Thanks to a global pandemic, having a practice website is no longer just a suggestion. If you are not online, you are not being seen. The good news is that there are some easy and inexpensive (sometimes free) ways to get a professional website up and running quickly. If designed well and with the right content, your practice website can be a valuable part of your marketing, not to mention a great way to make a first impression with your patients.
And if you already have a practice website, consider this a refresher so you can make sure your site is still relevant and performing the way it should.
Consistency Is Key
One of the first things you need to keep in mind is the familiar acronym KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid. Keeping your website simple, clean and consistent is going to help your patients navigate the site and get the info they need to make an appointment or purchase.
Designing your own website with free templates and lots of colors and options can feel empowering, but you do not want to necessarily use every bell and whistle. Keep the font, color and design the same throughout each page. Use your logo or the name of your practice on each page and feel free to repeat page layouts, just adding different content on each page.
Make It Mobile Friendly
Depending on which study you read, it is not hard to believe that almost 80 percent of people browse the internet from their phones. This should be reason enough to make sure your practice website appears just as professional on a phone or tablet as it does on a desktop computer.
Most website builders have made it simple to check your website's mobile format so you can make specific changes to just the mobile version of your website. It is called making your website responsive, meaning it is sized for viewing on different devices. Another pro tip is to make sure your fonts and buttons are sized a bit bigger for the mobile version of your site.
The Importance of Keywords
Search-engine optimization (SEO) is something to consider as you create the content and design of your website. Keywords are how your patients will find you as opposed to another practitioner. Conducting SEO keyword research helps you determine the keywords relevant to your practice so you show up in search-engine results. You want to be at the top when someone searches for an acupuncturist in your area.
So, how do you do conduct keyword research? An easy way to do this is by using Google's Keyword Planner to help you pinpoint the keywords potential patients are using in their searches. This is something that will change frequently, which leads to the next step you will need to take.
Update Regularly
You can have the most beautifully designed website on the internet, but if you do not update the content regularly, it is not going to perform the way you want. Good SEO requires new content on a regular basis. Content is also how you educate patients and potential patients about who you are and the types of services you offer at your practice.
One way to ensure regular updates is to add a blog. Do not feel as if you need to update every day; even a weekly update of content goes a long way in making sure your website stays at the forefront of the search engines. It is also important to make sure any service and pricing pages are always up to date.
Another fun way to regularly update your site is to add a little video content. If writing is not your "thing," then set up your phone and record a quick video discussing a new product or service, a patient success story or relevant research. And make sure you are linking everything you are doing to your social media practice accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and/or Instagram, just to name a few.
Social media content will also help to support SEO, as well as keeping you connected to your patients – who are all on social media. Do not get overwhelmed by the thought of constant new content. With a little planning, it isn't as difficult as you might think.
Get Help If You Need It
If all this still just seems entirely too overwhelming, then you have two options. First, you can take it slow and do your own research to understand best practices. Using a free website creation tool, you can ease your way into a site that works for you and your patients. Begin implementing these suggestions one at a time and build a site that works for your marketing needs.
The other option: you can hire a professional to do it for you. Most of these free website builder sites offer professional assistance for a modest price, depending on your wants and needs. There are also companies focused specifically on helping acupuncture providers, so do your homework to help you get up and running quickly.
While there are plenty of tools to get you up and running in no time, don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Basic support, along with SEO analytics and help with updating content, are all available and should not break the bank. A little homework goes a long way in figuring out what will work best for you.
What Are You Waiting For?
As Covid-19 continues to change the landscape of health care, a solid practice website can truly be a lifeline to connecting with your patients. Do not let fear of the unknown hold you back from reaching a new audience. Do your homework, take a deep breath and introduce yourself to your new patients on your new client website!
As modern medical standardization continues, the field of traditional Chinese medicine has the advantage of comprehensive personalization. For rare or complex cases, deeper consideration of constitution is invaluable. Proper constitutional assessment, especially with first-time clients, can guide desirable and predictable outcomes. This leads to a higher rate of return, and greater trust between you and your patient.
Though the creation of a financially sustainable, health-promoting model feels far away today, we are casting a vision for a full return on health, believing that this compels us to keep one foot firmly rooted in caring for the sick and the other foot firmly founded in maintaining health. Shifting from a fee-for-service model to value-based care using a phased approach is paramount.
Laser therapy has emerged as a powerful tool in the realm of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This new modality fits beautifully into the toolbox of the modern acupuncturist, as it can be used as a hybrid form of stimulation to acupuncture points, meridians, organs, nerves, and symptomatic areas in a new way that blends both moxa and energetic needle-like responses.
