Creating a Movement That Helps Patients Feel Better
Verywell
Rob Stephen, VP Marketing
press@verywell.com
In its mission to put users first, Verywell commissioned research firm KR&I to better understand how people go online during health-related moments of need. They discovered that 82% went online in a negative emotional state. When the content they found offered four criteria—empathy, relevance, ease, and credibility—they felt better, and 78% were more likely to take an immediate health action.
In response, Verywell focused on these criteria through their simple strategy: offer the best content, the fastest site, and a clean and respectful ad experience. The company implemented content, design, and format enhancements focused on transparency and credibility, optimizing their empathetic voice, accessible navigation, comprehensive and up-to-date content, bylines, citations, homepage, and more.
For example, the editorial team expanded the medical review board and built a fact-checking board that ensures accuracy of non-medical facts. A hover over any byline reveals a snapshot about the author, medical reviewer, or fact checker. Readers can access additional information with one click. Inline citations, with direct links to sources, add further trust.
Verywell’s updated homepage offers radical transparency, with easy-to-navigate design that showcases resources such as discussion guides, lab result analyzers, and access to content on 100+ conditions, as well as a clear outline of Verywell’s promise.
The movement has been well received. The company’s audience has grown 189% in just four years, to 35 million monthly unique visitors. Verywell went from being the 16th largest healthcare publisher to the fourth, and it continues to evolve its platform as part of this movement to help patients feel better in their moments of need.
