Guide to Website Marketing Management for Optometry Practices

Highlights

• Staying relevant online is one of the most important things you can do to attract and retain patients.
• Your website, social media accounts, and marketing strategy should all work together to build a positive brand and image.
• Optimize your website to increase traffic, generate high-quality leads, and bring in new patients.
• Keeping your website up to date, using it to build an email list, and maintaining an active blog is essential to patient lead generation.

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any optometry practice.

This guide will walk you through the essential strategies for managing your website marketing effectively, ensuring you attract and retain more patients.

1. Build an Online Presence

Your practice’s online presence is one of the most powerful tools you have for marketing your business.

With so many potential patients searching for doctors online, building a strong online marketing strategy is essential for practices that want to stand out from the competition.

There are many different factors that contribute to a strong online presence. While some of these may be out of your control, there are many things that you can do to improve your practice’s digital footprint.

Website Design and User Experience

Your website is often the first point of contact for potential patients. Ensure it is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly.

Key elements include:

• Clear Navigation: Make it easy for visitors to find information.
• Contact Information: Display your contact details prominently.
• Appointment Scheduling: Offer online booking options.

One of the most important aspects of your online presence is your website. Your website is often the first point of contact between you and potential patients, so it’s important that it makes a good impression.

Your website should be designed with both patients and search engines in mind. It should be easy to navigate, visually appealing, and informative. It should also be optimized for search engine ranking to ensure that potential patients can find it when they search for doctors in your area. (More about this below.)

Mobile devices are now the most common way that people access the internet, so make sure that your site has a responsive design that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes. Ensure that all of your content can be easily accessed on a cell phone or tablet. Bonus points if they can also reach out and chat with you via their mobile device.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is vital for increasing your website’s visibility on search engines.

Brand building for healthcare providers starts and ends at home, so maximize your local marketing opportunities. By targeting your marketing to your geographical area, you can attract patients who are more likely to visit your practice.

Focus on:

• Keyword Research: Identify and use relevant keywords like “optometry services,” “eye exams,” and “contact lenses.”
• On-Page SEO: Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, and headers.
• Content Creation: Regularly update your blog with informative articles.

If you haven’t yet claimed your Google business profile, make that the next step you take. It’s free, and it makes your practice easy to find when someone searches for “optometrists near me.” If you haven’t yet signed up for yours, you’re wasting an invaluable opportunity for free advertising.

You can also use targeted Google Ads and local SEO tactics to reach potential patients in your community or find patients who need the specialty services you offer.

2. Turning Website Visitors into Patients

In a 2022 patient perspective survey, 3 out of 4 respondents said a healthcare practice’s website is very or extremely important to them when considering a doctor.

The importance of a professional-looking website to create a strong first impression cannot be overstated.

Engaging Content

Content is king when it comes to converting visitors into patients. Create engaging and informative content that addresses common questions and concerns.

Examples include:

• Blog Posts: Write about eye health, new treatments, and practice updates.
• Videos: Create videos explaining procedures or showcasing patient testimonials.

Create blog posts that are helpful to your target audience and add keywords — search terms your target audience is likely to use — naturally throughout your posts. Use your location in posts and headlines to capture local users searching for “optometrists in [your city].”

Don’t forget to create content that demonstrates your local relevance.  For instance, you can talk about a local charity event you participate in.

A blog is a necessity for today’s healthcare practices. In addition to helping you build your email list, high-quality content informs and engages your patients and creates a meaningful connection with them.

These days, there’s a lot of misinformation being spread on the internet.

But what if prospects and current patients could find reliable information on your website? Your blog can address all kinds of topics, including those that are trending in optometry, and set the record straight with your training and expertise.

With time, visitors will recognize your website as a source of trustworthy information, and they’ll look forward to reading your content.

Content ideas for optometrists may include:

• FAQs about eye exams
• “How to” posts on vision and eye health topics
• Common eye conditions such as computer vision syndrome
• Timely topics such as the “mewing” trend on TikTok
• Information regarding common refractive errors
• General eye care tips
• Seasonal topics such as allergy care, sun protection, and dry eyes

Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

A successful website uses a strong call to action (CTA) at the end of all service pages and blog posts. Effective CTAs guide visitors toward taking action, such as booking an appointment, signing up for your newsletter, or subscribing to your email list.

Be sure your call-to-action banners are visible enough to grab immediate attention. For example, use contrasting colors to make your CTAs stand out.

Be strategic with your CTA buttons.

“Book an appointment” is probably most appropriate if your goal is to get visitors to make an online appointment. But use compelling words or phrases where appropriate, like “Clue me in!” for a download promising insider secrets, or “Save my spot!” for a webinar registration.

Use phrases like:

• “Schedule an Appointment Today”
• “Contact Us for More Information”
• “Sign Up for Our Newsletter”

3. Leveraging Social Media

Social media marketing is a powerful tool that you can use to reach potential patients and promote your practice.

Make sure that you are active on the social media platforms that your target audience uses and adapt your messaging to fit the specific platform you’re using.

Facebook is great for sharing updates and news about your practice, while YouTube is ideal for sharing videos of any length.

Social Media Presence

Social media platforms are excellent for reaching a broader audience. So make sure to link your social media accounts to your website for easy online access for potential patients.

You will also want to have a system in place to invite and monitor social media reviews.

In 2021, 75% of people surveyed said they look online before choosing a healthcare provider, and 74% said they consider a provider’s review very or extremely important.

If you aren’t asking your patients to post reviews, you’re probably losing business to those who do.

Focus on:

• Regular Updates: Post regularly about your services, promotions, and eye care tips.
• Engagement: Respond to comments and messages promptly.

Paid Advertising

Consider using paid advertising on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to target specific demographics. This can help increase your reach and attract new patients.

4. Online Reviews and Reputation Management

Today, patients expect to be able to reach you online. If they have a question or concern, they want to get a response quickly and easily.

Make sure that you are responsive to comments and questions on your website and social media accounts — especially negative ones. You should also have a system in place for handling patient inquiries via email or live chat.

Encourage Reviews

Positive reviews can significantly impact your practice’s reputation. Encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp.

Respond to Reviews

Always respond to reviews, whether positive or negative. This shows that you value patient feedback and are committed to improving your services.

5. Analytics and Monitoring Performance

Use tools like Google Analytics to track your website’s performance.

Important metrics to monitor include:

• Traffic Sources: Understand where your visitors are coming from.
• Bounce Rate: Identify pages where visitors leave quickly.
• Conversion Rate: Measure how many visitors become patients.

Based on your analytics, continuously adapt and refine your marketing strategies to improve performance and achieve your goals.

Manage Your Marketing Efforts with RevolutionEHR’s Optometry Software

Effective website marketing management is essential for the growth of your optometry practice. By implementing these strategies, you can build a strong online presence, attract more visitors, and convert them into loyal patients.

To increase practice efficiency while giving your marketing efforts a boost, consider switching to RevolutionEHR. By streamlining all the functions of your practice, RevolutionEHR can help your healthcare lead generation efforts pay off, giving you more time to devote to marketing.

RevolutionEHR can help. Book a demo to learn how RevolutionEHR can help your practice put a solid practice management and marketing plan in place that will give you the freedom to focus on helping your patients — and your practice — thrive.