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GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF OPTIMIZATION 5 ELEMENTS EVERY SUCCESSFUL OPHTHALMOLOGIST’S WEBSITE NEEDS
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The holidays are a wonderful time of year, but, when it comes to the extravagant gifts, the pricey trips to visit relatives and the opulent meals on the table can also be a hit to the wallet. That’s why, with Christmas right around the corner, I’m using this newsletter to give you an early gift: tips on how to optimize your marketing without spending more money. Really, when you get down to it, this isn’t a gift from me — it’s a gift you can give yourself. The goal of every ophthalmology clinic should be figuring out how to get more patients through the door without overspending on paid traffic, and the perfect place to start is with your website. In my experience, all of the nation’s biggest, most successful ophthalmology clinics have five elements on their websites. Simply replicate all five and watch your conversion rates and patient lead volume. 1. PATIENT-CENTRIC COPY: SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE Back in the October newsletter, I talked about Donald Miller’s philosophy of story branding and how every ophthalmologist should see themselves as Yoda (the guide), not Luke (the hero). Well, the same principle stands for your copy. Far too many LASIK practices position themselves as the heroes on their websites, discoursing on their successful procedures, awards, and reputations. In contrast, a successful website is patient -centric. Its copy answers these questions for every visitor: “Am I in the right place? Can I trust you? Will you give me the result I want?” WITH A CLICK When I say, “Have an online scheduler,” I don’t just mean you need to provide an appointment request form. If you want more patients in your stream of organic and paid web traffic to come in, you need to make it easy for them to schedule their appointment with a click. There are plenty of third-party options worth exploring if your current software doesn’t offer this feature. Give people the ability to commit to a specific date and time, and you’ll reduce 2. AN ONLINE SCHEDULER: CONVERT
friction in your conversion process, turning more leads into patients. 3. PRICING OPTIONS: GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT Nearly 30% of online searches in the U.S. relating to LASIK include the word “cost” in the search terms. That means patients already know what the procedure involves and how it works — what they care about it how much it costs. To optimize your website, you need to make it effortless for patients to request your pricing or access it in exchange for opting in to your mailing list. You don’t have to list your exact prices but make sure there is a “Price” button on your front page leading to actionable information, like your payment plan and request form. 4. A RETARGETING PIXEL: FOLLOW THE LEAD We live in a world full of distractions vying for people’s attention, so your best bet for a conversion is to play the long game. In short, do everything you can to make sure potential patients don’t forget about you. A retargeting pixel allows you to continue the conversation with the prospective patient by serving them an ad on sites like Facebook 5. A LEAD MAGNET: CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION When someone visits your website, you only have a limited amount of time to grab their attention. One way to do that — and continue the conversation — is with a lead magnet like a PDF download, info kit, or self-test. Put that front and center on your website behind an opt-in requirement, and your odds of conversion will go up. If you’d like an expert opinion on your website, look no further. LASIK Marketing Agency offers free website audits, and I’d be happy to look over your site personally. Call me directly at 206-437- 0529, or visit us online at LasikMarketingAgency. com today. – Michael King 1 206-437-0529 and Instagram that are relevant to their initial search. Short videos, like the “Top 10” clips that I discussed in last month’s newsletter, are perfect for moving them down that buying path.
THE SPECTATOR LASIK
3620 40th Street Court NW Gig Harbor, WA 98335
206-437-0529
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“The goal of every LASIK surgeon should be figuring out how to get more patients through the door without overspending on paid traffic, and the perfect place to start is with your website.”
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3 LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY MARKETING IDEAS DON’T GET LOST IN THE BUSTLE
If you haven’t capitalized on the holiday season for your business’s marketing campaign yet, don’t worry, because you still have time! Even if you’re still a long sleigh ride away from finishing your own holiday to-do list, you can ensure your business flourishes this season with a few last-minute marketing ideas for the holidays.
thinking of them this holiday season. Established customers can be responsible for up to 40% of a business’s sales, and your unexpected holiday greeting could keep your business in mind as they go about their holiday shopping. DECORATE YOUR WEBSITE FOR THE SEASON. Your customers are already in the holiday spirit, so why not indulge them with some seasonal trappings on your website? Festive
to attract customer attention. You don’t have to be the flashiest display on the block, but showing off your holiday spirit will spread cheer and goodwill. CREATE GIFT CARD GIVEAWAYS OR INCENTIVES. Gift cards, even digital ones, are more popular than ever around the holiday season. In one survey, 43% of respondents said they planned on giving gift cards or certificates in lieu of other holiday presents. With 1 in 4 gift cards sold in the last four days leading up to Christmas, these ideal presents make the perfect last-minute marketing tool. Offer gift card incentives or giveaways for your loyal customers. They can make the perfect present for them and, in turn, your business.
