How can you bring more new patients into your practice? Whether you’re fresh out of school, an established health coach, or a well-seasoned nutritionist – wherever you are in your wellness practitioner journey – you’re probably asking the same question. And it’s understandable! You’re super pumped about helping others and making a difference in their lives. You’re excited and eager.
You’re ready for more patients to serve.
But how do you attract them to YOUR practice? Well, first, they need to know you exist. Then, they need to believe that YOU are the one that can actually help them. So, how do you go about showing them that?
An excellent place to start is through your website.
With more and more patients becoming increasingly aware that they have other choices with regard to their healthcare, many are turning online to learn about their options. In fact, 4 out of 5 people use the internet for a healthcare-related search, and almost 2 out of 3 will choose a provider based on the strength of the provider’s online presence.1 So, not only do you want to have a website, you also want your website to be as strong as possible.
But with all the different ways to build a site, how can you make sure YOURS will attract more of your ideal patients? Here are five powerhouse strategies to get you going.
1. Talk to Your Ideal Patient
The best way to build confidence that you are the right person to help them resolve their health concerns is by speaking their language. And when it comes to your website, the best way to do that is with your copy (AKA all the actual words on your website).
A well-written website will speak directly to your perfect patient. When they visit your site, they should know without a shadow of a doubt that you understand their pain points AND can offer them a solution that will help.
To do this, your website copy should be written in a way that:
- engages them in a conversation versus listing off all of your credentials and experience
- empathizes with their problem, concerns, and fears
- explains in everyday language how treatment will improve their lives
- shows how you are the one to help them get there
In order to make a strong emotional connection with your ideal patient, it’s far more effective to write as though you’re talking to one person – not the masses. So, don’t be afraid to get specific.
2. Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly
With over half of all website traffic coming from mobile phones, it’s important now more than ever to make sure your viewer has a seamless mobile experience on your site.
To do this, you’ll want to check to make sure that your site is mobile-friendly, or responsive.2 By making sure your website is responsive, you’re ensuring that your website will adapt to all the different devices being used to view it. So, whether someone is looking at your website on a desktop or an iPhone, your:
- photos will resize proportionally
- font size will adjust and not run off the side of the screen
- resolution will still remain crisp and clear
If you search online, you can find mobile-friendliness checkers to see how your site stacks up. Google even has one.
Having a mobile responsive site means so much more than resizing images or adjusting your fonts. It also means keeping your titles and paragraphs short and snappy. Your viewer won’t want to scroll through long chunks of text on their phone.
3. Encourage Online Reviews
Patient reviews are like gold. They signal to Google that you’re trustworthy, which can boost your website’s ranking. Most importantly, they build confidence in your future patients.
Reviews are oftentimes the first impression that your ideal patient will have when researching you. And when it comes time to making a decision on a practitioner, almost half of consumers turn to reviews.3
So, don’t be afraid to ask for online reviews. When you do, make it super easy for patients to give you their feedback and be sure to thank them for taking the time.
4. Start a Blog
Want to show that you’re a credible authority in your field? Try blogging!
Having a blog that’s updated with fresh, current content helps establish you as an expert in your area. It also shows that you’re willing to help patients through sharing your knowledge – for free.
Not only is blogging an excellent way to support your patient community, it can also increase your website’s ranking. Google places an impressively high value on well-written, timely, relevant content. In fact, businesses that blog typically generate 67% more leads monthly than those who don’t.4 And websites with blogs get 55% more visitors than their non-blogging counterparts.5
So, if you’re looking for a win-win way to get more patients visiting your site AND climb in your rankings, give blogging a go.
5. Boost Your Local SEO Game
The secret is out – local SEO (search engine optimization) is a game-changer for your practice. At its simplest, local SEO is how you can increase the online visibility of your local practice. And with 46% of all Google searches being local, if you have a local practice and don’t have local SEO on your site, you’re missing out.6
The goal is to rank high (i.e. the first page)within Google’s search engine result pages for local searches pertaining to your practice. How do you do that? Two powerful ways involve optimizing your Google My Business presence and your Google reviews. But you also want to optimize your website by:
- creating a contact page with your name, address, and phone number
- adding a map to your site
- making sure any phone numbers listed are clickable when on mobile devices
- including testimonials on your site to build confidence with your patients and let Google know you’re the real deal
SEO can feel like a big, scary beast at times, so it’s absolutely okay to start out simple! You can’t build a house without the foundation. 😊
Make Your Website Stand Out and Attract New Patients
Creating a highly effective website is a balance between art and science. Between designing and writing all the pages, plus making sure you include the right SEO keywords…it can get overwhelming really quickly.
We’d love to help you attract the right type of patients through your website. Sign up for a free evaluation to pinpoint exactly where your website needs some extra love. And if you don’t have one, click here. We’d love to talk with you about specific ways you can build your online presence.
Your future patients are searching now – let’s make sure they find you!
Sources
1. (2018, May 21). New Research Shows Why Doctors Need a Strong Online Presence …. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://www.inc.com/peter-roesler/new-research-shows-why-doctors-need-a-strong-online-presence.html
2. (2020, November 19). • Mobile percentage of website traffic 2020 …. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/277125/share-of-website-traffic-coming-from-mobile-devices/
3. (2016, April 7). Preferred content formats in the buyer’s journey. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://research.hubspot.com/charts/preferred-content-formats-in-the-buyers-journey
4. (2020, May 11). 31 Business Blogging Stats You Need to Know in … – HubSpot Blog. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/business-blogging-in-2015
5. (2009, August 17). Study Shows Business Blogging Leads to 55% More … – HubSpot Blog. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5014/study-shows-business-blogging-leads-to-55-more-website-visitors.aspx
6. (n.d.). 12 Local SEO Stats Every Business Owner and Marketer Should …. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/12-local-seo-stats-every-business-owner-and-marketer-should-know-in-2019-i/549079/
