By Pattie Stechschulte
If you are still sitting on the fence trying to decide if you really need a
web site for your chiropractic office, you need to finally make the leap because
you are missing a big market.
According to a recent Internet survey, there will be one billion Internet users
around the world by the year 2005, compared to 327 million users in 2000. Following
that trend, there were only 75,000 web sites in January 1996, which has increased
to 38 million in March 2002.
With an effective web site and an Internet marketing plan, chiropractors can
reach this expanding market to attract potential patients, besides using it
as a means to communicate and educate existing patients.
Web Site Design
101
The first step is to decide if you want to have a custom-designed web site or
join an existing chiropractic online community that will provide you with a
common template design. Of course, the differences between these two options
are cost.
For a custom design, you will need to hire a web site designer, or webmaster,
who will consult with you on the layout and features that you want. They will
take your information and graphics, then design your site, register your domain
name (URL), arrange hosting with an Internet Service Provider and register the
site with search engines. For these services, a designer will charge anywhere
from $500 to $5,000 depending on your location, the size of your web site and
how many features you add to it.
When you are looking for a designer, make sure you ask them about their experience
and for a list of web sites they have already designed that are online. Also,
you will need to pay them a fee every time you update your web site, unless
you can train a staff member of yourself to do it.
If you decided to choose the second option using a template format, it will
be more cost-effective and need less time on your part. Companies, such as Chirohosting.com,
provide chiropractors a wide-range of features and 25 pages of content for a
set-up cost of $400 and monthly fee of $50. Chiropractors choose a basic design
and the features they want added, including informational articles, flash animated
slide shows of a subluxation, e-mail newsletters and an automatic appointment
form.
One thing to keep in mind for this option is that you can maintain and update
the content by simply logging on to their main page and selecting new content
and signing up for new features. The downside of this is that you have to choose
from their content; you cannot individualize your message.
Generating Traffic
Once your have an online presence, the next step is to promote it and generate
traffic to your site. There are many ways chiropractors can attract people especially
through Internet search engines and everyday contact with people.
When most Internet users want to find information or services, they use the
modern day version of the yellow pages—a search engine. Based on usage,
the top ten search engines are MSN, Yahoo!, Google, AOL, Ask Jeeves, LookSmart,
InfoSpace, Overture, Netscape and AltaVista. You can register your web sites
with each of these search engines to be included in their database, which is
based on keywords and locality.
It is also important to have a high ranking in the listing within these searches,
which is called search engine optimization. Research has shown that 75 percent
of Internet users never scroll past the first page of a search result when using
a search engine. Unfortunately it is difficult to achieve top placement on these
engines because it is a matter of things like meta-tags (a.k.a. keywords) which
are becoming a science to designers. It is a good idea to consult with a web
site designer on how to include the proper keywords in the coding on your home
page to achieve a high ranking when people are searching for chiropractors in
your area.
Other ways to generate traffic to your web site is to be an active on the Internet
by exchanging links with other local businesses that share potential patients
like vitamin and herb stores, health clubs, massage therapists and day spas.
Send a regular E-mail newsletter to patients and prospective patients, encouraging
them to share the health information with their friends and family. Also, you
need to regularly update your web site with articles or interesting content
that would spark their interest and keep them coming back.
Another way to attract people to your web site is to promote it to your patients
and everybody you come in contact with through your office sign, business card,
yellow pages ad, newsletter, office stationary, invoices and business checks.
Add your web site to your automatic e-mail signature which can be included to
every e-mail you send out. Anything that has your name on it, should also list
your web site address.
Also, once your Web site is up and running, send out press releases to local
newspapers and magazines to launch it to the local community. These will produce
some free publicity and will attract curious local visitors and the possibility
of links with other local businesses.
Consider buying banner advertisements and sponsorships on other web sites of
local organizations and businesses where potential patients might visit. These
companies might consider an exchange agreement.
Taking these steps will ensure your online presence in the local health care
market, and according to a recent Harris Interactive poll, it is a growing trend
for Internet users to obtain health care information through online sources
instead of asking their traditional medical doctors.
This is a tremendous opportunity for chiropractors. If you can reach these Internet
users and educate them on the benefits of chiropractic through your web site
content, you will tap into this market that exists in ever growing computer
culture of today’s society.
About the author: Pattie Stechschulte is an award-winning writer for Today’s
Chiropractic magazine. Inquiries should be directed to her at 1303 Hightower
Trail, Suite 101, Atlanta, GA 30350 or e-mail pattie@stechschulte.com.
© Copyright 2002 Today's Chiropractic