Issue 1 - January 2005

Is it time to ‘trade up’ to an interactive Web site?
By Yamia Benhaim

In the post World War II era, a phenomenom hit the housing market — “prefabs.” These were modest houses built in a factory and delivered intact to a building lot. They had few frills but they met the needs of returning GIs.

Later, those GIs had growing families as well as growing bank accounts and financially rewarding jobs. They were no longer satisfied with their prefabs. They upgraded to larger, more expensive housing.

In cyberspace, the same has happened to Web sites. Chiropractors have been able to acquire inexpensive, prefabricated Web sites built on templates. These “prefabs” have served a definite purpose: They created a presence for the chiropractor; they allowed information to be shared; and some allowed commerce to transpire.

Prefabs were a good place to start. But if you have outgrown your prefab or if you are able to go into a more “upscale” community right away, a custom-designed, interactive Web site may be for you.

What can a custom-designed Web site offer? It can provide:

• Patient communication. Keeping in touch with your current patients is important. An interactive Web site should be able to send out e-newsletters and e-cards. (E-cards can be scheduled to celebrate holidays, birthdays, anniversaries or other dates you program in.)

You can also post information and pictures about yourself (your bio), your staff and your office. An inter-active site can include a link to give driving directions. And you can even give virtual tours of your facilities!

• Patient management. Another feature of an interactive Web site is patient management. Patients can schedule appointments, access patient forms and verify insurance coverage through the Web site — and they can do all of this prior to coming in to your office.

• Patient education. The opportunities for online patient education are almost limitless: For example, you can provide resources on preventative care and exercises, complete with diagrams, illustrations and even videos!

• Ancillary income. If you offer ancillary products, such as supplements, pillows and exercise equipment, you can offer these same things online, often with a direct shipment from your supplier.

• Online marketing. When allowed by law, you can post printable promotions or coupons that can be used as incentives. An interactive site allows you to capture contact information so that you can follow up on potential patients.

• Web-usage statistics. A good interactive Web site will provide you with useful statistics — not just clicks per page.

For example: Look for a design that will send you statistics on the percentage of users by month who viewed each article in the newsletter. This type of statistic can help you determine the type of content your visitors are interested in.

Seek out a Web site designer who:

• Understands chiropractic,
• Uses innovative and standard search engine optimization techniques and
• Can provide ongoing customer service and support.
Building a customized interactive Web site does not have to “break the bank.” But, expect to invest approximately $1,000 — a small investment for a large return.