In this digital age, your practice's website is the first place potential patients will visit before deciding whether or not to receive medical care from your practice. As such, it is crucial that your website is not only optimized but that it also presents your medical practice in the very best light—the more appealing it is, the more leads it will generate and the more your bottom line will improve.

Developing a great website requires investing both your money and time, but it is well worth it. Today, your online presence is an extension of your medical practice. You, therefore, need to invest in your website just as you would when creating an accommodating and appealing office environment. This guide takes an in-depth look at ways of building a website that not only attracts patients but keeps them engaged.  

How to get more patients to your website and keep them engaged

Marketing for doctors has become integral in determining a practice's growth over the years. One marketing strategy that has proven vital for medical practitioners is the use of websites. That said, creating a great website is easier said than done. Below are some tips that can help you achieve this feat:

1. Make the most of SEO

According to a Mobihealth news report, 54% of millennials look online for health information and rely on online physician ratings before seeing a doctor. Given the high number of consumers who use search engines before selecting a medical practitioner, you must employ the principles of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to maximize the visibility of your website.

One way of achieving this is by crafting engaging, well-written, and valuable content that clearly outlines the treatments and services you offer, why patients should visit your practice or the unique story behind your practice. Ensure that keywords are included in your content organically.

Another SEO strategy you could employ is ensuring that your website is responsive. In a nutshell, users should access it easily regardless of whether they are using a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. According to a CNBC study, approximately 72% of people will only use smartphones to access the internet by 2025. This data reiterates why it is essential that you ensure that your medical practice's website is mobile-friendly.

If you would like to learn more about SEO and how it can benefit your website. Download our Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Medical Providers and increase its discoverability.

2. Use social media to bolster your online presence

Just like with any other industry, marketing for doctors needs to incorporate the use of social media. According to Statista, approximately 82% of the US population use social media. Whereas your website is the center of your online presence, embracing social media will present you with additional ways of attracting new patients.

You can market your practice using social media friendly content like infographics and videos that lead back to your website. If your content resonates with the audience, it will generate comments, shares, backlinks, and likes, translating to increased visibility on search engines and, ultimately, practice growth.

Besides that, social media provides you with the rare opportunity to engage with potential patients directly via comments and messages. That said, you need to ensure that your response to their messages is prompt and helpful to win them over.

3. Develop a convenient and compelling call-to-action

After a potential patient has found your website, their next step would be to establish contact. You should ensure that the contact process is convenient and seamless for them. Include all relevant contact information such as your medical practice phone number, email, and address—it should be easy to locate, preferably at the top and/or bottom of your pages. Moreover, you should design a portal that enables patients to input their details and schedule appointments at their convenience.

4. Make your selling point unique and clear

It is usually expected that your practice's website has an about section that outlines your history, the services you offer, and your location. You should ensure that the 'about section' goes further than outlining the basic information about your practice. It should go further to provide a unique selling point, which, in essence, means the services that set you apart from your competition. Some good examples of unique selling points include:

• The kinds of medicine your practice specializes in
• The awards your facility has won
• The best doctors in a given specialization

Patients will be more inclined to seek medical treatment from your practice if they find that there are things that set you apart from other medical practices.

5. Harness the power of testimonials

A good way to instill trust in your practice and attract new patients is by including positive testimonials on your website. According to a Digital Commerce 360 survey, 77% of patients use online reviews as their first step in finding a doctor. As such, including testimonials on your website can help you get more patients. Ensure that the testimonials convey that your facility is trustworthy and provides excellent medical care. The testimonials should not be lengthy, plus you could incorporate video testimonials, given that they are more engaging and easily shareable than plain text.

6. Start a blog

Blogging will not only help with SEO, but will also ensure that you add fresh content to your website regularly. Consistently posting new content on your blog shows that you understand your business and also helps keep your patients engaged.

You can use your website, among other reasons, to provide health tips, provide updates about your practice, and provide information about general healthcare procedures. Just like with your website, you can promote your blog using social media and use it to engage with existing and potential customers.

7. Upload actual pictures of your products and services

Including real images of the products and services that your practice offers can help enhance the effectiveness of your website. You can upload pictures of your waiting rooms, offices, and other services. Photos of a neat floral arrangement in your waiting room could add to the appeal of your practice. The pictures can also help your potential patients to connect easily with your staff and, as a result, make them convert faster. Nonetheless, you should ensure that you heed HIPAA laws on patient privacy before uploading pictures.

DearDoc can help you build a well-optimized website

Are you looking to redesign or create a new website for your practice that guarantees to attract new patients and keep them engaged? Well, DearDoc is your go-to provider. Apart from website design and management, we also offer other services, including social media marketing, AI smart chat, 5-star review generation, Google listing integration, and more. Reach out to DearDoc for assistance in building or maintaining your website's traffic:

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