10 mistakes pharmacy websites make

Why these mistakes are so common

None of these problems come from carelessness. Most pharmacy websites were built once, quickly, around the needs of the dispensary, and then left alone while the business moved on to travel clinics, weight management, ear wax removal and Pharmacy First. The website did not grow with the services. Here is what that typically looks like, why each one costs you patients, and the fix.

1. One crowded “Services” page

Why it hurts: A patient searching for one service lands on a page about fifteen. Google struggles to decide what the page is about, and the visitor has to scroll to find the one thing they came for.

Fix: Give each service you care about its own page with its own title, price, eligibility and booking route. Keep the “Services” page as a simple index linking to them.

2. No real mobile testing

Why it hurts: The site looks fine on the designer’s laptop, but on a phone the text is tiny, buttons overlap or the page takes ages to load.

Fix: Open your own site on a phone, on mobile data, and try to do what a patient would do: find your hours, find a price, book something. Fix whatever annoys you first.

3. A phone number that is just text

Why it hurts: On a phone, a number that is not a tap-to-call link forces the visitor to remember or copy it. Many will not bother.

Fix: Make every phone number a tap-to-call link and place it in the header on mobile.

4. Opening hours buried on a contact page

Why it hurts: “Are you open?” is the most common question a pharmacy website gets. Making someone click through to find it adds friction to the one thing they came to check.

Fix: Show the weekly hours in the header or footer of every page. Remember to update them for bank holidays.

5. Details that do not match your Google Business Profile

Why it hurts: A different phone number, an old address or conflicting hours sends mixed signals to patients and to search engines.

Fix: Pick one version of your name, address, phone number and hours and make your website, Google listing, NHS website entry and social profiles match exactly.

6. Generic stock photos

Why it hurts: Stock images of smiling strangers in white coats say nothing about your pharmacy. New patients want to know what the place looks like and who they will be speaking to.

Fix: Use your own photos of the shopfront, consultation room and team, with permission from anyone who appears in them.

7. No named pharmacist or registration details

Why it hurts: Healthcare is a trust purchase. A site that does not say who is responsible, or show its regulator details, looks anonymous.

Fix: Name your superintendent or responsible pharmacist and display your GPhC registration information in the footer.

8. Made-up or copy-pasted testimonials

Why it hurts: Visitors can spot vague, identical-sounding praise. It also creates a regulatory and reputational risk if the reviews are not genuine.

Fix: Link to or display real Google reviews, and reply to them properly.

9. Vague service descriptions with no price or eligibility

Why it hurts: “We offer a range of travel services” answers nothing. People leave to find a site that tells them what it costs and whether they qualify.

Fix: Say what the service is, who it suits, how long it takes, what it costs and how to book. Be specific.

10. A site no one on the team can update

Why it hurts: Prices drift out of date, hours stay wrong and new services never get added, because every change means contacting a developer.

Fix: Choose a setup where a trained member of staff can change the essentials safely, or agree a quick turnaround for changes up front.

A quick way to audit your own site in ten minutes

1. Open the site on your phone, on mobile data.
2. Try to find today’s opening hours, one service price and a way to book.
3. Search your pharmacy name on Google and compare the listing to the website.
4. Count how many taps it takes to reach a service page from the home page.
5. Ask someone who has never used the site to do the same tasks and watch where they hesitate.