The healthcare industry may thrive with minimal marketing tactics and promotions, mainly because people need these services. However, the competition in the sector make hospitals and medical practitioner see what they’re losing when not taking advantage of technology. That is to arrive at a sound marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to showcase services, and connect to more people in key locations.
With better communication and digital visibility, hospitals and healthcare organizations can be found by people looking through the search engines such as Google. On the other side, having a website presents more opportunities for people to see what kind of facilities are in place, affecting the purchasing decision.
Because there’s a lot of hospitals or clinics in every location, business owners need to think out of the box and have a solid marketing strategy to get more patients. In this article, we’re looking at the top digital healthcare trends that can boost the profit of hospitals, clinics, and healthcare organizations. More than tips, we’re also looking at the benefits of investing in digital services to stand out to potential patients.
Key Digital Healthcare Trends
Although it may sound a bit common, having a website pays off. It serves as a portfolio to advertise services a hospital offers. In addition, it pops up in the search engines when web users look for specific keywords that fit into the niche. For instance, when a web users is looking for a certain treatment or facility offered by a healthcare organization. When surfing the web, your website can show up in the results page.
A website dramatically increase your digital presence, in addition to having social media pages. It’s important to note that websites can get organic traffic too, convertible to leads. More traffic means more leads to an organization. With this, business owners can enter affiliate marketing, and run ads for added profit stream. The list goes on, and if business owners are thinking of expanding the online reach, it’s possible. Here are some of the key healthcare trends you need to know.
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Content Marketing
Offsite SEO is a must as the web pages need to have authority and credibility to rank in the results pages. Search engines like Google has a set of algorithm to publish the most relevant results for every web query. This way, web users can get what they’re looking for, with entering few keywords on the search box.
With content marketing, it’s easier to answer the questions of your potential target audience, all the while building the trust and improving conversions. It’s also a good strategy to use to expand the following base on social media and even on the website itself. When websites publish high-quality content with backlinks, SEO is enhanced, leading to better visibility on search engines.
Marketers know the importance of content marketing. In fact, around 53 percent of marketers consider content as a top priority to build a trusted brand. For healthcare organizations, it’s easier to curate good content related to health or fitness. People can learn from the high-quality content, leading to trust and heightened credibility.
Also, content is basically the backbone of any marketing and advertising campaigns. It’s what people consume, pay attention to, and eventually share to other people. Without content, the social media pages are simply nothing. Brands need to engage followers, and content can come with different materials including photos, videos, and a link to a web resource like your very own website.
All in all, content is what keeps a person interested in a page, whether it’s a Facebook business page, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Twitter.
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Local Search Marketing
The most straightforward way to optimize a healthcare website and generate more traffic is through local SEO or local search. The Google Map Pack or carousel helps your business to show up near the top page of Google search. So, when a web user types hospital in a specific location, they’re shown a list of businesses that match the keywords or description.
What’s great about this is, the results show the actual location of businesses in the map. This enables web users to determine the exact location of the establishment, and if you have photos of the facilities, you can add it here. If you’re familiar with Google’s ‘Near Me’ feature, it helps web users to filter the results based on the specific location. A big part of local search marketing is showing up in the local pack so patients can find and choose the healthcare organization, clinic, or hospital.
In order to build a local search presence, healthcare businesses need to optimize the online information for search engines to place it in the right searches. Meaning, web users can instantly locate and find all information they need to choose a certain business. Consistency and accuracy of information is integral to the directories in search engines.
The name, address, phone number, and URL of the healthcare business should be consistent all throughout the listings. Inconsistent information can ruin the local search ranking and web users won’t find it while searching for services within a specific location.
Some of the websites to check in order to start building the local search marketing are Google My Business, Bring Places for Business, Yahoo!, Yelp, and Facebook. The information must be correct and consistent with what you provide with other websites.
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Mobile-First Approach
Although this is nothing new, some healthcare professionals and hospitals aren’t even updated on the mobile-first approach. This simply means optimizing a website and content for mobile phones and other gadgets. Responsiveness is a good term, wherein all web content adjusts to what a web user is using, whether a computer, tablet, or mobile phone.
This part is important because most people are using their mobile phones these days to search for healthcare services online. With a mobile browser, anyone can access Google and other search engines. If a web user happens to see the website on the results page and it appears outdated and non-responsive, they’ll like to move to another site.
Take in mind that web users are evolving and websites need to be aesthetically pleasing in order to engage users. Now, it’s not only about responsiveness anymore but also clean and straightforward navigation, fast page speed, and good quality content. Mobile-friendliness is becoming a ranking factor too, with web design impacting how the site is ranking.
If the website looks good, with all the information complete, patients can easily call and make an appointment. Otherwise, there’s nothing to see and web users can just close the tab and move on to the next healthcare organization. This is the reality and the healthcare industry should cope and learn in order to maximize the opportunities.
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Easy-Booking Features
Another way to optimize online visibility and to improve profitability is actually setting up an easy-booking function into a website or social media. It works just like any other e-commerce features, but people can easily book an appointment online. No need for patients to call to schedule an appointment, but simply to choose available slots and get e-ticket or confirmation email.
A lot of business from other sectors are doing the same, especially the hospitality industry. With easy booking online, brands can speed up the process involved when booking rooms. In the healthcare industry, it works by minimizing the tasks involved when scheduling an appointment with a doctor’s clinic. The online booking system is beneficial for those who don’t have the time to make a call.
Businesses need to remember that people’s behavior is changing, especially online. Anything that’s quick and easy are indications of good customer service. Therefore, if healthcare providers and professionals want to appear good, providing a good booking experience is a must.
Compel customers to come back by providing efficient service both online and offline. The ticket to capturing their interest is through positive brand impression, wherein it starts with a consistent branding and message. This is where all other elements come in, including the design, service integration, and tone of the content. Best of all, healthcare businesses need to reinforce traction despite the competitiveness in the industry.
The key is being creative, following what’s new and effective, and integrating to different social media pages and the website. The easy-booking functionality is just another trend that became huge for its efficiency.
Bottom Line
The healthcare industry is ever-evolving and it will continue to do so as long as the mankind exists. With innovative marketing and advertising practices, healthcare providers, organizations, and professionals need to keep up in order to be relevant. By following the digital healthcare trends, hospitals and clinics can attract more patients and retain customers.
Getting started is easy with the help of digital experts who are well-versed in search engine optimization, digital marketing, content marketing, and other online services. Make sure to work with the best team to reap the benefits later on.