What I Learned Building a Diabetes Management Website

A few months ago, the author commenced developing a health platform named <source>reversemydiabetes.co</source>, centered on aiding individuals manage type 2 diabetes through dietary and lifestyle modifications. Acknowledging that they are not a doctor, the project quickly became an intriguing technical undertaking, prompting the author to share their learnings.

Diabetes affects a vast number of people, and much of the available advice is either behind paywalls, poorly organized, or written in a manner that is challenging to implement. The author aimed to create a straightforward platform: one that provides practical, straightforward guidance on blood sugar management, meal planning, and daily habits, without requiring a login, subscription, or medical knowledge to comprehend.

Several technical decisions significantly influenced the platform's development. Initially, the author over-engineered the content structure, attempting to create dynamic filtering for every conceivable dietary preference. However, this approach proved unnecessary. The author ultimately scrapped most of the over-engineered design, focusing on clear and well-organized static content, including a diabetes diet plan page, a blood sugar basics guide, and a meal planning section.

Regarding SEO, the author treated it as an integral aspect of the project, not an afterthought. Extensive keyword research was conducted, focusing on phrases such as "diabetes diet plan," "blood sugar levels," and "type 2 diabetes management." The author then restructured the pages around what people were actively searching for, rather than what sounded appealing internally.

Performance also played a crucial role in the development process. A significant portion of the target audience consists of older individuals using slower connections or older devices. Consequently, the author removed unnecessary client-side JavaScript and relied on plain HTML/CSS whenever possible. This decision resulted in improved Lighthouse scores and a noticeable decrease in bounce rate.

Establishing trust signals proved to be a significant UX challenge for health-related content. Unlike SaaS landing pages, visitors to this platform often arrive with skepticism, given the prevalence of unreliable health content on the internet. To address this issue, the author invested time in incorporating clear sources, using plain language instead of jargon, and avoiding exaggerated claims. Although this slowed down the launch, the enhanced user experience justified the postponement.

Looking ahead, the author plans to continue iterating by adding more structured content related to meal planning and blood sugar tracking, as well as enhancing the mobile experience for faster performance. For those interested in the final product, the platform can be accessed at <source>reversemydiabetes.co</source>.