YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE is linked to how easily your business is found — and in this digital age, your online visibility is a necessity.
Research shows that an increasing number of consumers look for local businesses on the internet. It’s easier to trust a business with a strong online presence, but how do you build it?
Create a website. Learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Maintain a social media presence. Advertise. You’ve already heard of these, but as the digital landscape and algorithms change every day, you need to be more intentional about everything you do online.
Here are five tips to get you started:
1. Update Your Google My Business. Consumers turn to Google to find and evaluate local businesses. People use information found online to help them make everyday decisions. Keeping your Google My Business (GMB) updated helps patients find you, your hours, and what other people are saying. You can even upload pictures and respond to reviews to maintain your overall image.
2. Build a good website. The truth is that consumers find it hard to trust brands without a website. You probably already know this, and probably already have a website, too. But it’s not enough to just have a website — you need to have a good website, which means optimizing user experience (UX). Your website should be easy to read and navigate. Users should be able to find what they need with as few clicks as possible. And, of course, it should be mobile-friendly.
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3. Know Your Niche. Unless you determine your audience, your online presence will be inconsistent. Whether you specialize in dry eye therapy, myopia management, or glaucoma treatment, you need to understand your target audience’s wants and needs. Once you identify those things, you’ll be able to create content and deliver services and products that resonate with your niche. You can start building your online presence, but this resonance is key to maintaining your audience and converting users to patients.
4. Prioritize SEO. Perhaps you already know your audience’s wants and needs, but have you identified their questions? You may have heard about learning SEO to build your online presence, but you should actually master it. People trust people with answers. Select keywords that match your audience’s search queries and create educational content to significantly increase your visibility and trust in your expertise.
5. Build Relationships. When you work so closely with patients, you know just how important it is to build relationships. Their trust and loyalty help maintain your practice, after all. But do they know how grateful you are for them? Do they know how much they mean to you? When they’re not in for an appointment, how are you communicating with them?
To increase your online presence, you have to increase your online activity. Build an email list, manage your social media accounts, and routinely update your website. They are the best ways to interact with current and potential patients on a regular basis.
Bonus Tip: Create Value. You do things other people can’t do. You might be focused on letting other people know why they need your vast range of products and services, but there’s something else you should push for. Use your social media accounts, ads, newsletters, and website to give people a strong sense of your dedication to quality care. Let other people know it’s difficult, but you do what you do because you care.
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That message creates value, and the more value you create for your audience, the more inclined they will be to trust your practice. And what is it that you do, exactly? That’s simple. You help people.
At the end of the day, creating value is about helping people.
