Imagine you are looking for a care home for your mum who lives in Leeds.

You’ve no recommendations, and no knowledge of care homes.

So you search “care homes in Leeds” in Google

That’s the exact scenario I put myself in this video where demonstrate what I found as a fictional son searching for a care home in Leeds.

Watch my  “How’s Your Care Home Website” video

In the video I make assessments of the care home websites that appeared in search results.

And I did this to emphasise that if you want to have a care home website that is enquiry generating it’s vital to put yourself in the position of a family member.

Moreover,  I deliberately avoided researching the care homes beforehand because I wanted the experience to mirror how many families actually begin their search.

The aim was simple.

What, in the first 10 seconds of visiting the care home’s website was my first impressions of the home?

Those first few seconds matter.

And what you must take into account is the psychology of families looking for care homes, particularly when they may well hold negative assumptions about care homes. Such as that residents will sit around doing little, or care homes are places where people go to die.

That is the psychology of many families landing on your website for the first time.

Your website therefore has an immediate task –  it must challenge those assumptions within seconds.

Here’s what my exercise of looking for a care home in Leeds emphasised when it comes to creating care home websites.

1. Bright, welcoming imagery matters

Care homes that showed clear, bright photos of their building, gardens, and communal spaces immediately felt more inviting.

A sunny image of the home with greenery and natural light created a positive first impression.

In contrast, darker or outdated photos gave a flat, uninspiring feel.

2. Human connection builds trust

Seeing on a website the home manager, staff members, or residents helped create trust.

A photo of the manager or a short introductory video made the home feel more personal.

3. Families are interested in one care home, less about the care home group.

Some larger care groups quickly pushed visitors away from the individual care home page into wider group webpages or other care homes within the group.

For a family member wanting details about one particular home, this can be distracting.

When I am researching a care home for my mother, I primarily want information about that specific home.

4. Signs of life inside the home reassures families

Photos or videos showing residents participating in activities, smiling with staff, or spending time together created reassurance.

These moments help families picture what daily life inside the home might look like.

5. First Impressions Drive Enquiries

Families often check out several care home websites when searching online.

If the first few seconds feel welcoming, modern, and reassuring, they are far more likely to explore further and consider making an enquiry.

If the website feels outdated, confusing, or impersonal, they simply move on to the next care home in the search results.

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