What’s the first thing people do when they even think they have a health issue?
Studies show over 80% of the American population heads straight for the internet. This is a fact. Whether you or your office is referred by another physician or a friend of the patient, people go straight to the internet to check you out.
Why do people do this? What are they looking for?
They want to know what is wrong with them and who in the world you are. Can they trust you? Are you legitimate? Are you really good at what you do or are you a newbie? Are you reputable?
Knowing this, doesn’t it make sense to have a strong online presence no matter what field of healthcare you are in?
Many practices don’t leverage the internet as much as they should. Beyond “should we have a website”, practitioners should be doing several things to attract and retain clients. Blogging, publishing educational content (such as how to know if you are having irregular heartbeats), press releases, and more… make it really easy for people to find you and learn about who you are and what you do.
Let me share a story with you. Two years ago my daughter was diagnosed with something scary sounding by our orthopedic doctor (an osteoid osteoma). The orthopedic doctor didn’t know much about these and nervously referred us to a specialist in Denver. He assured us “Dr. M” was the best in the state.
Of course I came home and immediately googled “osteoid osteoma”, which I couldn’t spell and couldn’t find it online. Next thing I did was google Dr. M – who I couldn’t find either! I had to wait until the next day to call the office to find the name of the practice to look them up. Sure enough, they did have a website and Dr. M was on there and yes, he is a big shot in his field.
But, he should have been much easier for me to find. I shouldn’t have to wait, worried and stressed, until the next morning to learn these things. Dr. M’s office should have done a much better job of promoting his name (and the name of his practice, even though that wasn’t what I was referred to) online.
Can your patients find you?
You don’t need expensive pay-per-click advertisements or banner ads to be found easily online. There are several very simple and inexpensive, systematical techniques you can use to be found easily.
Contact us about our “New Media Marketing Package” specifically for chiropractors at Kelly@AMarketingConnection.com or 303-460-0285
About the author
Founder of A Marketing Connection and The Copywriting Institute, Kelly Robbins, MA, is an award winning author, copywriter and healthcare marketing coach/consultant. She also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, “5 Critical Mistakes Healthcare Marketers Make that Lose Sales and Plummet Profits” at www.AMarketingConnection.com or 303-460-0285.
Having a Web site is now a necessity for any type of business, especially a chiropractic practice. In fact, statistics show that over 80% of consumers search for health-related information online first – before they do anything else.
And while some chiropractors tell me their clients don’t specifically find them on the Internet, they feel it’s important to have a Web site because it acts as a brochure. A place patient’s can check them out once they’ve been referred. It’s also a place doctors can easily send their clients to learn more about their practice. They can showcase their services, offer educational information, post testimonials, and give prospects some background on their business.
Because they don’t obtain much business from the Internet and don’t think they will, chiropractors often don’t put much thought into how search engines, like Yahoo! or Google work and whether their site even comes up when prospects search.
The fact is, nothing is more frustrating for a consumer trying to look up a chiropractors phone number, find their address or directions and they can’t find it because they are not listed in the search engines.
Strategically placing keywords that search engines use to locate your business is beneficial for many reasons, but most of all because you never know where your next lead may come from.
Here are a few easy things you can do to optimize your Web site for better search engine placement:
1. Make a list of keywords prospects would use to find you. Make another list of keywords prospects could use to find someone who does what you do. For example, if someone is specifically looking for you, they may use keywords “Joanne’s Closet Organizing”. If they were searching for a closet organizer, they may type in “closet organizer” or “closet organizer Colorado”.
2. Put your most important keywords in the headline on each page. Headings on pages are one of the most important criteria search engines use when determining what your Web site is about. Many businesses have a “welcome” headline, which is wasting a heading. “Joanne’s Closet Organizing” can just as easily be the headline and you’re using important keywords the search engines use to find you.
3. List your keywords in the beginning of your sentences rather than the end.
4. Use your keywords throughout the copy, not just in the headings. However, make sure the copy sounds good. You don’t want to use keywords just to use them, but if you can incorporate them into the text and still say what you need to, do it.
5. Make sure important sites are linked to YOU. “Important” is pretty subjective, however, search engines place more importance on a link to big sites, like a large Chamber of Commerce that gets thousands of hits a day, compared to smaller sites that may only receive 10 or 20 hits.
About the author
Author of Healthcare Copywriting Secrets Revealed and The Practice Evolution Success Kit, Kelly Robbins is a healthcare copywriter and marketing coach/consultant. She also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, 5 Critical Mistakes Healthcare Marketers Make that Lose Sales and Plummet Profits at Kelly@AMarketingConnection.com or 303-460-0285.
