With the advent of the Internet, the business landscape has undergone a sea change. Businesses in the health care sector have also joined the digital marketing revolution. Over the past few years, it has become increasingly important for health care businesses to employ digital marketing strategies in order to succeed. This can be attributed to the fact that the Internet has become part and parcel of people’s lives and it is the first place they go to find solutions to their problems, including those related to their health. As such, the healthcare industry cannot neglect online marketing any longer.
How People Search for Health Care Providers
The Internet has changed the way patients find hospitals, clinical laboratories, or doctors. A huge amount of health care information is available online. The digital age has been instrumental in empowering patients to self-diagnose conditions, understand treatment options, and find out the best healthcare provider. This presents healthcare providers with an opportunity to reach across to new patients and grow their businesses or practices.
There are many online avenues for researching potential healthcare providers, but the most commonly used options are:
- Search Engines – New patients start their research on Google or some other search engine. This means that it is important for a healthcare provider or a doctor to have an optimized online presence so as to attract new patients. Today, more people are using smartphones to access the Internet. As such, it is important for healthcare providers to have responsive websites.
- Online Patient Reviews – Patients also go through reviews and opinions prior to choosing a doctor or healthcare provider. Studies show that 77 percent of the consumers go through online reviews available on public sites such as Google My Business, websites of healthcare providers, or other sites before making a decision. Today, patients comment on and rate everything, including ease of fixing appointments, the behavior of staff members, wait times, and cleanliness, among others.
- Social Media – The word-of-mouth continues to be a means of finding a healthcare provider or doctor. However, today’s patients, especially the millennials, go to the social media networks to solicit input in this regard. Social networks such as Twitter and Facebook provide forums for sharing their experiences and making recommendations.
- Location-Based Services – Surveys have shown that 9 out of 10 people use their phones for getting directions, recommendations, and other information as regards their location. This includes finding healthcare providers and doctors near their homes.
- Business Directory Listings – Online local business directories and healthcare directories are also places that patients visit for choosing healthcare providers. Providers optimize listings so as to attract people to their websites.
Patients choose a healthcare provider or a doctor based on what they see on their website. However, the key to success for any healthcare business owner is dependent on the number of people visiting their site. This is where digital marketing services will be of great help to business owners in the healthcare and medical industry.
Why Spree Marketing?
Spree Marketing, established in 2014, is an independent digital marketing company that collaborates with businesses and helps them accelerate their growth. The company has been helping customers from various industry verticals such as financial services, information technology, healthcare, media, and real estate to achieve greater agility and provide better customer experience.
Spree focuses on developing strategies and employs the latest technology and innovations to drive results. The digital marketing company has proven capabilities in website design, social media marketing, search engine optimization, creative content creation, mobile app development, and online reputation management. Further, Spree Marketing customizes solutions to suit the unique needs of each client.