SEND SEASON’S GREETINGS TO LOYAL CUSTOMERS. Even if your Christmas or holiday- themed cards don’t mail on time, you can still send personalized emails or social media messages to let your customers know you’re
holiday touches to your company logo or new webpages recommending holiday gift ideas can go a long way
ARE NO-SHOWS HURTING YOUR BUSINESS? IMPLEMENT THESE STRATEGIES TODAY TO ENSURE YOUR PATIENTS SHOW UP
Nothing is more frustrating than investing your marketing dollars to get patients on your schedule, only to have them stand you up. It might be tempting to shrug off those no-shows and tell yourself there’s nothing you could have done to bring those patients in — but that’s simply not true. You probably can’t eliminate flaky patients completely, but there are steps you can take right now to optimize your processes and eliminate no shows completely: CHECK YOUR FACTS If you’re not tracking the number of patients who don’t show to their appointment, now is the time to start. Without those statistics, there’s no way to tell how much surgical volume you’re losing or whether you’ve plugged the leaks in your appointment process. While you’re at it, double-check your other procedures and make sure they’re being carried out. For example, you may have told your employees to make confirmation calls, but that doesn’t mean they are! Tightening up your internal processes is
someone who exclusively answers texts, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Once you know their favorite way to keep in touch, use it regularly. Make sure someone from your office calls every patient who books online immediately to let them know you appreciate their business. Then, ensure your staff is making confirmation calls 2–3 days before each procedure and sending an additional reminder (preferably via two-way text message) on the big day. TURN ON THE CAMERA Nothing forges a doctor-patient connection as effectively as video. Right after a patient schedules an appointment on your website, direct them to a video of you introducing yourself, congratulating them on their commitment, and reminding them that space is limited. In the days leading up to the appointment, send over another video of yourself giving them a tour of the clinic and filling them in on what to expect. You’ll calm their nerve and reinforce your relationship. It’s a win-win! For more insider advice on how to optimize your practice, call LASIK Marketing Agency today at 206-437-0529. We’ve helped hundreds of ophthalmologists grow their businesses and can put those same strategies to work for you.
the first step toward optimization. AIM FOR CONSTANT CONTACT
When a patient makes an appointment, always ask them for their preferred contact method — then, use it! If you’re calling
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Most digital marketing consultants pad their resumes with a bit of everything, dabbling in SEO work, web design, and anything else they think their clients will jump at. But Casey Palm isn’t most consultants. For the last six years, he’s been laser focused on helping businesses optimize their pay- per-click (PPC) advertising. “I can help any company looking to drive high-quality traffic to their website,” Casey says. “The divide is usually whether they’re looking for lead generation, or whether they’re looking for ecommerce to get customers to purchase an item. I’ve worked with a wide mix of both types across many different verticals and budgets.” Casey has worked closely with LASIK Marketing Agency for the last four years, developing a PPC strategy for our ophthalmologist clients that spans Google, Facebook, and Bing, and helps convert more leads into patients, in part through the effective use of retargeting pixels (read more about that on Page 2). As Casey points out, PPC is both more flexible and more trackable than traditional advertising mediums like TV and radio. It’s also easier to optimize. With PPC, it’s easy to collect data on who and how many people viewed, clicked, and bought into an offer. From there, business owners can identify which ads are paying off and adjust their strategies accordingly. “When something works well, that’s great to see, but the value comes into play when you leverage what works and when you say ‘Look, these are performing better, let’s push them more,’ and ‘These other ads aren’t performing as well, let’s pull back there,’” Casey explains. PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: CONSULTANT CASEY PALM MEET OUR PAY-PER-CLICK STRATEGIST “What we learn from one practice can also be applied to efficiently ramp up another practice, so we’re not starting from ground zero with every business,” Casey says. “Often, what’s effective in one area of the county for one LASIK practice is effective in another area for another practice.” To learn more about PPC and Casey’s consulting services, email caseyjpalm@gmail.com, and to find out how his strategies elevate our marketing system, visit LASIKMarketingAgency.com. 3 206-437-0529 Thanks to years of collaboration, Casey and Michael have put together a PPC method geared specifically for ophthalmologists.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Optimize Your Website With These 5 Elements Last-Minute Holiday Marketing Ideas 5 Strategies You Can Use Now to Decrease No-Shows Partner Spotlight: Consultant Casey Palm What Great Leaders Have in Common
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DELEGATE TO ELEVATE THE SECRET TO BEING A GREAT LEADER
Poor delegation is the Achilles’ heel of most leaders, who often confuse being “involved” with being “essential.” To determine if you’re holding on to work you should delegate out, the Harvard Business Review (HBR) recommends asking this simple question: “If you had to take an unexpected week off work, would your initiatives and priorities advance in your absence?” should be the cog that keeps everything in motion, no matter their position in the company. Luckily, HBR has created an audit using the following six T’s to identify which tasks can be delegated. TINY: Small tasks that stack up can undermine the flow of your work. Registering for a conference, putting it on the calendar, and If your answer is no or you aren’t sure, then you’re probably too involved. No one person
booking the flight are all small tasks someone else can handle. TEDIOUS: These tasks are straightforward but not the best use of your time. Someone else can input lists into spreadsheets or update key performance indicators for a presentation. TIME-CONSUMING: These important, complex tasks don’t require you to do the first 80% of the work. Identify what they are, pass them to someone else, and step in for the final 20% to give approval. TEACHABLE: Is there a task only you know how to do? If so, teach someone else to do it, and step in for the last quality check when it’s done. TERRIBLE AT: It’s okay to be bad at some things. Great leaders know when to pass tasks
off to someone who is more skilled than they are. The task will get done faster and at a much higher quality. TIME-SENSITIVE: These tasks need to get done right now but are competing with tasks of a higher priority. Just because it has to get done immediately doesn’t mean you have to be the one to do it. Sure, some tasks only you can accomplish, but these are extremely rare. As the Virgin Group founder Richard Branson warns, needlessly resisting delegation is the path to disaster. “You need to learn to delegate so that you can focus on the big picture,” Branson says. “It’s vital to the success of your business that you learn to hand off those things that you aren’t able to do well.”
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