What You Need To Do Increase Your Presence Online
Alright, you are ready to get started on your goal of increasing your online presence. However, you need to have a roadmap to get there. First and foremost, you need to have realistic and measurable goals in mind.
The goals set for increasing online visibility need to be realistic given your practice, budget and means. Obviously, your goals must also be measurable. How are you going to improve if there is nothing to measure or compare?
Additionally, it is important to not let personal opinion cloud your goals. What looks good on paper and in your mind can be a disaster when applying it in real time.
Ultimately, you are not the world and you aren’t the customer. Step outside yourself and think how people who are searching for your services would think.
Have a Professional Website…Obviously
This may seem like a given, but having a professional website is a great way to increase online visibility. While this is obvious, it is often the Achilles heel for many healthcare practices.
It’s one thing to have a beautiful website, it is equally important that is easily navigated, has enough space to allow the eyes to breathe and is quick. The best healthcare practices don’t blow their money on design for fluff. They spend the money for sound design, functionality, and appearance.
How do you go about designing a professional website? The biggest tip is to not design it yourself. Leave the sweat and hard work to the professionals. While it has become easier to design website yourself and on the cheap, pre-fab templates, cheesy stock photography and half-baked content will not leave a good impression on those who visit your website.
Spend the money and hire an experienced and reputable internet marketing firm with a proven track record of success.
Clarity Helps Increase Your Presence
Another important point to raise when it comes to increasing your presence online is the concept of clarity. In simple terms…well…keep it simple. The fact is that people won’t have interest in your services if they don’t understand what you are talking about.
Your web content needs to be easy to understand and concisely written. Avoid jargon and keep the technical speak to a minimum. When content is created, think how a friend or family member would read and understand what you present.
Stay Away From Friction Whenever Possible
In marketing terms, the concept of friction occurs when people have to make a commitment to act. Things that cause friction include second thoughts, doubts and uncertainty of choices.
While it is impossible to completely remove friction, there are elements in your website that raise friction levels. Having a ugly, amateur website is an obvious source of friction. Secondly, having a website that is difficult to use increases friction.
Additionally, friction increases when people have to navigate several pages within your site just to get contact information. When this occurs, people feel too overwhelmed, exit your site, and go elsewhere.
Take the time to review your website, its layout and functionality. Be proactive in addressing unnecessary friction points.
Get On Social Media
We all know that social media is everywhere. Whether its Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or a host of websites and related apps, social media platforms are the place to get noticed.
If you are looking to increase your online presence, it is time to put some social media platforms to use. However, it merely goes beyond getting likes, posting videos and running content.
There are powerful strategies you can put into place to effectively gain a stronger foothold for the long run. First and foremost, gain quality followers by interacting with them on social media platforms. When posting content, outlink to reputable practices and practitioners to gain credibility.
Additionally, augment your content with guest blogs, compelling videos and photos, and encourage your viewers to share your content with others.
Harness the Power of Email
When growing your online presence, using email to reach out and communicate with current and prospective patients is a powerful tool. To harness this tool effectively, be sure that sign-up forms and links to monthly email blast and newsletter are easy to find and operational.
When someone signs up or opts in to receive emails and/or newsletters, they are showing you they are interested in your practice and what you have to offer. You can use your email list in various ways, whether its simple communication, advertising offers or getting the referrals you need to grow your practice.
Your email list is a treasure trove of information. It contains valuable demographic information, and you can organize and utilize it to target specific messages and content.
You Have The Power to Grow Online
The above tips are the tip of the iceberg when you are looking to grow your practice online. With all of these these ideas, you may be tempted to jump in with both feet and start going to town. While you want to be proactive, having and experienced team to guide you can make the difference between long-term growth and being left behind.
That is where Stodzy Internet Marketing comes in. We are an experienced team that understands the complexities of online healthcare marketing and increasing your online presence. Give us a call toll-free today and let us help you create a solid marketing plan that will grow as you grow.