Chiropractor Business Online - Smart Website Strategies for Maximum Success
In this day and age, virtually every company has a website. If your business does not, chances are it has been talked about by your customers, competition, investors, friends, even your spouse or significant other and the comments probably go something like this: “I cannot believe Dr. X does not have a website. What a dinosaur." Worse than not having a website, however, is a problem that all too often affects some of the same people doing the talking and that is having a website that is nice to look at, but functionally useless.
While creating and maintaining a website is almost mandatory in terms of public perceptions, how well designed the website is and whether it attracts customers are two entirely different stories. One IT industry study has found that upwards of sixty percent of business owners who have websites, do not have any clue as to how to optimize them as a marketing tool other than to keep them updated and hope people find the site through random searches. This would be like treating a patient by randomly choosing a part of their body to work on and hoping for the best!
The first step to effective website management is to understand the purpose of your business presence on the internet, via your site. You want to attract potential patients and inform them of your services, but you also want to convince anyone, potential patient or not, that you are as competent as you say, offer readily accessible products and are not a fly-by-night operation. Your website is even more important than your listing in the phone book or advertisement in the local paper by virtue of the fact that more people will view your website by than will ever see other forms of advertising.
That means that you have to be able to make sure your site has every advantage possible. Not just against your competition, but also against anyone else that might have similar business or sell products that are similar to the services you offer. For instance, you have to have a domain name that sticks out but also relays to your customers what and who you are without leaving them guessing. To accomplish this, use these tips:
Keywords are Critical. The sooner you can understand the importance of keywords to your online business, the better. A good place to start is by using keyword search auctions to boost your sites search engine position. Studies show that potential customers will at most look at the first three pages of any search result. That means that you have to be in the top third of any search and preferably on the top half of the first page. A good way to do this is to use Wordtracker to track keywords and searches. Wordtracker is a popular tool that shows you what your customers are looking for and the words they use to search for the services you offer. Use the results to purchase keywords or keyword phrases based on tangible research and not just your best guesses.
Become a Web Designer. Sure, you can pay a lot of money to have a professional design and manage your website, but why pay for something that with a little effort and the right tools, you can do yourself? By using a decent html editor program that is easy to use such as Microsoft FrontPage or Adobe Dreamweaver, or by use any of the numerous template webpage builder sites available online, you can quickly and easily learn how to add, edit and delete content, link to other similar sites or get your site linked to popular websites. You also save money in the frontend by doing it yourself and in the backend by being able to edit it yourself.
Buy your own domain name, based on the results from Wordtracker. Another benefit of Wordtracker, search keywords and your understanding of their importance, is that it allows you to research the words most likely used for certain searches. Whenever possible, you should purchase a domain name that is based on popular keywords. For example, dr-michael-johnson.com is memorable and may be useful with existing clients. However, for finding new patients online, it is useless. A better domain name might be chiropractor-san-diego.com. Especially in Yahoo search, where hyphenated domains do well, anyone looking for a new chiropractor in San Diego would find your website. Don’t be afraid to have more than one domain name, either. For example, you could have dr-michael-johnson.com, which you print on local brochures and appointment cards for existing patients. You might also want to investigate the “history” of important keyword to identify other words of similar origin that a potential client browsing the web might use to find your services. Thousands of times each day, small businesses miss opportunities online to secure new patients by not understanding the many nuances of keyword marketing online.
Master of Your Own Domain. It is equally important to own your own domain name, and not use a free or piggyback site, which gives you zero business credibility and less ability to effectively market online. By owning all your domain names, you never have to worry about a competitor taking it. You also allow yourself the luxury of not having to worry about someone using your name as a spoof domain or as a way to divert legitimate customers away from your website.
The simple truth is that there is a lot that you can do on your own with very little time or experience. Furthermore, for very little money, you can take control of your website and supercharge your online marketing effectiveness. There is a website called Catch Fire Coaching that is by a chiropractor, for chiropractors doing business online, or wanting to start. In a single visit, you can also maximize your ability to get the most out of your website and bolster your potential to attract new chiropractic patients, keep your existing clientele and learn how to build upon your current success to heights you never thought were possible through smart business extension offerings and cash add-on services. Catch Fire Coaching can show you how to maximize your web potential to build a solid customer base and make your website a revenue earner as opposed to a site that is pretty to look at, but functionally useless.
Starting today, you need to look at internet marketing with fresh eyes, realizing its true potential. Once you can see your chiropractic website as a dynamic tool that allows you to evolve with your chosen market, you will no longer be subject to `Russian roulette` marketing, and you can effectively use your online business presence to grow your business base and drastically increase your bottom line.
In no time at all, you will be able to identify opportunities and tailor marketing strategies based on tangible research. By increasing your odds, you also immediately increase your chances of getting noticed and building your client base.
Most of all you will no longer be running a business whose online business practices are antiquated, ineffective or non-existent. Your local clients will be able to reference your website for information or to book appointments and can easily use the URL (your business domain) to refer new clients to your practice. You will possess the secret knowledge that not only makes your chiropractic business cutting edge and progressive, but you saved a boatload of money getting there by doing it yourself.
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