Do you believe that if you are really good at what you do and you market enough, your chiropractic office design does not really matter?
Do you believe that if you are really good at what you do and you market enough, your chiropractic office design does not really matter?We agree that expert marketing and high-quality service are the important keys to your success, but these two items are not enough. Your chiropractic office design does matter in achieving success.
What your chiropractic office design says about your brand
Consider your chiropractic office design the “package” around your product. Does your “package” represent and support your brand? Your brand is your image and the message you are trying to send to your community. If it does not, it is working against you. If it does, everything is aligned and easier.
Marketing teams understand the packaging of a product can directly impact the consumer’s decision to purchase that product. People are extremely visual and mostly form an opinion largely on what they see in the first few minutes. You can go out and find the patients – and they like you and what you have to say in person, but when they arrive at your office, you want them to be attracted to your message all the more. In my talks and teaching, I talk about the benefits of a functionally well-designed space, but I want to talk about the aesthetics that produce the ideal chiropractic office design.
Professional image
Just like great product packaging design, great chiropractic office design can convey that trust and quality.
When we ask a new client what image they want for their practice, the most common word we hear is “professional.” But let’s take that deeper. We have found the two biggest characteristics that a DC really wants to convey to their patients are trust and quality. As a provider of professional services that impact the health and well-being of your patients, it is imperative for your patients to trust you. You want people to feel safe with their investment in their health and to know they are getting a quality product.
Build trust with your chiropractic office design
If you are a start-up you want to convey the impression of stability and longevity. People are generally more willing to trust establishments that have been around for a while. By and large people believe if you invest time, effort and money in your space you are committed to sticking around and have a big picture goal in mind for your practice. From your patient’s perspective, if they come to your space and it seems cluttered, not clean and looks old, dingy or thrown together, they may not trust getting chiropractic services from you and not want to invest themselves in a practice they feel might not be around in near future.
Quality
If your chiropractic office design is not well thought out or well designed, people may not be willing to pay the amount you require for your services. For example, if you walked into a haircut chain that is sterile and basic looking, you would expect to pay a basic/lower price for your hair cut. If you walked into a beautifully designed salon, you would trust that the profession is the top of their industry and would be willing to pay more for your hair cut because you would assume it is a higher level of service and value. In the same way, the level of design of your space will say something to prospective clients about your professionalism and quality of service and what they might expect to pay.
Your chiropractic office design is the product package that creates a subliminal message of the product inside. It will promote a trusted, quality product, or it will infer an undependable, unreliable inferior product. It is important to your success.
It does not have to be expensive. Here is an example of changing the “package.” This client wanted to create trust in the quality of care the center would be providing. Images 1 and 2 are before; Images 3 and 4 are after.
Final thoughts on chiropractic office design
Within a week, we were able to change the first impression dramatically, with paint, flooring, furniture, art and accessories. We introduced colors that were more welcoming, yet professional. Adding comfortable furnishings and artwork made clients feel more at home and put them at ease. By lowering the light level, we were able to make the space appear less sterile and more relaxed. This facelift has supported the quick growth of this new venture.
CAROLYN BOLDT, IIDA, LEED AP, is a seasoned commercial interior architectural designer with more than four decades of experience. Combining her expertise with a personal passion for holistic health and wellness, Boldt is an outspoken advocate for the profound impact of your environment on your success. Her insights have been featured in numerous articles for Chiropractic Economics. She cofounded CrossFields Interiors and Architecture, dedicated to empowering progressive holistic doctors. Through practical and impactful office designs, she helps elevate their revenue by up to 20%, enabling them to positively impact more lives. Connect with Boldt and her team at CrossFields Design through their website, crossfieldsdesign.com.
