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How many referals do people get from websites? Are they really worth the cost?

I usually get anywhere between 1 and 4 new patients a week from my website.

I get around one new patient a year from my website

Web sites can generate new patients. They can also educate current and prospective patients while relieving staff time. Add your new patient forms and privacy policy for patients to print and complete before their appointment. Or have them complete the information online and make online appointments. Show maps, driving directions, and office hours. Include information regarding common foot and ankle disorders, pre/post op instructions, insurance information, and hospital affiliations. Patients also perceive a physician with a professional web site must also keep abreast of the latest technological advances within his profession. www.PhysicianWebPages.com

I guess how much you get from having a website is based on how you use it:

1. As a place for potential patients to find out more about you after they have found you - ie the URL is in your yellow pages or newspaper advert - then you can have a lot more information about yourself to be more 'credible' (ie as Linda described above) - this way the website is just one part of the advertising mix.

2. As a place for potential patients to find you via search engines. How many people search for you via, for eg, Google? What words do they type into Google if they are looking for a local Podiatrist (eg Podiatrist in <location>) - where does your website come up in the Google results? Is it at the top or buried on page 40? I guess you get a lot of new patients via your website if you rank high...

How do you rank higher on Google? There is a whole industry grown up around doing just that - do a search for 'search engine optimization' .... but like any newish industry, there are a lot of rip offs. I sometimes visit www.webproworld.com for good info.

Another way is to advertise your website on Google - ever notice those adverts to the right of the page when you search Google? Your advert shows when certain keywords are typed in (eg Podiatrist, <location>) - You pay Google an amount of money every time someone clicks on the ad to get to your site (Its called Adwords - more here: https://adwords.google.com/select/ ) - I do recall seeing these Adwords appear for a Podiatrist in New York - they have been doing it for a while now, so guess it works. Look at the adverts at the top of this page - they are the same thing (ie pay per click)

I guess a lot of web sites were put up in the late 90's in the euphoria of the www boom with the mentality that pervaded at that time - "build a site and visitors will come" --- we all know what happened to that!!! - Optimizing a site for search engines is not easy (a lot of web designers need to be shot) and it requires a lot of work, just like any other form of marketing a practice.

__________________
Craig Payne
Department of Podiatry
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Australia
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/podiatry
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.
The views expressed above are those of the author and not that of La Trobe University
This is where I am, where are you?

Craig’s right. An additional way to promote your web site is thru links to your site from other web sites. Several web sites will feature a “doctor locator” service and will add a link to your web site as well as your practice listing. Examples are your state/national associations, hospitals, insurance companies, local chambers, and other health-information web sites.

I run a website on the the History of Footwear at <http://www.podiatry.curtin.edu.au/history.html> it is a collection of essays on related topics. The counter indicates we have an average of 33 thousands hits per day from over 100 countries. Guestimate a million individuals are surfing the site in a year, not sure how this translates to patients and their podiatrists but sufficient follow up enquiries confirm lay public interest, the media and peer professionals.

Cheers
Cameron

__________________

Cameron Kippen, Podologist and Shoe Historian




Cameron Kippen

I think Craig hit the spot when he started talking about "the 90's", and "web designers" and "shot"
In retrospect, when I started my site I was naive enough to believe that once the site was up and running, new patients would flock to my clinic .
This simply didn't happen, although I think the site is still valuable as a source of information for existing patients.
Having looked at all the options over the years, I now believe that the best way of bringing new patients in is by other healthcare professionals referring them. So for example, most of my new patients now come from orthopaedics, followed by podiatric surgeons, followed by family doctor and other medical referral (rheumatology for example). These patients seem to be much more compliant generally, than the "cold caller" type of patient.

Getting back to websites, it would be interesting to hear from anyone else in the UK who has experience of business generated by websites.
After all, it may not be the website, but the practice location which needs changed!!
Cheers,
David

I think it will all come down to search engines (ie Google, Yahoo, MSN, et al) - those who have sites that rank well for "Podiatrist in <location>" will get business - those that don't won't get business. In the later case the web site is only any good for the business if they do a lot of promotion of the site and not depend on the search engines.

__________________
Craig Payne
Department of Podiatry
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Australia
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/podiatry
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.
The views expressed above are those of the author and not that of La Trobe University
This is where I am, where are you?

new patient come through the word of mouth from old patients and some by referring doctors in india.ratnam

The latest Podiatry Today have a story on:
What Web Marketing Can Do For Your Practice

Quote:

Patients are increasingly turning to DPM Web sites for information. This author speaks to the experts to determine just what to include on a site and how it can effectively market a practice. ...

Full story...

I think web sites must be considered as part of an overall marketing plan. The web site, a office brochure, networking with other professionals all work together to improve your patient population. Just remember like the brochure, the site will only work if it is properly designed and updated.

Michael Z. Metzger, DPM, MBA
PodDirect Office Dispensing
www.poddirect.net

...and ranks well in search engines.

Hi All,

It is very interesting to see and hear the Americans approach to the Web. and it's uses. They seem to put it out as a good sound business venture? But I have one or two little problems with their argument,

1. I am successful because I get my patients by word of mouth! Most of my patients are still to frightened to use the telephone never mind a computer?

2. My territorial surround is less than ten miles across, (300,000 population!). So why do I want to talk to the World?

3. I note one of the Posts above is directing us to a website for physicians? I assume this Thread is not for UK members, or have I missed something? In any case if I started using that term, or associating myself with physicians I would most probably get arrested or something like that for impersonation [of] a doctor, (G.P.)!!!

The Web. still sounds something like trying to generate a new sales venture to me? Even after this length of time that the Web. has been in existence, now I'm sure somebody will want to prove me wrong!

Regards,

Colin. (Just a humble Chiropodist with too much work to be getting on with to continue writing this. I'm even thinking of coming out of the Yellow Pages next year???).

P.S. Now of course if you lived and worked in the USA. it might be a very different story with very little I fear to do with the UK.!

P.P.S. The Dentists in my City seem to love their Websites, but of course they have more money than sense! (Or could it be a good tax deductible, of course!!! I had better look into that?).

Could be worse Colin. They say the HPC is terribly punitive against quacks who pass themselves off as art therapsists.

Hi Mark,

No it's no good, I've looked on the HPC. Website but I cannot find any "Quacks who pass themselves off as art therapists."

I think we had better be careful here as I have met a couple of art therapists recently who could do a better job than Margaret Thatcher with her hand bag!

The Representative of my local duck pond, Quacks Two, has had a quivering lower lip for most of the day after I told him what you said! Of course it might have had something to do with that one ton truck that got him earlier in the day on the slip road with it's front offside tyre I suppose!

Regards,

Colin.

P.S. Was that you wrecked the computer as my Right Index Finger was poised to send Admin.???

Right you are, mzmetzger! A strategic marketing plan includes everything you mentioned, PLUS, internal marketing (ways to utilize your current patient and referral base), health fairs and perhaps external marketing (print ads, radio, tv, web), as appropriate to your demographic area, competition and long-term goals.
More GPs, PCPs, PTs and Chiropractors are getting into the foot biz. A good marketing plan will help overcome this. Oh, and did I mention BRANDING??