Are you looking to add more patients to your medical practice? There is not one specific way to get more patients, and what works for one practice may not work for you. Finding out what works best for you is the first step to extending the reach of your practice. Read on for 5 strategies you can use to get more patients in the doors of your office.
Online Presence
A weak online presence can discourage potential patients from contacting your office. Potential patients will navigate to your website and social media to view what services you offer, your medical staff, and how to book appointments. Since your website is often the first impression these potential patients will have, you will want an up-to-date website that accurately reflects your practice. You may want to consider implementing medical SEO best practices, so more patients are able to easily find you when searching for a provider online.
Be a Medical Resource
The internet is often the first place people will go with any of their medical questions. Having medical information on your website will draw more people to it and potentially turn some of them into patients. Having medical resources on your website is also great for current patients to have a trusted source to look for answers to health related questions.
Improve Technology
Having the latest technology advancements can benefit new, as well as future patients. Nobody wants to start going to an office that uses old technology and doesn’t seem to be up-to-date with the latest trends in medicine. New patients may be searching online for new technology procedures that they need. Make sure to put on your website when you have new technology advancements in your office to attract new patients.
Ask for Reviews and Referrals
Encourage your current patients to write reviews online or ask for referrals. You can help to encourage referrals or reviews by offering giveaways for sending them in. If a patient has been coming to your office for a while, they are likely to be happy to write a review and just need a little push to do so. Giving great service will often lead to plenty of great reviews and referrals.
Give Excellent Service
You can do everything possible to try to get new patients, but they are only going to stay if they have a great experience with your practice. Giving the best care possible to your current patients will also encourage them to give a review or refer their friend. One of the best ways to give good service is to be as responsive as possible to your patients. One of the ways you can do this is by using a medical answering service. A medical answering service allows for your patients to connect with someone, even after-hours. Another way to give great service is to follow up with your patients after procedures or when they are due for a check-up. This small gesture that will only take you a few minutes will stick in their mind about the quality of your service. Sending a follow-up email after appointments is also a great way to ask for reviews with links for them to post on.
Although there is no one size fits all way to get more patients into your door, out of these 5 ways you are sure to find something that works for you. For the most part, these ways are all inexpensive and can be implemented fairly easily. However, bringing more people into your door can take time so be patient as your practice expands.