So You Built a Website... Now What?
MARKETING
Kevin Rach
Building a website isn’t usually at the top of the to-do list when opening a new practice. That comes after tackling more important issues, such as funding and staffing. Once those have been addressed, though, building a high-quality website for your practice should be one of your top priorities. Your website is integral to your success because it’s a business card, a Google listing, a first impression, and a billboard all at once.
Thankfully, most practitioners know that, so this won’t be another spiel about how having a website is important. It’s 2017. We’re beyond that. Instead, we’re diving a little deeper. Now that you have a website for your new practice, what else do you need to know?
Too often, busy practitioners build a website, push it live, and then sit back and wait for the new patients to come rolling in. That “set-it-and-forget-it” approach simply doesn’t work. If you want the best return on your investment, focus on optimizing your site and carefully watch online reviews and how your site rises through search engines such as Google.
Optimized Sites, Mobile Searches Correlate to Client Growth
Did you know that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation? Or that 74% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more?
Studies such as the 2016 BrightLocal Local Consumer Review continue to reveal trends in how consumers use online reviews to make decisions about local businesses. As consumers increasingly rely on these online reviews, local businesses are developing a need to optimize their sites, both desktop and mobile, to convert undecided potential patients into loyal ones.
How Often Do Consumers Search for Local Businesses Online?
Ninety-one percent of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. That means that nine out often of your clients are looking to online reviews to make their decisions.
Furthermore, when consumers were asked about online reputation, they said that the “medical/healthcare” industry ranked only behind restaurants for types of businesses that
^If you want the best return on your investment, focus on optimizing your site and carefully watch online reviews and how your site rises through search engines such as Google. J J
mattered to them. Potential clients are now looking to reviews to understand the quality of care they can hope to receive. Undecided clients want to see that others had a positive experience with your business before deciding to put their well-being in your hands.
Mobile Searches Drive New Patient Growth
Thirty-nine percent of people said positive customer reviews make them more likely to use a local business, and 54% of those who read positive views then continue to the business’s website. Thus, a well-optimized web page is also a necessity for those looking to thrive in the digital world.
* ^Ninety-one percent of consumers read online reviews for local
businesses. That means that nine out of ten of your clients are looking to online reviews to make their decisions. J J
The BrightLocal study states that this means businesses must ensure they “have a website that is engaging, impressive, and contains answers to the questions that people are searching for (i.e., uses the right keywords and content).”
Well-Optimized Sites Are a Necessity
As Google continues to update their major algorithms, they are placing more importance on the growing role of mobile responsiveness. Google is working to make the internet a friendlier place for mobile users (as 61% of clients used mobile internet to read reviews in 2016) and your business should too.
Constantly updating your website for mobile and SEO optimization, according to Google algorithms, leads to a higher ranking, increased visibility, and more client conversions.
For a well-optimized mobile site, your call-to-action should be easily visible, short, and clickable. Eighty percent of clients say that they’re most likely to interact with a brand that offers an engaging mobile experience.
To kick-start the process of ensuring your website is mobile optimized, pull up your landing page on your smartphone and ask these three questions:
• Does it load in three seconds or less?
• Is the content easy to read?
• Is it easy to find important information?
• What Does This Mean for Your Business?
Local searches can translate into direct growth of your client base, but only if your website is ready to handle the traffic and provide visitors with a positive experience. Does your website fail to meet the needs of mobile users? Then it might be time for a fresh, responsive website from an experienced provider.
£ Online marketing Kevin Chiro, Rach a in the is leading Senior provider chiropractic Communications of field. websites He and Manager and online his team at produce content designed to help medical professionals navigate the digital world and to thrive in the online marketplace. For more information, visit www.onlinechiro.com or call 866-677-8317.
