Every day, allied healthcare professionals care for their patients and play an important role in the health of many Canadians, but their websites don't always represent their incredible work.
They work tirelessly to deliver the highest standards of patient-centered care, regardless of the scale of their practice, and they often overlook their online presence.
As you read this, here's what's going on online: Everyone in the area has a healthcare need and will be looking for a healthcare provider on Google to assist them. The typical Google search session lasts about a minute and a half. That means that if your website isn't well optimized, this patient is unlikely to find you.
A better website can help take care of more patients, which can mean more revenue, business growth and even more time for your staff and yourself.
Here are five things an outstanding website can do for you and your practice:
- Puts you on the map
- Converts the curious
- Saves you time
- Becomes your business card
- Convinces your referrals
Let me show you why these five points are more important now than ever.
1. A Resourceful Website Puts You on the Map
The best healthcare practitioners aren't necessarily rewarded by Google's algorithm. It does, however, reward clinics that take the time to create quality content for their websites, with placement on the highly sought-after first results list. If you want to appear in a local search, you must have a website. The next step in having the attention you deserve is to have a website that brings value to people who are looking you up online.
2. A Clear Website Converts the Curious
Let's say someone is searching for a new chiropractor, RMT, physiotherapist, or other healthcare professional and visits four different websites before making a decision. Is this to say that if you're one of the four, you have a 25% chance of getting the booking? That isn't the case. If you have two elements that are often overlooked by medical websites: modern design and the right words, your chances are much better.
Let's look at each briefly:
1. Modern Design
Even after all these years, we still judge books by their covers. And we still judge clinics by their website.
Your website must be attractive. I don't say "healthy" in the sense of "it was perfect ten years ago." "This integrates some classic design concepts that satisfy the modern eye," I mean. In my free resource Clinic Website Essentials, I discuss these topics. It's crucial to make a good first impression by using clear fonts, colors, spacing, and high-resolution images.
2. The Right Words
Finding the correct words to use on your website can be difficult. Patients should not only be able to comprehend the language, but it should also be focused on them. This ensures that every word on your website serves the sole purpose of assisting visitors in obtaining the information they need, not just what you want to tell them about yourself. Your sentences must be empathic and concise. Make it clear that you understand what they're going through and that you've devised a strategy to assist them.
This is not the time to impress others with how much medical language you know. Keep it simple and to-the-point. People need easy to understand, scannable language that is geared toward helping them take the right steps to get better.
With StoryBrand, you have a framework you can use to target your customer's head and heart so that the words on your site speak directly to what they need to hear, thus compelling them to take action and book with you.
3. An Effective Website Saves You Time
The majority of people consider their website to be a marketing investment. They're right, but a great website isn't just for marketing purposes. It also helps you save time.
Do you find yourself having to call patients on a regular basis to inform them of the COVID protocols they must follow before they arrive for their appointment?
You could save yourself a ton of time by posting that information on your site.
A great website can also save you time if:
- You’re answering the same questions over and over again.
- You’re losing precious time every day because patients are making the same mistakes over time.
- You or your administrators are constantly asked for directions to your clinic.
Your website can be the solution to these common time-wasters. You'd be amazed how much time you can save with a well-placed FAQ section on your website to which you and your staff can refer.
Saving time and energy by leveraging your website's resources is a reason why your website is not just for marketing anymore - it's for your sanity.
4. An Easy-to-Find Website Becomes Your Business Card
One of my chiropractor friends was conversing with his new neighbor, who was also searching for a new chiropractor. He asked if he could borrow mine...
His website.
That's right. Previously, people would request a phone number or a business card. Not any more. People nowadays visit your website to learn more about possible healthcare providers. Thankfully, because my friend's website had just been updated, the neighbor returned the next day to exclaim that he had made an appointment via the website.
5. An Attractive Website Convinces Your Referrals
When you get a referral, what is the first thing you do? You pull out your phone and go to their website. When a patient is referred to you, they will visit your website, which will be their first point of contact with you and your practice.
Because of a weak or non-existent online presence, even the best healthcare professionals with raving fans can lose new patients.
Are You Serious About Growing Your Practice?
It is not difficult to create a successful website, but a bad online presence could be costing you more than you realize. You and your team could not only lose valuable referrals, but you and your team could also waste time repeating yourself while being invisible to people you know can help.
Allowing this minor issue to deter you from doing what you do best: caring for your patients, is a mistake. You may already be providing them with additional services such as eClaims to enhance their experience; go one step further and boost your online presence.
You can enter clinics across Canada that are recognizing that how you present yourself online is more important than ever. These healthcare professionals are taking advantage of emerging online platforms to reach out to new people. As a result, they're seeing steady growth in their practice, thanks to a steady stream of satisfied patients.
Here are some other ideas you can implement to help you build your online presence:
- Spend a little time each day engaging with people on social media.
- Encourage your patients to like, comment, and share on your content.
- Building a cohesive customer experience: from the first time they find you on Google and throughout their entire experience.
- Schedule some time each week to work on your online content. If you don’t schedule it, it will never get done.
- Do an audit of your current website. Is it visually appealing? Are the words simple and patient-centric? Does it have content someone would be interested in?
