In the age of Facebook & Co., do you still need your own Practice homepage? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two ways of presenting yourself on the Internet? We provide important answers for your practice marketing on the web.b.
Practice homepage: Creative independence
Let's first take a look at the Practice homepage. What can or should it do? One Practice homepage is intended primarily to provide relevant information about...
– the practice(office hours, impressions, equipment, concept, directions, etc.),
– the services (e.g. specialisations, health insurance services, IGeL services) and
– the team (doctors and employees, special qualifications, etc.).
How to proceed with the presentation and where to focus is up to each practice (within the legal framework). In addition, a Practice homepage complete freedom of design. The design and the length or preparation of the content are determined by the practice itself for 100%.
Practice homepage: Important for Google
Another advantage of our own Practice homepage is the high Google relevance. Using search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM), a practice can achieve top positions with its own homepage. This is an extremely important criterion, because if the Practice homepage If you are not among the first Google search results for a relevant search term, the chances of being found by new patients via Google search in the first place are slim.
Especially in the case of a poor Google ranking, the Practice homepage Therefore, the disadvantage is that it is only visited or found by people who have already heard of the practice and have specifically decided to visit the homepage. As beautiful and distinctive as the design of the Practice homepage even if - if on Search engine optimisation (SEO) and Search engine marketing (SEM) is completely dispensed with, the Practice homepage in all probability a lonely existence.
Facebook: Long-term "patient loyalty"
Compared to our own Practice homepage are the advantages of a Practice fan page on Facebook The cost factor and the viral potential of the world's largest social network are the clear winners. In a relatively uncomplicated and - apart from the maintenance effort - completely free way (Facebook is free), a Practice fan page This has enabled us to retain a large number of regular patients and reach numerous potential new patients.
According to a survey, around 2/3 of all German Internet users also visit social media portals such as Facebook. In figures: Around 26,000,000 Germans are active on Facebook! This means that Practice fan page a large and already daily active user group can be reached.
In contrast to a Practice homepage lives a Practice fan page from interaction with visitors or fans and interesting news published there regularly. Through informative short messages, promotions, competitions, etc., the practice can reach its fans (a click on the "Like!" button of a Practice fan page turns users into fans, who from then on are automatically informed about news from the Practice fan page informed without having to actively visit the fan page on their own initiative) and potential New patients relatively easily and quickly and encourage them to join in. "Likes" and recommendations are spread further and further in the social network and are also noticed by friends and acquaintances of the fans, which can result in new contacts for the practice.
Facebook: Practice fan page promotes image
With regard to the topics, the Practice marketing With a fan page, however, the focus of engagement should not be on increasing turnover, but rather on raising awareness, emphasising the good reputation and strengthening interaction with the target group. For example, published staff photos from everyday practice life can breathe life into a medical practice and help to build a basis of trust, which then leads to an increase in practice turnover in the long term.
But also a Facebook fan page reaches its limits here and there. The uniform look specified by Facebook (layout of the page, basic colour scheme, etc.) does not allow too much design freedom (apart from the title and profile pictures, which each practice can define itself). Posts cannot be freely designed or enriched with informative graphics and images. In addition, Facebook cuts off very extensive posts in order to keep the fan page clear. Posts that are not consistently (ideally several times a week) and not "professionally" maintained Practice fan page can quickly come across as unprofessional. As easy as it may be to set up a fan page, you should be aware that the support and ongoing maintenance involves a certain amount of effort*.
Strong together
By utilising the advantages of both online presences - i.e. Practice homepage and Practice fan page - for the Practice marketing you can optimally utilise many of the potentials of online marketing. Even though maintaining both websites certainly takes more time, it is a worthwhile effort that is rewarded by a successful and comprehensive digital presence.
It should therefore not be called practice homepage or practice fan page, but rather practice homepage and practice fan page!
Sources: [1] Social Media Atlas 2011 [2] ARD/ZDF Online Study 2012
