“Engagement” is a word that gets tossed around.
You’ve probably seen it when searching for information about online marketing, social media and conversion.
The term can be confusing if you get lost in all the information. All “engagement” really means is figuring out what your potential customers need to see, hear, experience, etc. in order for them to hire your firm to fill their needs.
In this post we’re going to look at engagement on a medical website.
With the need for good medical care skyrocketing it’s important for those in the health industry to understand what customers are looking for when they browse a medical website.
Here are the answers.
5 Ideas to Improve Medical Website Engagement
1. Welcoming About Page
It surprises most business owners and website managers that the about page on a website is often one of the most trafficked.
The reason the about page gets so much attention is that your site visitors want to learn about you. They want to get to know you.
It’s like meeting a person for the first time in person. You want to get to know them before you discuss business.
When you visit a new doctor for the first time you’re nervous. You don’t know this person and they’re going to be in charge of a personal situation where the patient is vulnerable.
Make your about page welcoming and personal. Share photos of each medical professional. Give a short bio including some of the personal activities they enjoy like fishing or golf. It’s mundane information, but it puts a face on your company.
RedBrick Health has professional bios of their leaders, but also includes some fun hobbies & interests
2. Video
Videos are becoming more common online. People like watching them and companies are finding it less expensive to produce quality videos.
Something that has worked for companies in the past is to show a “How it’s made” or “How it works” video of their merchandise to customers.
Medical businesses can use this technique, but in a different way.
People are uneasy about visiting the doctor or the dentist. If you can show them what to expect in a video it will ease their fear.
You can show the outside of your building along with a mini tour of the facilities and maybe even a doctor seeing a patient.
Gap Medics features a great video to show their volunteer’s experiences first-hand (above)
3. FAQ Section
What person doesn’t have questions about how the medical industry works?
Doctors, dentists and everyone else working in their offices are busy. There isn’t much time to answer common questions new visitors have.
A website is a great place to answer common questions for potential visitors. Make sure the section is easily noticed on the homepage.
Think of any questions new people might have about how your practice works. Talk to your customer service staff to come up with questions and answers. They have probably gone through the same content over and over.
Save them and your team time by creating a FAQ section on your website.
Lakeland Regional has an excellent health information section
4. Point Of View Articles
More companies, including those in the medical industry, are starting to understand the effectiveness of an ongoing content strategy.
With so much misinformation available online regarding health it’s impossible for people to know what and whom to trust.
That’s where you can step in.
Take the expertise from your medical staff and share it on your website in the form of point of view articles or blog posts. When a news item comes out about the latest exercise fad or diet pill have your team address the issue.
Trust is a big part of the customer purchasing decision. You can earn trust by providing sound reasoning in a world full of information. People need that interpretation so they can make the right decisions for themselves and their families.
Mass General Hospital does an excellent job at keeping their news section updated & interesting
5. Real Photos
If you visit most websites for medical companies you’ll see tons of stock photography. Sometimes the photos don’t even have anything to do with how the business operates.
It’s worth the investment to have a professional photography take photos of your facilities and of the people within.
Again, this gets back to the trust issue. People want to see the building they’ll be visiting. They want to see the person they might see at the front desk.
Show people the real you and they’ll be more likely to choose your medical office.
Marshfield Clinic’s new website (coming soon) shows a very real & inviting photo (above)
Conclusion
These are 5 ways you can improve engagement on your medical website.
It’s a tricky business to be in and people know it. Your visitors are looking for information. They’re also looking for a real relationship with a real person.
Earn their trust and their business by going beyond the regular medical website requirements.
