Fabric Partners

Practically speaking, your website is going to be the first place that potential new patients go to when they first hear about you/your practice. What they are looking for occurs on two levels.

On the surface level, they are looking to see that you are a competent doctor, that you have the right licensing, that you aren't 23 years old, that you have excellent before and after examples of your work and that you are a caring physician.

On another level, they are looking for something deeper. They are looking to get a feeling or a sense that assures them that they can put something as sacred as their face in your hands (they only have one!). Yes, the information they gather about you in your website assists in this process, but just having information on the website isn't enough.

You have heard it before: the quality of your website directly reflects people's impression of you, your practice and the quality of your work. This refers not only to the quality of information you provide, but to the quality of design and user experience built into the website.

Here is an example of a website that does not convey the right stuff: Dr. Clavin

Here is an example of a website that does: Dr. Mary Lee Amerian*

Enough said - Put your best foot forward.

* We designed Dr. Amerian's website

Providing your website users the ability to offer site feedback is a simple and inexpensive way to get high quality information about what is working on your website and what isn't. Users often are willing to provide their opinions about what they feel is missing from the site (or what isn't working). Make it easy for them to offer feedback by having a small form on the top or bottom of each page. This way they can quickly provide their feedback and keep surfing.

Tip: Give website users a simple way to offer feedback and you'd be surprised to see what they say.

Offering relevent and educational medical content is a new strategy being employed by large pharma and medical device companies. This strategy makes their website 'stickier' as well as it helps to brand them as a reliable resource for high quality information - further elevating their brand in the mind of consumers.

Examples include:

Mentor Corporation

Restylane

It is no secret that consumers use the internet to research elective based procedures. Why not become a resource for helping their educational process?

Tip: Provide more information on your website than just about the practice. Give your visitors information about their condition and help them to become more educated. They will pay you back with loyalty and business.

Morgan Stanley put out this research report on 04/07/2006 which covers Global Internet Trends. It is interesting to see how our world (and how business is conducted) is changing.

Here is the study (it is a 7.5mb file).

Corey

I found an interesting article that references a study that found that patients will go to the internet to research a procedure/condition/etc. before seeking advice from a trusted doctor/practitioner.

Here is the full article

Corey

1. Patients do not buy your services-they buy solutions to their problems. This old adage never fails: promote the sizzle, not the bacon. Your patients are looking for what the nose job/breast augmentation/chin augmentation/etc. will do for them. They are looking for the best (highest quality, safest, least expensive) way to get that sense/feeling they desire. Focus on that.

2. How your staff feels is eventually how your patients will feel. No matter how much you try, the bottom line is your patient will have more contact with your staff than with you. How your employees feel about their situation at work will ultimately be translated to how your patients perceive your practice. Fill your practice with happy, positive and motivated people and you will increase the opportunities for your patients to have a positive experience.

3. If you are an underdog, only compete in market segments where you have or can develop strengths, avoid head-to-head competition with dominant competitors, emphasize profits rather than volume, and focus on specialization rather than diversification.