Your web site can, and should be, one of the top ways you bring patients into your practice. That can be a pretty bold statement for someone who doesn't use the internet very much or doesn't get ANY new business from the internet.

Many practitioners tell me that most of their clients come from referrals. That is exactly how it should be - word of mouth referrals should be your number one way you attract new patients. Your web site should be number two. I don't care what industry you are in, the fact is that most consumers are searching for health related information online.

In fact, 86% of online adults are searching for health related information an average of six times a month.  Is your practice reaching this online healthcare consumer? If you're not sure, here's where you start…

The first step is to have a professional web site that meets some of the basics for attracting patients.

-Your contact information is readily accessible from all pages.

-Your web site has a professional look and feel.

-You clearly educate visitors on who you are and what you do.

After fulfilling "the basic" needs, your goal is to create ongoing methods for attracting visitors to your site. One easy way to do that is to have your site changing all the time. Search engines like Google are attracted to sites that change frequently rather than those that are put up and then stay static for several years. So if someone with poor vision goes to Google and types in "eye care Philadelphia" your web site will popup.

Here are five easy and inexpensive ways to make this happen:

1. Write short articles about "pains" your patients experience and how your services help them. For example, if you are an acupuncturist you may write a short article (400-800 words) that talks about how acupuncture can cure migraines. Or how acupuncture can help with infertility issues if that is your specialty. Post each of these articles on your web site with a short "about the author” section at the bottom. This section should have a short description about your practice, a link to your web site, and contact information. I would also put your logo on the article somewhere. Post these articles on your web site, creating a new web page each time.

2. Leverage the articles you've written by distributing them across the internet. Distribute them to strategic newsletters and web sites that your target market reads. You can also use subscription services that distribute to hundreds of online newsletters and portals such as www.submityourarticle.com.

3. Write press releases and post them through some of the free services online. You may be able to take some of the information from articles you've written and turn them into a press release. Some of the free or inexpensive places to post press releases include www.prweb.com, www.press-base.com ,and www.express-press-release.com .  Also post the press releases you write to a "press" page on your site.

4. Start a blog and have it be a part of your web site. By doing this every time you post to your blog, you will show a change or an update to your site - which the search engines like to see. When you start a blog you may get the option to have a stand-alone blog or one that is a part of your web site. Choose the one that is part of your website. We use www.wordpress.org but there are several other options out there.

5. Leaving comments on other people's blog is also a great way to bring visitors to your site. Similar to finding newsletters your target market reads, finding blogs your target market participates in can be just as lucrative - if not more so. Leave professional comments on these blogs and be sure to link back to your web site. It's amazing how many people are nosey and will check to see who you are. I recommend setting aside a certain amount of time for blogging each week; it's easy to get carried away and blog too much. I recommend no more than one hour.

These are just a few of the ways to bring traffic to your web site. In reality your web site should be an always changing, consistent source of information and education for visitors. Your site should allow them to get to know you and what you stand for without taking a big "risk" and giving out their personal information.

Are you getting the most out of your web site?

To your success!

Kelly Robbins

www.amarketingconnection.com

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