CEATUS CEO Featured by Healio on the Pathway to Purchase for Eye Care and Treatment

Getting a potential customer into your office chair is a multi-step process. This “Path to Purchase” takes 129 days on average and involves multiple rounds of research, including reviews, treatment options, and feedback from friends and family. That decision-making cycle makes your website, online reviews, and patient testimonials a priceless part of your marketing strategy. CEATUS CEO David Evans, PhD, MBA, was asked to share his expertise with Healio as an industry leader in healthcare marketing and expert in marketing strategies for medical professionals.

Dr. Evans shares with Healio that many studies indicate people look at the provider’s Web presence at least seven times before making a concrete decision. This research shows several steps are involved in finding and choosing an ophthalmologist, plastic surgeon, dentist, or other medical specialist.

How Do Consumers Choose an Ophthalmologist?

People in need of a cataract surgeon or dry eye specialist interact with multiple touch points. They look at the website and then return to it a few days or weeks later. Then they look at the doctor’s reviews and social media presence. They may do another round of research and then decide to schedule a consultation or cataract surgery with that physician.

But what about word of mouth?

As Evans shares in his video interview, word of mouth is still important. Patients feel more at ease when a trusted friend, colleague, or family member had a good experience at the provider’s office. However, that initial referral is just the start.

For example, you hear Dr. X does phenomenal work and has an excellent bedside manner, so you visit their website and learn about their practice and services. Then you dive into reviews. You still go through the path to purchase steps, but the initial word-of-mouth referral got you there. What can be confusing for providers is that patients may say they heard about the practice from a friend, but what helped them form their decision was a professional website and good online reviews.

What Do These Touchpoints on the Path to Purchase Mean for Your Practice?

How consumers research and choose an ophthalmologist, plastic surgeon, or other provider is a critical component of your marketing strategy. You want to expand your reach and grow your business, and that starts with understanding how potential patients discover your practice.

The Path to Purchase touchpoints Evans shared with Healio present many opportunities to communicate with consumers and offer valuable information and input that will get them in the door of your office, including:

• Attract new and support existing patients with engaging information on your website, including pricing, video testimonials, and procedure details.
• Build your Web presence with strong search engine performance by improving SEO on your website.
• Manage your practice reviews to showcase your talent, expertise, and patient comfort.

CEATUS Media Group specializes in strengthening these touch points. We offer free website evaluations and keyword ranking reports to help you understand what areas of your online presence need to improve to meet your growth goals. View our case studies to see how we’ve helped other practices increase leads and revenue with proven results.

Contact CEATUS Media Group at (616) 733-8111 to talk to one of our specialists.