Let’s Talk About Your Website. Does Web Copy Matter?
Your website is your medical practice’s virtual office or waiting room.
Now, more than ever, a solid online presence is required to set your medical practice apart. A great website attracts clients to your business, gets them to book, and keeps them coming back for more. But why are some websites more effective than others?
Think of a time you went to a new healthcare provider. How did it go?
Could you find their office easily? Maybe the signage was great, and there was plenty of room in the parking lot. A friendly staff member welcomed you as you walked in and directed you to the main desk. When you check in, you are told what the next steps are and take a seat in a clean, comfortable, and well-lit waiting room.
There is a ton of free, helpful information to browse through while you are waiting. Maybe you even help yourself to some tea or coffee. Then, your name is called right on time for your appointment. Are you dreaming? No, you are simply in the right place!
Or…
Did you have trouble finding the office you needed because the building was confusing and there were no signs? Maybe you had to make a few laps to find a parking spot, and the elevator was broken, so you took the stairs. No one greeted you when you stepped up to the front desk, and you just stood there feeling ignored, awkward, and not knowing what to do next.
Finally, someone looks up from their computer, but your presence is clearly an annoyance to them. Another staff member almost bumps into you as they shuffle by. Right off the bat, you don’t trust these people with your care, and you feel like you are in the wrong place. You ask yourself, “What am I doing here?” Maybe you even think about leaving.
Now, ask yourself this same question- but flip the script slightly. How does your website make your current and prospective patients feel?
Do you think they feel more like the first scenario, or the second? Are they welcomed, and do they know that they are in the right place when they browse through your site?
How will your business or service help solve a problem of theirs?
Can they easily find the information that they are looking for?
Do they perceive you as the expert you are?
And, most importantly- do they know what to do next?
If you are unsure of or hesitant to answer any of the above questions, your patients probably feel the same way- and might be reluctant to choose you as a provider. So, how do you fix this problem?
Your website should be attracting people to your practice, not pushing them away. How do you choose the right words to showcase your medical practice? And how can a medical or health and wellness copywriter help?
First Impressions
Words are powerful. And the right words can make all the difference. They can grow a business, create trust, explain complex information, and allow for understanding. The right words can change your life. They can grow your practice, make you more money, and allow you to have a greater impact.
Think of your website as one of your main marketing tools. What are you doing well? What do you want to improve? Think about the words on your website that describe your business.
Do they add to or detract from your brand messaging?
Do they create a sense of trust with your patients?
Are you truly connecting with your patients?
Does each page of your website fit with your vision for your business?
Does your website provide the types of content and information that your target audience is looking for?
Excellent web copy enhances all of the above and forms a crucial part of your sales funnel. Sprinkle in some excellent search engine optimization (SEO), and you'll have a website that's sure to attract patients and grow your business!
Before we get into why your SEO and sales funnel matter, I’ll touch briefly on web design. Of course, you want a solid layout, attractive colors, and a feel that reflects your practice. You want your website to work correctly, information to be easy to find, and easy to navigate.
But like anything in life, beauty is only skin deep.
Pretty is great- vapid is not. A stunning website with no substance isn’t going to attract any clients. And it definitely won’t get you ranking anywhere close to the top of Google.
That's where high-quality copywriting comes in.
The written words on your website need to match the passion and skill that you have for helping your patients. An effective copywriter does just that- and has a few extra tips to throw in and help you along the way ;-)
SEO- Here’s Why It Matters
Great online content is a must, but great SEO also plays a massive role in what gets a website noticed by search engines. Simply put, what are your patients going to type into Google to find you? What phrases and keywords do you want to start showing up under? Here are a few examples:
Anchorage area pediatricians
Best dermatologists in Alaska
Orthopedic surgeons near me
IV hydration
Sedation dentistry
Effective physical therapy
SEO-experienced writers incorporate these key phrases into your website copy. They include them in the right places, at the right frequency, at the right time, and they make it sound natural. (There is a thing called “keyword stuffing,” and it will actually hurt your SEO and Google rankings). Copywriters research other keywords and phrases that will benefit your business and include them, too.
Great SEO helps ensure your website isn’t lost on the internet. There are countless pieces of content added to the internet daily. Will your website remain relevant long term, or will it get lost in the shuffle and amongst the competition?
Great SEO is what gets your website to the top of Google, and great SEO is what keeps it there.
If your business and website are relatively new, you need great SEO to help you catch up to your competitors. Their websites have been around for ages and enjoy the top Google spots partly because of their longevity or “authority." How can you get to the top of the Google search results, and how can you keep your website relevant? SEO-optimized web copy and frequent blog posts are great places to start. Now, let’s take a closer look at how great web copy makes your sales funnel more effective.
