When it comes to growing your medical practice, there are a lot of ongoing efforts you can implement, but what about the quick and easy strategies that make a big difference?
It’s the 80/20 rule. 80% of your results will come from 20% of your efforts.
Small changes can have a big impact if you know what to do, but most people don’t. If you get these basic items covered, you’ll be ahead of the curve. Here are the top fast and easy ways to increase profitability for your practice.
Get ranked on google maps
Do you have a Google My Business account where you’ve set up your practice on Google Places?
If not, you’re almost certainly missing out on business. If you’re new to Google My Business, it’s easy and free to sign up. Google will get you started.
If you’re already on Google My Business, make sure you have all of your information filled out and up to date including keywords.
Put your phone number on the top of your home page
This may be the simplest item on the list. The phone number is the most crucial piece of information on your site, so make it the first thing people see.
Use high-quality images on your site
Grainy or small photos just don’t convey professionalism. If your images are not up to par, replace them making sure the resolution looks good, even on large screens. These days even photos taken on a recent iPhone can make the cut.
Pro tip: Don’t rely solely on using stock photos. Most people can tell the difference.
Use a font that is easy to read and professional
If you’re using a font like Herrington or Comic Sans, it’s time for a change. Script styles may look beautiful, but they are not easy to read. Alternatively, fun fonts may be legible but lack a professional look. Stick to something clear and crisp on your digital and print material.
Pro tip: Stick with one font for everything you create. It helps a lot with brand recognition.
Make sure your email signature is clear, creative, and has the needed info
Even if you’re not putting much effort into email marketing, odds are you send out emails from time to time. Having a great email signature is easy and can make a big difference in how memorable and recognizable you are.
Make sure your signature has:
- Your Full Name
- The Name of Your Practice
- Your Specialty
- Your Logo
- Your Phone Number
- Your Website
- Your Address
Pro tip: Add your headshot to make you more memorable.
Add keywords to your website
Take a look at your website. Does the text include terms that people would search to find you? Think about what kinds of words or phrases people might type into a Google search when looking for medical services like yours.
Pro tip: Google can’t see text that is a part of an image. You can check to see if your text is an image by highlighting with your cursor, if you can’t copy and paste it, Google can’t find it.
Put your logo on everything you do
Whether it’s appointment cards, your Facebook page, your email signature, or anything else, make sure it’s got your logo on it. It’s a must for brand recognition.
Send patients a satisfaction survey
Satisfaction surveys not only help you understand how a patient viewed their visit, it gives you an opportunity to directly address any unhappy patients. Additionally, it gives you the opportunity to request referrals and reviews from satisfied patients.
Pro tip: Create a short survey that you can send via email or SMS text using a reputation management system built for healthcare businesses.
Encourage patient to patient referrals
Happy patients are more likely to refer their friends and family to your practice. Thank your patients and ask how their experience was at the end of their appointment. If they are happy, ask them to tell others about it.
Pro tip: When a patient fills out a satisfaction survey, that’s the perfect time to ask them to refer their friends and family.
Ask for reviews
Online reviews like those on Google and Facebook, are crucial to any healthcare provider and the best way to get them is to ask. Not everyone will know how to leave a review, so it’s important to provide easy to follow instructions.
Here is step by step instruction with pictures on how to leave a Google review.
Call for follow-up reminders
Often times doctors ask a patient to come back for a follow up several weeks or months down the road. Keep track not only of follow up appointments on the books, but also of those who should have scheduled, but did not. Call those patients to remind them to come back in.
Ask referring providers for feedback on your referral process
Just like a patient satisfaction survey, a few quick questions can help you find the pain point of using your referral system or be aware of a gap in communication amongst your team. Making adjustments based on physician feedback can help increase your referrals quickly.
Return calls quickly
Do you have a set time your team returns calls? Maybe it’s at the end of the day, or maybe you return calls as voicemails are received. It’s important to make sure you have a clear process in place to get both patient and physician calls returned as quickly as possible.
Use a mobile queue app for a better patient experience
Most people don’t like to wait unnecessarily, and who can blame them. Apps like QLess allow patients to virtually check in on their phone where they can see the wait time, or let you know they are running behind. Then they can stop and get gas or run by a coffee shop instead of sitting in the waiting room.
Add small touches to the waiting room
Waiting is sometimes unavoidable, so make your waiting room enjoyable. Spend some time sitting in your waiting room and think about what you would want as a patient. Offer water, coffee, an assortment of reading materials, and pleasant decor. Even simple things like the space between seats can make your patients more comfortable.
Add self-pay pricing to your website
With insurance premiums going up, you may see more self-pay patients shopping around. Having an easily accessible and straightforward pricing chart on your website builds trust through transparency and can result in more self-pay patients heading your way.
Assess your progress regularly
No matter what strategies you’re using to grow your practice, setting clear goals and checking in on your progress is vital to your overall plan. Skipping this step is like preparing a 3-course meal without knowing how many people you’re cooking for, or measuring your ingredients, or knowing how long to leave it in the oven. And then it turns out the guest of honor is allergic to your main dish. You can’t expect success without some information.
Using these simple yet powerful tricks, you can grow your practice quickly and easily, giving you more time to focus on taking care of your patients and staff.