Obtaining new patients is the goal of almost every practice marketing strategy. When entering the world of online marketing, there are three primary steps required in order to achieve success:
1. Launching a website
2. Acquiring website visitors by implementing search engine optimization (SEO) techniques or engaging in search engine marketing (SEM)
3. Converting those visitors into new patients by engaging them long enough to “sell” your services
While getting visitors to your website is difficult in itself, keeping them long enough to convert them into new patients is another challenging task. The following 9 tricks will help you refocus the components of your website to capture more visitors and turn them into your new patients.
1. Improve readability
No one accesses your website with the intention of reading a novel. You should provide visitors with concise, informative content that is well-organized.
Quick Tips:
• Use bulleted or numbered lists to break up content.
• Use bold and italics to set off important text.
• Create subheadings that further categorize the information.
• Use a font that is easy-to-read.
2. Know your audience
Write content for your audience knowing that the average adult is at a 7th-grade reading level, according to a study conducted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. If your audience can’t understand your content, they likely won’t feel comfortable choosing you as their provider. Be sure your images and videos relate to your target audience as well; irrelevant visual content is equally as off-putting.
3. Have a call-to-action (CTA)
When a visitor accesses your website, they should immediately know what action you would like them to take. Display a clear call-to-action (CTA) that tells visitors to schedule an appointment or call your practice.
4. Improve navigation
Prospective patients are likely to leave webpages that don’t meet their needs. When a visitor accesses your website, it should be organized in a way that allows visitors to easily find the information they desire. Also, you can further improve your website’s navigation by adding internal links to other related pages on your website.
5. Increase Page Load Speeds
Studies indicate visitors are likely to leave if your website takes longer than 4 seconds to load. If you notice your pages are taking a while to load, talk to your website provider to see what efforts can be made to improve its speed.
6. Offer coupons or online promotions
Prominently displaying coupons or promotional offerings immediately captures visitors’ attention and prompts them to look further into the services you’re advertising.
7. Remove errors
If a visitor runs into an error on your website, such as a missing link or a page that won’t load, they will absolutely abandon your website. Regularly check the functionality of links and ensure each page on your website is loading correctly. Also, smartphones and tablets may experience display issues, so be sure your website adapts accordingly:
8. Remove distractions
Having bright-colored text, moving images, or videos that automatically play can distract from your overall message, confusing visitors and prompting them to leave your website.
9. Display a strategically placed testimonial
If you have a really flattering testimonial, don’t tuck it away on your Testimonials page; prominently display it right on your home page. Exhibiting flattering reviews front-and-center will show your visitors that you have a proven record of success and will entice them to learn more about your services.
After you’ve made these simple tweaks to your practice website, you may want to consider measuring your success. Check out our blog article about tracking your website’s performance to learn how to assess your results.
