Your website is pretty much the first impression most patients will have of your hospital.
A good marketing strategy requires many different components. Few of them are as effective and essential as a good website. I can’t overemphasize just how important your web presence is. With so much uncertainty and fear surrounding health in 2020, its more important than ever to have a website that builds trust with your community.
To get you started, SRJ Marketing Communications has compiled five reasons why you should pay more attention to your website this year.
People check the web first when searching for services
The days of the yellow pages are long over. Research shows that 95 percent of consumers look up information about local businesses online, and well over half of them go straight to a company’s website (the others are checking social media or reading online reviews).
Having a good website, with easily accessible information about rural hospital and medical staff, is the best way to create a positive first impression. Driving people to your site means that you can control the narrative and encourage them to make the call.
First impressions are the only impressions
Your website is often the first impression a person has of your rural hospital. Get it wrong, with out of date content or poor design will be their last as well.
Take a critical look at your website and think about what kind of impression you are making with your visitors. If your website looks disorganized or unprofessional, they will think everything about your hospital is the same. If it looks out of date or forgotten, they will think the same thing of your medical staff and equipment.
Mobile is your mission
Today, there are more mobile devices of all shapes and sizes than laptop or desktop computers. That means your website must look great on every device — every time.
From the smallest smartphones to big tablets, your website should have a design that is able to resize and fit. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, it’s time for a redesign. If it’s been a few years since it was designed, you may be losing potential customers.
It can be your most powerful voice
Your website is more than a marketing tool. It’s an essential tool for educating potential customers about your services and brand. Although design and visual appeal is the first thing users see, information is what they are looking for.
Use your website as an opportunity to provide fresh, relevant, and impactful content. Keeping your information, blogs, and promotions up to date will encourage people to come back more often. Give them a reason to visit your website rather than just checking out online reviews or directories where you can’t control the message.
Websites are cost-effective
Most forms of advertising are short-lived. You pay again and again, and they only make an impression for a moment. By contrast, your website is always there working for you 24/7, speaking to patients and helping them find your services! Think of it as your least expensive employee. If you have the right content on your website, you can answer most of the questions your clients are asking.
Taking your website seriously and putting some effort into keeping it fresh will help improve your reputation online and will improve your ability to communicate with your target audience. It’s an absolute must for any rural hospital.
If you are ready for a new approach to your web presence, give SRJ Marketing Communications a call! The SRJ team can help you develop a website and online marketing strategy that works on all devices and reaches the right people. For a free consultation, please call 214-528- 5775.
