You may have received calls from companies or even patients asking if you have a website. Perhaps you have ignored the calls knowing your practice has relied on word of mouth or traditional marketing in the past. You may have even entered the world of social media. Yet, you still find yourself wondering if you need a website for your healthcare practice.
Here, we will explain why you need a website, how it pertains to marketing and practice growth, and why social media is a true website for your practice.
Do I Need a Website?
In short, yes, your business needs a website to attract potential customers and grow your business. We have entered the digital age and, thanks to the internet, the world is at our fingertips. Consumer behaviors have changed as we have adapted to the technological changes. As such, businesses have also had to adapt.
Patient Behavior Changes Due to Technology
Even if you have practiced medicine for years, marketing, communication, and patient research strategies have vastly changed. Although using telephone directories was a standard practice years ago, patients no longer use phone books to find a physician. While word of mouth and recommendations are still important, patients do a little more research before making that first appointment.
In just 10 years, the United States alone has seen an increase in approximately 70 million internet users. Approximately 302 million people in the United States used the internet in 2021. That number is only expected to grow. People browse websites to find information, to buy or sell products, to watch movies or listen to music, and more.
Patients (and businesses) have learned to roll with the technological advances to gather resources and information. In 2019, 33 percent of Americans used the internet daily to find local businesses. Smart phones have further enabled internet and local searches. Mobile searches account for approximately half of all website traffic.
Is your healthcare practice visible to patients through internet searches?
6 Reasons Your Healthcare Practice Needs a Website
In response to patient, lifestyle, and technological changes, digital marketing and website usage have soared. Businesses, including healthcare practices, have responded to patients’ need for information access. Websites offer companies a simple way to market their services, reach more patients, and generate more revenue. Additionally, performing an internet search offers credibility, brand awareness, and lead generation.
Consider the following benefits of having a website for your healthcare practice:
Your Website Is a Marketing Asset
Since we live in a digital age, your website is your number one marketing asset. Without a website, you are missing out on a simple way to market your healthcare practice to patients. Americans spend an average of 23.6 hours per week on the internet and 5 hours daily on their phones. You can attract more patients just by improving your online presence and being visible.
Patients Research Your Practice Online
Consumers use the internet for a multitude of needs, including finding medical care. Approximately 80 percent of internet users have performed a healthcare-related search in the last year. Additionally, 63 percent will choose one doctor over another based on their online presence.
Consumer Transactions Are Influenced by Online Content
Even after receiving a referral, patients research reviews of medical practices, information on doctors, and treatments or services available. A simple search leads potential patients to your website, reviews, hours, scheduling platform, and contact information. Within minutes of receiving your practice name, a potential patient can decide whether or not to make a call to your practice based on your internet presence.
You can control much of the information patients have access to through a well-developed and designed website with accurate content.
Websites Answer Basic Questions Quickly
The internet is a wealth of information. You can find an answer to any question via a simple Google search.
When it comes to digital marketing, websites, and healthcare practices, patients want information and answers. They want to know who you are, what your practice does, what services you offer, and why they should see you. Your patients have questions, you can answer those questions easily.
Your website should answer the following questions:
- Who are you and what do you offer?
- Who is your business/healthcare practice for?
- How does it work?
- Why should I trust you?
- What should I do next? How do I contact you?
It Helps You Beat the Big Name Practices
Even if you are a small healthcare practice, you can compete against the big name practices in your field. A well-optimized website with original content can help you rank higher in search engine results.
Optimizing your website includes website design and development that is desktop and mobile friendly. Your digital marketing strategies should be geared toward all internet users, not just those on a computer. User experience, content marketing, and technical SEO elements must be addressed to improve your search rankings. Additionally, your website can be optimized for local SEO and target keywords to attract more patients in your location.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to be tech savvy to have a great website. Your digital marketing agency can help your healthcare practice boost your online presence and search rankings.
Social Media Isn’t Enough
Being on Facebook or Instagram is not the same thing as having a website. While social media is a valuable digital marketing strategy, it is the equivalent of a website. Additionally, FB users are spending less time on the platform, so you need to up your internet marketing game.
Think of social media and your website as ways to funnel patients toward your practice. Social media offers a great way to connect with patients, advertise, and generate interest in your practice. It encourages patients to go to your website to gather additional information and answer those important, basic questions. Your website furthers that connection with potential patients and helps them determine if you are the right fit for their needs.
Grow Your Healthcare Practice with an Optimized Website
As you can see, having a good website is a valuable tool in your digital marketing arsenal. Your patients are online. You need to meet them there. A well-developed professional website opens your world to more potential patients.
Contact the Experts at Med Rank Interactive
Are you ready to attract more patients with your website? At Med Rank Interactive, our team of SEO experts has over ten years of digital marketing experience. Our strategies are fine-tuned for healthcare practices to help you turn leads into patients.
Schedule your FREE consultation today to learn how we can help you grow your healthcare practice!
