Continually update your website to boost your business
NEW ORLEANS – Having an underperforming website is one of the top 10 marketing mistakes optometric practices make, according to Kristin Choryan, ABOC, here at SECO 2022.
Choryan spoke as part of the MedPro360 program, of which Healio was the official media partner.
About 95% of current patients do Internet research, and 70% to 80% of consumers say they research a company before going there, Choryan told attendees.
“When was the last time you’ve gone to your website to see what it looks like and what the load time is?” she asked. “You could invest in advertising, and then it dies when they get to your website.”
Consider what you want patients to do when they get to your website, such as watch videos, sign up for your mailing list or make an appointment.
“Those should be your action items,” Choryan said.
Make it clear on your home page what you are looking to grow.
Then “about us/our practice” and “our brands” pages are next in importance, she said.
Be sure to include photos and biographies for not only the doctors, but the staff as well.
“You want to give your patients a feeling that the people they meet in the office are on the website,” she said.
Embed logos for the brands you sell, with a brief description.
Have a designated services page that lists what you offer, highlighting anything that sets you apart, Choryan said.
“Your website is a 24/7 salesperson,” she said. “Make sure it’s selling what you want it to sell. When all of the search engines look at your website they can see the last time it was updated. Make constant updates. Get help with it. Get feedback from your patients.”
Other top marketing mistakes include:
- not advertising on Google;
- not boosting social media;
- not utilizing their targeting capabilities;
- investing too much on traditional marketing;
- not tracking proper sales funnel metrics;
- not investing in YouTube advertising;
- set it and forget it;
- not taking advantage of your current patient base; and
- not spending enough to achieve desired growth.
Identify your objectives for 2022, Choryan challenged attendees.
“On what areas of your practice will you focus?” she asked. “New patient lead generation? Patient retention? Growth in optical sales? Growth of a medical niche or service? This is the starting point when you’re creating an ad. You can target market to specific people and make sure you’re communicating to them directly.”
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Choryan K. MedPro360: Top 10 mistakes practices make with their marketing. Presented at: SECO; March 9-13, 2022; New Orleans (hybrid meeting).
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