Does Your Practice Web Site Have The Most Important Things You Need To Get More Patients (And Keep The Patients You Already Have)?

Happy New Year! If you’ve resolved to take your practice to the next level this year, I suggest that a more effective web site be at the top of your priorities. The web has become the top method for prospective patients to gather information before they make a healthcare decision. Although most practices now have web sites, many of them don’t have what it takes to convince a prospective patient to contact YOU (instead of your competitors).

In addition, most sites don’t make it easy for current patients to continue to do business with you and continually come back to your site for ongoing information they may look for elsewhere. In 2010, you need more than just a web site, you need a web strategy.

Here are 6 things every practice web site should have to maximize effectiveness:

• Why you? & Why Now? : Give prospective patients valuable reasons to contact you and do it right away. First, make sure you communicate what sets you apart from competition. Be sure to build your brand by differentiating your practice from your competitors. Then, provide a strong “call-to-action” by making an offer to provide them with additional information or to contact you to schedule an appointment. Offers such as “The 10 commandments for successful cataract surgery” or “Free cosmetic consultation” are examples of powerful reasons to contact you NOW.
• Patient education library: Content is King. Provide a comprehensive library of content on the conditions you treat and the procedures you provide. If you have comprehensive information, your current patients will look to your web site as the resource for more information. If you don’t have time to write all of this (most practices don’t), then lease the content from a company that has already written this content for your specialty. Contact me for more information on how you can add these libraries to your site.
• New patient forms: Make it easy for new patients to complete their new patient information (intake) forms. If you have an Electronic Medical Records system, provide an interactive form they can complete online and submit directly into your EMR. If you don’t have an EMR, enable them to download the forms to complete before they arrive for their appointment. This will save you time and staff labor costs.
• “Request for appointment” and “Prescription refill” features: Make it easier for patients to contact you by providing features that will allow them to request an appointment and refill a prescription. Doing this online will be more convenient for your patients and save you considerable staff expense and tying up phone lines if patients call for these requests.
• Email capture: Give web site visitors a reason to give you their email address by offering information they feel is valuable. Blogs, “White Papers”, eNewsletters and eBrochures can provide this information and keep you in the forefront of their minds so when they are ready to decide to make an appointment, they think of you first.
• Email to a friend feature: This feature allows them to email a page or other information on your web site directly to a friend they want to see it. This is especially valuable for satisfied patients that want to encourage others they know to come to your practice. Your “raving fans” are more than willing to spread the word and become “ambassadors” of your practice. Make it easy for them to do this.

If you need to upgrade your web site, add any of these suggestions, or if you would like a free web site evaluation of your current site, contact me for assistance. I wish all of you a successful and profitable new year!

Proven Strategies for a Strong, Profitable Practice!

Rich Hachenburg

Founder of Competitive Edge Healthcare Marketing

P.S. Let’s connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Plaxo.