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Managing your practice's online reputation
Monitoring and protecting your reputation on review websites can help you outshine the competition.
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The Internet is changing, and people are too. Twenty years ago, someone wanting to find a doctor would flip through the phone book. Five years ago, customers might have performed an online search using Google. But now, users are finding more data from Google Places, Yelp, Angie’s List and several other review sites.
A recent survey by Opinion Research Corp. found that two-thirds of respondents depended on online review sites when looking for a particular product or service. What does this mean? Consumers use review sites to choose where they eat, which RAM to buy for their computers, where to get their cars worked on and, yes, which doctor they should choose for eye surgery.
Paul M. Stubenbordt
What is a review site?
As the name implies, a review site enables anyone to post online comments about you and your practice.
Because of its high traffic volume, Google Places is the most important review site for an ophthalmology practice. With that said, there are still many other review sites, including Yahoo Local, Yelp and Angie’s List, that are important too. Additionally, there are medically specific sites such as HealthGrades.com, Vitals.com and RateMDs.com.
This column will focus on online reputation management on review sites.
How does a review site affect my practice?
Imagine this. You search for a doctor online and click on Dr. Y’s place page. You read mostly good reviews, such as: “I loved the staff at Dr. Y Eye Care and Laser Center! They were amazing and held my hand through my entire procedure. Dr Y. spent time with me answering all of my questions and was gentle during the procedure. After my surgery, I see better than ever!”
Then you find Dr. X’s place page and read: “I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy. First, I couldn’t reach anyone when I called the office, and when I finally did, they kept me on hold for 10 minutes. That should have been the first sign. The doctor had one foot out the door the entire time and spent all of 3 minutes answering my questions on cataract surgery. Then I received a bill that said I owed money for my surgery, because they filed the claim incorrectly.”
Now, which practice would you choose to visit? Both of these reviews are from real practices. One is obviously a good review, and the other review just caused the practice to lose a patient. Sadly, many practices do not monitor their online reviews.
What is online reputation management?
Online reputation management is a developing method of monitoring and protecting your reputation online. I like to think of it as a three-step process:
1. Monitor: Good or bad reviews can be posted on any day, at any time. You need to know when it happens so you see the review before potential patients do.
2. Review: Read what people are saying about you.
3. Action: When you see a negative review, ascertain its credibility. If you discover a review is definitely fake, report it. If you need to present a rebuttal, most sites allow you to do that. Most importantly, if you learn about problems in your practice, make changes.
Tips for online reputation management
1. Always assume: One unhappy patient can tarnish your name on the Internet in a matter of minutes. Remember that any patient can write a good or bad review.
2. Alerts: Use Google Alerts. This is a free tool Google offers, and it is simple to set up. When someone posts something about your practice online, you will receive an email alerting you. Check it out: http://www.google.com/alerts.
3. Respond to reviews: You can respond to reviews on most sites. It is nice to acknowledge good reviews. It shows you appreciate the time it took a patient to post something positive. If necessary, respond to negative reviews, but do so gently and maturely. Treat it like a misunderstanding, which it may very well be.
4. Keep it updated: Do not claim your business on a review site and then abandon it. Update it with the latest pictures, videos and keywords.
5. Get reviews: Negative reviews are unavoidable; however, you can try to hide them. When you add new reviews, they will show up first, thus making negative reviews less significant and harder to stumble upon.
How to get reviews
The first step in getting reviews is to add a button on your website. Most of our clients have an easy-to-find button labeled “Review Us.” When someone clicks on the button, they can choose a location to review (if applicable) and then select the review site to which they wish to add their review. Most clients use Google Places and Yelp at the very least. Some practices we work with have their own personalized surveys for patients to fill out, providing instant feedback.
Marketing reviews to patients
An easy, affordable, productive method of educating patients to submit reviews is to hand out a small card explaining how to do so. The cards simply show the patient how they can find review sites and post a review. Another method for obtaining reviews is to send emails with step-by-step instructions to patients who just visited your practice. It is a good idea to verbally notify patients that they will receive an email asking for their online review and that it would really mean a lot to the doctor and staff if they took the time to complete it.
Membership required
Most review sites require membership to use their services. For example, you must have a Google account to post a review on Google. Similarly, you must sign up for a Yelp account to submit a Yelp review. Thankfully, membership is free and takes only minutes to establish.
What happens if I get a bad review?
Do not despair. All practices get bad reviews. If you have never gotten one, you have not had your doors open long enough. Having someone say something negative about you and dealing with it is part of life. It is important to learn from your mistakes so they do not repeat themselves. If someone writes a bad review about your practice, peruse it and take action. That action might be to call the patient directly or to respond online so everyone can see. Sometimes, you might do nothing. No one expects you or your practice to be perfect, but practice makes perfect. You can fix the problems brought to your attention as they happen. And remember, new reviews can bury negative reviews.
Stay with the competition
It is easy to see who has been keeping up with Internet trends — all you have to do is perform a Google search and see who comes up on page 1. Online review sites, much like social media sites, have exploded over the past few years. People do not want to hear you talk about yourself; rather, they want to hear what others have to say about you. In the public’s opinion, your past patients are disinterested in your success, and that separation makes them more credible. Make use of that. When you send a delighted patient home, ask them to do a brief review for you. Make a habit of that, and you will see your reputation shining on a pedestal above the competition online.
For more information:
- Paul M. Stubenbordt can be reached at Stubenbordt Consulting Inc., 104 Houston St., Suite D, Roanoke, TX 76262; 682-831-0900; fax: 682-831-0903; email: paul@stubenbordt.com.