Sales Funnels- How Does My Web Copy Fit In?
Your web copy is a vital part of your sales funnel. Do you have a sales funnel? You should! You probably do, even if you don’t call it that. Let's face it: everyone’s sales funnel needs some upkeep occasionally. And a website written by a skilled copywriter will improve all aspects of it. Here’s a look at what a sales funnel is and how web copy fits into it.
Sales funnels include five main stages, beginning when a potential customer first hears of your business and ending with a booking, purchase, or other conversion.
However, customers can also lose interest and “fall out” of your sales funnel at any point along the way.
Think about your medical practice- where are your potential customers falling out of the funnel? Here’s how your website affects each stage.
Awareness
Awareness begins with your medical practice attracting your ideal clients. When your potential customers start looking for a healthcare provider or a service that you offer, can they find you?
Great SEO will organically drive traffic to your website from search engines.
A decent website with poor SEO will likely sit in internet ‘no man’s land’, receiving little organic traffic.
Great SEO allows you to promote your business or practice to people who have never heard of you.
SEO matches your business as the answer to what people are looking for.
Awareness can also come from word-of-mouth, paid advertising, and social media ads. Once your ideal client is aware that your business or service exists and you offer a service that they desire, they may move on to the next stage, where they’ll dig a little deeper into your brand.
2. Interest
Now that your prospective patients are aware of and curious about your services, they’ll go to your website and search for more info. Does your website have the information that they are looking for?
Interested customers will size up your medical practice in many ways. Here are some examples:
Look at your products and services
Read about your providers
Check out your blog and other information
Review your testimonials
Go over your FAQ section
If your website doesn’t hold their interest or have the information that your potential customer is looking for, they may fall out of the funnel here. They may choose to go with a competitor whose website is more comprehensive, has more information, and is better poised to be the solution to their problems.
If your website has this information, is it easy to find? Easy to read? Does it look attractive? How is it formatted? Remember, 44% of all people are viewing your website on their mobile devices. Is your website mobile-optimized, or does it appear as one big, long, intimidating block of text that overwhelms your readers and causes them to leave?
3. Decision & Action
After these first two steps, your potential client will have to make a decision. Will they book the appointment or make a purchase? Are your product and service descriptions written to compel them to take the final leap and commit? Your website should include a clear next step or call-to-action (CTA) for your client base. Your CTA should be straightforward, simple, and seamless.
If you offer online booking, is this process easy for them?
Is your website well-optimized, or does it take forever and a day to load?
Do all of your links work?
What do your website buttons say?
These are all reasons a customer may fall out of the funnel at this stage. If you want them to call to book, is the phone number right there? Is that number clickable so they can call right now if they are viewing on mobile?
4. Loyalty
The last stage in a marketing funnel is the loyalty stage. Once you have made a sale or booking and your customer has received their (amazing) product or service, you want them to return for more! Keep them interested in and engaged in your business. How do you keep your clients coming back for more?
Do you offer an email list or use email marketing?
If you do, do your emails actually get read?
Are they engaging?
Or do they annoy your customers, who then click ‘unsubscribe’?
What on your website persuades your clients to subscribe you your email list?
Do you offer an email newsletter to promote new services, specials, events, or providers?
Keeping your patients aware of your services and working to continue to build a relationship with them after the initial sale is instrumental in building a solid client base- don’t forget about them after you’ve made the initial sale!
Web Copy Tips for Success
Now, take a look at your own website. If you want to increase traffic and boost your sales, bookings, and conversions (who doesn’t?), keep these tips in mind!
What is a visitor supposed to do when they read this page? Hint- Do you have a call to action, or CTA?
How do you want prospective patients to feel while reading your web page?
What problems do your potential clients have? How does your business help solve them? Does your website communicate this?
Does your website set you apart from your competition?
How is your website working? Does it load fast? Are all links working?
Have you thought about your SEO recently?
If you’re in healthcare, an information-packed website with great SEO is one of the most effective ways you can ensure that your potential clients are finding and choosing you.
The numbers don’t lie:
82.2& of all patients use a search engine to find a provider.
71% of patients will lose trust and search for a new provider if their website fails to deliver sufficient information.
49% of patients won’t book an appointment with a provider whose online listings are incomplete.
Investing in quality web copy and continuously improving your online presence is essential!
Make it a point to take a good look at your web copy and sales funnel, and reach out to a medical copywriter if you are ready to level up!
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Now, more than ever, a solid online presence is required to set your medical practice apart. A great website attracts clients to your business, gets them to book, and keeps them coming back for more. But why are some websites more effective than others?