You can do it!
Build your patient base through the Web
By Pat Necerato

Can you really acquire new patients through the Internet? The short answer to that question is “Yes!”

But — regardless of how beautiful your Web site is, it will not produce new patients unless you follow six basic steps to online advertising. Commit yourself to the six-step formula below and watch the Internet bring you more new patients and more qualified prospects than a top marketing company ever could (at a fraction of the cost!).

In a nutshell, the six-step formula can be summed up:

1. Attract,
2. Capture,
3. Follow up,
4. Be relentless,
5. Automate, and
6. Educate and persuade

Now for a closer look at each of these steps.

1 Attract. You need to attract two types of visitors to your Web site — patients and prospects.

One of the many ways to attract prospects is to include your Web site address in all of your advertising, with an incentive for visitors to go to your site.

For example, state: “Go to www.ourclinic.com and receive a free consultation (Value $175).” List your site and the benefit for visiting it on everything you distribute — brochures, ads, lead boxes, etc.

If possible, have two Web sites — one non-branded and one branded. For instance: You could have “nobackpain.com” (non-branded) to attract prospects and “drsmithsWebsite.com” (branded) for patients.

Even better is to have a single Web site for each condition you treat. This will maximize lead generation.

You also need to promote your Web site to your patients. Promote your Web site around your office and give your patients a “reason” to go there. Don’t just tell them to visit your Web site; give them specific benefits for visiting.

For example: Offer free articles or incentives or a chance to sign up for a free newsletter. On your site, explain how patients can refer their friends and family via e-mail. Write periodic special reports, news pieces and articles, and provide other valuable information to keep patients returning.

But don’t just offer these things without getting their contact information (especially e-mail) in return!

2 Capture. Once prospects visit your site seeking the special promotion, free report, or free consultation, get their e-mail addresses in and start to generate a list of prospects and leads.

The best way to capture e-mails is by giving visitors something in return — a free report, a special offer, free information, or anything else that will motivate your prospects to fill out a short form to request this information.

You should also acquire your patients’ e-mail addresses, either from your Web site, or when they visit your office. Offer your patients a free newsletter, or use e-mail to notify them of events or seminars.

To collect their e-mail addresses, ask them to go to your Web site and fill out a short form in exchange for an incentive, or ask your receptionist or CA to create a list of patient e-mails on paper (or directly into your computer).

3 Follow up. Once you capture new e-mail addresses, follow up. Send prospects and clients regular e-mails that are relevant to your relationship with them or have something to do with a previous contact you had with them.

Each e-mail should include an offer or “call to action.” Send your patients offers, motivation, thank-you notes, and appreciation messages. Also send referral incentives and opportunities to make appointments and purchase additional products and services.

4 Be relentless. It’s important to be persistent in your follow-up, since patient contact and customer service are two essential ingredients for retaining your patients.

Your follow-up e-mails help keep patients engaged with you and chiropractic. It keeps them loyal to you.

Send qualified prospects a minimum of 10 to 15 e-mails over a 90-day period. Send patients messages at least twice a month.

5 Automate. The previous steps of capturing, following up, and being relentless should all happen automatically. You don’t have the time to manually capture visitors’ e-mail addresses, follow up 10 to 15 times monthly, write letters, and keep track of contacts. It would not even be cost-effective to have a CA do this.

You need a system that can automatically store and capture e-mails and follow up without your lifting a finger.

6Educate and persuade. The main goal of these six steps is to help you educate and persuade your patients and prospects. To educate and persuade, patients and prospects must visit your office.

Every message you send your prospects or patients must be designed to get them to your office as soon as possible.

Write each message to get the recipient to act — make a phone call, write an e-mail, or visit you so you can educate, demonstrate your knowledge, provide your expertise, and, most importantly, continue to convince the patient that you and your treatment are a solution to their problem.

Pat Necerato is a chiropractic Internet marketing expert with more than 15 years of experience in marketing and advertising. He can be contacted through his Web site, www.GetMorePatients.com, or by e-mail at pat@getmorepatients.com.