Bad news, doctor. Your website might be costing you money. And before you say, I’m an employed physician, this doesn’t apply to me, we implore you to think again, and to read on. We don’t like to see our readers lose money. It’s time to audit your web presence. The website/patient volume/revenue connection is perhaps somewhat more apparent to physicians in private and group practice than it is to their employed counterparts. It’s likely that if you find yourself in the first group, you’re at least slightly aware of how important it is to have a web presence to attract new patients. Employed physicians, on the other hand, likely have little to no understanding of their web presence, and this is not good. For the most part, institutions that employ doctors, such as hospitals, group practices, or other corporate entities, either have marketing departments or contract out their marketing needs. However, this doesn’t mean that your marketing needs as a physician are being met. If you haven’t checked your website or your web presence in a while, you need to do so now and make sure that all of these elements are present. If you’re missing some of these components, then you need to get whomever handles your marketing to fix them ASAP. Your bio You might think this is gratuitous, or perhaps self-indulgent, but having your bio on your website is essential. In addition to knowing the obvious things — such as where you went to medical school, common procedures you do, and total years in medical practice — patients like to get a sense of who you are. Tell them about your credentials, but also share a few details about your interests or hobbies. If you speak multiple languages, be sure to include them. Bonus points for also having a short video bio. If you’re not comfortable with being on camera, at least have an updated picture (hint: one taken within the last 5 years). Your location Patients need to know where to find you and your practice office, if you have one. Include the address and a map. A screenshot from Google Maps will do. Here’s something critical to keep in mind, though: Most patients will not be finding you through your employer’s website, but through Google Maps. That’s why it’s vital that your Google Business page (the page that shows up in Maps) is up to date. Your Google Business page This is perhaps the most often overlooked component of a doctor’s web presence. And it’s most often overlooked because it isn’t on the physician’s or the physician employer’s website. However, it’s often a prospective patient’s first encounter with you or your practice. Your Google Business page must include your location (this is often wrong), your hours (these are often wrong or incomplete), contact information, and interior and exterior photos of your practice. If you work out of multiple offices, it’s critical to include where and when you can be found. Online booking Think of anyone born in the mid ‘80s or more recently as a digital native. These people grew up with technology involved in practically every facet of their life. They value convenience. And what’s more convenient than being able to make an appointment without speaking to a human being? If your website doesn’t give prospective patients the ability to make an appointment online, many will go somewhere that does. Bonus points if you digitize new patient paperwork, or at least make the forms available ahead of first visits. Online payment Ideally, any fees are collected once patients arrive for appointments. But for those fees that can’t be collected at the time of visit, you need to have an online payment portal on your website. This will save you the time of having office staff track down patients, or the money of using collection agencies to get your bills paid. Insurance information The biggest question on the mind of any prospective patient will likely be, does the doctor take my insurance? List out all plans that you accept. It’s a good idea to let prospective patients know that they should verify their insurance with office staff when making an appointment to make sure their plan is still accepted. TL;DR Even employed physicians have a web presence. You need to make sure yours includes the following. If anything is missing, get whoever handles your marketing to fix it. Your bio: Patients need to know who you are. Your location: Patients must be able to find you. Your Google Business Page: All information, including hours, location, and contact information must be up to date. Online booking: Patients must be able to make appointments online. Online payment: If patients can’t pay online, you’re losing out on revenue. Insurance information: Patients need to know in advance what plans you accept. Source
