Try googling “veterinary websites” and see what you get.

You’ll find just about 1000 different web design businesses that offer their services to build you a website, and almost nothing explaining why you need a website in the first place – let alone how to pick out a good one from a bad one.

The market is saturated with veterinary web designers because the need for an online presence has quickly evolved from merely a perk to an absolute requirement from 2005 to today. Every client expects to find, at the absolute minimum, contact information and hours of business online, and the failure to provide this is enough to incite rage in any Millennial, and frustration in all others.

Now, in 2016, relying solely on a website is unfortunately a mistake. Whereas the early internet’s limitations led to shallow, one-size-fits-all web pages, the new web is dominated by dynamic, interactive, and individually responsive technologies like Uber, Amazon, Google, and Facebook. These are services that are on your phone, personalized to your location/friend group/interests, and feature two way communication with inputs and outputs, rather than a static page that’s little more than an online flier.

Modernizing your practice’s online presence can be a daunting challenge, since the businesses we now compete with for attention have designed their entire existence around the internet. But one area where vets still have a distinct advantage is mobile apps.

Mobile apps provide an avenue for vets to leverage some of their biggest advantages in a way that clients are asking for. We can provide personalized service, even outside the exam room. We can offer 24/7 access to lifesaving information. We can make sure forgetfulness doesn’t impact the health of pets, with reminders and refill requests. And we can leave a visual reminder in the form of an icon on all our clients phones, to remind them every day that we’re here to watch over their pets’ health and safety.

VitusVet is here to give veterinarians a chance to ride this wave of mobile technology, rather than being dragged along in surf, a few years too late. Help us advocate for pets and a bright future for veterinary medicine!