May 2012

to avoid risk, diversify

Your website is the toast of town. With a beautiful design, before and after galleries and good search engine rankings, it may even be the object of your competitors’ envy. But is it being seen by enough potential patients? And is it maximizing the conversion of the ones who do?

Without directory listings and other sources of online visibility, the answer, most likely, is no. And without visibility, your website will not produce the return you’d hoped for.

Choosing a Directory: 5 Simple Steps

Just like investing in stocks, the key to investing in Internet marketing is diversification. Data from eMarketer shows that consumers are two-thirds more likely to convert if they see a product or service more than one place online. In practical terms, this means that if a potential patient sees your website and then sees you somewhere else, your chances of converting to a consultation increase significantly.

Directory listings offered by patient referral networks (All About Facial Rejuvenation, Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery) are still among the best “somewhere elses” to invest in, potentially providing you with multiple opportunities to be found on the first page of the Google’s search results. But how to choose a good directory? Here are five simple steps.

1. Search like a patient. Start by searching for information about your specialty the same way a potential patient would. Look for information on procedures. “Cost” and “before and after pictures” are the highest converting search terms; when a potential patient wants to know the cost of a procedure and how it will look (i.e., before and after), he or she is closer to making a buying decision. So, if a directory does not appear on the first page of Google’s search results for search terms such as “Lap Band cost” or “tummy tuck before and after,” it’s probably not worth the investment.
    
2. Read the content. Is the content credible and informative? If not, it will not help you convert potential patients.
    
3. Analyze the directory. Is the contact info of the doctors listed easy to find? If so, prospective patients are more likely to convert. Also, is it a good fit for your practice? The old adage “birds of a feather” certainly applies to directories — so pay close attention to the types of surgeons or dentists that are allowed to be listed.
    
4. Avoid long-term contracts. It shouldn’t take more than four to six months to determine if a directory is working for you, so there is no need to sign up for a long-term contract. Beware of directories that require them. You should see a 1:1 return, at a minimum. If a directory isn’t making the grade, discontinue.
    
5. Track performance. Make sure the patient referral networks you invest in provide mechanisms to track the performance of their directories. To assess the effectiveness of your listings, you need to have the ability to monitor visitors to your profile/website, as well as email leads and phone call leads. Directories that fail to provide this tracking data are not worth your time and money, so look into this before you sign up.

There are many useful Internet marketing tools at your disposal, but leveraging them for maximum benefit is another story. One thing is certain: if you’re relying solely on your website to attract potential patients, you’re taking a big risk. The key, as ever, is diversification.

To learn more about this or other Internet marketing-related topics, contact Ceatus today.

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