A care home homepage that families can trust

Key takeaways

A care home homepage speaks to families making a difficult, often urgent decision. Show your CQC rating, the types of care you provide, fee information, real photos and how to arrange a visit. Use warm, honest language. Families are looking for evidence that their relative will be safe and treated kindly, and for someone they can talk to.

• Show your CQC rating clearly.
• State the care types you provide.
• Publish fee information, as the CMA expects.
• Make arranging a visit easy.

Who is reading a care home homepage?

It is usually an adult son or daughter, often stressed, researching late in the evening after a hospital discharge or a fall. They need facts and reassurance quickly. Write for that person. A calm tone, plain language and a phone number answered by a real person will help far more than a slogan.

• How to create a high-converting homepage for an SME
• Say who your homepage is for, and who it is not for
• Mobile websites for older customers: what to change

What must a care home show?

CQC-registered services in England must display their latest rating on their website, in line with regulations, and clearly, near the top is sensible. Care homes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own regulators. The CMA's guidance also expects care homes to give clear information, including fees, up front.

• Converting website visitors in regulated industries
• Clinic website credibility: CQC ratings, people and proof

How should you present fees?

Publish weekly fee ranges for each care type, what is included and what is charged as an extra. Explain any deposits, and what happens with fees if funding changes. CMA guidance expects this information to be available on your website. Openness reassures families, who are often comparing several homes.

• Should you show prices on your website?
• Numbers on your homepage: proof or decoration?

What should photos and proof show?

Show real rooms, gardens, staff and daily life, with consent from residents and families. Avoid stock images of smiling older people, which families can spot immediately. Reviews from relatives can be powerful. Be honest about the type of home you are, as the wrong placement can distress everyone.

• Create a homepage without professional photos
• A team section on your homepage: yes or no?

What is the right next step?

Offer a visit or a conversation, and make it feel easy: 'Call Sarah, our manager, or book a visit.' Show when you can be reached, including evenings. State whether rooms are available. Avoid long forms. People in this position want to speak to someone, so the phone route matters most.

• Call, form or email: which should your homepage push?
• Show your availability on the homepage, honestly

When does a group need a different approach?

A group with several homes needs a good home finder, and pages for each location with individual ratings, fees and managers. Do not let a central brand message hide the local facts. Families choose a place and the people there, rather than a group name.

• A franchise homepage: one brand, many local owners
• Website for multiple locations: when to restructure

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern worth checking: a home with an excellent reputation displays warm brand language, but families must phone to learn the fees or the types of care it offers. Adding these facts and the manager's name respects the situation they are in, and it should reduce repetitive calls.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Care home homepage checklist

• Display your current CQC rating.
• List your care types.
• Publish fee ranges and extras.
• Use real, consented photos.
• Name the manager.
• Show room availability.
• Offer a visit by phone.

• A manufacturer's homepage that wins RFQs
• A cafe homepage that gets people through the door

Next step

Ask a relative of a current resident what they most wanted to find online when choosing. Make sure that it is on your homepage.