A working website isn’t always an effective one
Company: Dokter Alex Heezen
Focus: Website optimisation, content restructuring, English translations
Constraint: Ongoing agency setup with reactive execution and reporting, but limited focus on improving structure, clarity, or user experience
This was a clinic in Rotterdam looking to expand into an English-speaking expat audience, using an existing website that was difficult to navigate and hadn’t been built with that audience in mind. Reaching a new audience doesn’t start with adding more, it starts with fixing what exists already.
A website can technically “convert” daily and still be difficult for users to navigate. If the structure is unclear, the content is outdated, or everything competes for attention, you’re relying on extra effort from the user instead of making it easy for them.
Context
The Rotterdam-based clinic was working with an external agency that handled the website and ongoing updates. Pages were live, content had been published, and updates were being made. But the setup was largely reactive.
Over time, that led to:
- Copy/pasted exact duplicate content across pages (and sometimes, on the same page)
- Key information buried or not mentioned at all
- Typos and inconsistencies (At one point, the entire services menu disappeared from the top navigation until I pointed it out)
- Navigation with too many options
At the same time, the clinic wanted to start reaching an English-speaking audience.
Which meant the problem wasn’t just translation. It was whether the website made sense at all for someone landing on it for the first time.
Approach: Fix the structure before adding more
Instead of starting with new content, the focus was on understanding what was already there and what needed to change.
I reviewed the full site and focused on:
- Simplifying navigation and reducing unnecessary choices
- Prioritising key information above the fold
- Making contact and booking paths more visible and easier to access
- Removing duplication and tightening content across pages
Alongside that, I worked on translating, rewriting, and updating existing content into English in a way that actually fits the audience, aligned with how people search and make decisions.
This is still ongoing, with a new version of the website currently in development. The goal isn’t a one-time fix, but a structure that holds up moving forward.
Your website works. It can also work a lot better.
Instead of a website that assumes familiarity, the goal is a site that works for someone landing on it for the first time. Clearer structure, clearer messaging, and less noise make it easier for visitors to understand what’s offered and take action without hesitation. It also creates a foundation that’s easier to build on, whether that’s through content, campaigns, or future updates.