You know by now that having an awesome website is a one of the most foolproof ways to get more patients to your practice. Indeed, websites are key in increased visibility and traffic. Despite their effectiveness, healthcare providers often underutilize websites. As a result, this important marketing method is not used to its fullest potential.
Your healthcare website needs to be created using a focused and strategic approach. The following article outlines foolproof ways you can get more patients to your practice through your website
Before You Start…Consider This
Before you start making changes to your website, you need to walk it back and give it some thought. What is your number one goal?
The main goal of your healthcare website is reaching the most amount of relevant people as possible. One of the most foolproof ways to get more patients to your website is defining your goals and budget first. When doing so, you must keep the following questions in mind:
- Are you looking for more traffic to your website?
- What is your target market and what audiences are you not reaching right now?
- Do you want to turn visitors to your site into appointments (and ultimately long-term patients?)
- Are you utilizing social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter?
- Are you utilizing videos?
When you have answered those questions, it is time to think about a realistic budget. While you may not have limitless resources in this regard, you need to put something substantial aside for online marketing. As a rule of thumb, you should allocate anywhere between 5 to 8 percent. However, this is highly dependent on what you can realistically afford.
Utilizing Social Media Platforms is a Foolproof Way to Get More Patients to Your Practice
It goes without saying the social media is everywhere. It is estimated that 79 percent of Americans have a social media profile. From Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to LinkedIn, Instagram and Skype–there are many social media platforms you can choose from. Obviously, your practice can’t be on every social media platform, you can find at least a couple where you can be a solid presence.
The most obvious choice is Facebook. Just over 2 billion people are on Facebook, which provides a huge potential audience for your practice. Having a page on Facebook will keep current and prospective patients up to date with what is going on in your practice. Additionally, you can share patient testimonials and content that informs your audience.
Instagram is another social media platform you can use for your practice–especially if they are young and female. Instagram is great for sharing videos and photos, which is great to show the authenticity of what you do on a daily basis. By using hashtags in your posts, you have the potential to increase your number of followers. Check out Mayo Clinic’s Instagram (@MayoClinic) as an example.
You can also utilize YouTube, Facebook Video, LinkedIn and other sites to help increase your profile.
Search Engine Optimization
By now, you have heard about search engine optimization (SEO) and its importance in building a winning website. As a matter of review, SEO is the process of optimizing a website to rank highly in search engines like Google. The number one goal is to reach as many people in your target audience as possible. This is done by the research and utilization of specific keywords that are most likely to be used by those searching out your services.
There are two major types of SEO you must know. The first type is local SEO which focuses on optimizing your site for local geographic searches. Reaching potential clients in your area is critical. To ensure you reach as many people as possible, you need to do the following to strengthen your local SEO:
- Ensure that your information is accurate in Google My Business
- Have high quality photos that show your practice–inside and out
- Features positive reviews
- Optimize page titles
The second type of SEO is organic SEO or National SEO. With this form of SEO, you need to be sure your website has crucial features that allow people to easily navigate your site. Importantly, your site needs to be easy to use. The following are organic SEO must-haves:
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Your Website Must Be Secure –
be sure that your website is HTTPS enabled. In simple terms, this established an encrypted link between the user and the website. Without it, those who visit your site will receive a message their connection is not private….which will definitely turn viewers away.
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Your Website Must Be High Speed –
be sure your website uploads at faster speeds so people can start navigating to find the information they need. If your site takes time to load, people will click away and go elsewhere.
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Mobile Adaptable –
with the increase in usage of Smartphones and tablets, your website must be optimized for mobile use.
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Content –
your website needs to have content that help people know how to search for help. This includes sections on symptoms, treatments and conditions.
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Links –
links to other similar practices and healthcare providers add credibility and weight. Additionally, having these links help you rank higher in searches.
Content is King
Beyond the bells and whistles, perhaps one of the most foolproof ways to get more patients to your website is through content. The goals of content is to provide meaningful information to your audience. Quality content also can be shared on social media platforms and helps boost SEO.
This can be done by starting a blog, gathering articles, guest blog posts, photos, and videos. You can also incorporate Ebooks, scholarly papers, studies and more to share with your audience.
If you are new to adding and creating content, start with adding one new piece on a weekly basis. You can always increase your output later, but that is a good starting point.
It is also a good idea to put together a weekly posting schedule. In addition to the amount of content you will post, mix it up and add a variety of content. For example, you can post about a specific health condition one week and the next week you can post about how you cared for a specific patient. Having a variety within your content keep people engaged and interested.
Of all the foolproof ways to get more patients to your practice, getting professional guidance is at the top of the list. Call the online healthcare marketing professionals at Stodzy Internet Marketing today. Our experienced team will take the time to understand your practice and create a marketing plan that fits your perfectly over the long run.
Call us toll-free today.