with the first click.
