For many patients, choosing a plastic surgeon is sometimes a more difficult chore than deciding what results they want to see from their procedure. Why? Patients are beginning to understand that the quality of a surgeon’s work and his or her experience levels can determine results. This is a very good thing for those who are valued members of the plastic surgery community — unless you’ve got a website that’s not doing all it could to support your practice.
Your practice’s website is an essential part of your business in today’s social media environment. Men and women from all over will visit your site and critique your abilities by reading through each and every page. If you’re not representing yourself as the talented, highly experienced surgeon you are, you’ll be missing the business of these discerning patients. To inspire them to pick up the phone and book a consultation, you’ll need to make sure your website offers them a few important things.
Credentials and Experience
While many people find it difficult to write about themselves and their accomplishments, drafting a well-written “About Me” page is an essential piece of your website. This page is designed to give your prospective patients a snapshot of who you are as a surgeon, where you’ve come from, what qualifies you to perform the procedures you offer, and why they should book a consultation. List your professional credentials, board certifications, specialty areas, residencies, training experiences, speaking engagements, publications, and more. Whatever it is that makes you stand out, it should be included on this essential page. While you don’t have to call it “About Me,” it should be easy for patients to know what it is and where it is. Keep the language simple: About the Doctor, Who I Am, Meet Dr. Smith, etc.
Patient Testimonials
While it’s not appropriate for you to list a history of all your patients and procedures, you can certainly share the feedback you’ve received from happy patients. In a “Testimonials” page, assemble the best quotes you have received from your patients through email, review sites, regular mail, or by phone. Better yet, link to a third-party review site dedicated to plastic surgery patients to provide your potential patients with an unbiased look at your work. If you’re confident that your satisfied patients can speak to your talents as a surgeon, then do whatever you can to show your future patients.
Before and After Photos
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this may never be truer than on a plastic surgeon’s website. To have a successful website that speaks of your abilities as a surgeon, you must be able to provide photos of your patients before and after their procedures. Displaying these images side by side, organized by procedure, allows your prospective clients to see what they should expect from your work. It could make the difference in booking a consultation with you instead of someone else. Show your best work, label it clearly, and keep these photos on a separate page to clearly demonstrate what you can do.
Well-Written and Informative Posts
A blog is another essential way to draw new prospective patients to your website. In order to be effective, however, it must be written clearly and effectively, with a conversational tone and not a technical one. Patients want to know what surgery will be like, how long it will last, what recovery will feel like, and what results they should expect. Explaining this important information without complicated surgical terms is a must. Your blog should be informative about the topics most relevant to your potential patients, but it cannot be written over their heads. Create content that is meaningful but not too cumbersome to achieve successful connections with new patients.
Easy to Find Contact Information
No one can pick up the phone to book a consultation with you if they can’t find your phone number. Keep your contact information accessible throughout the website with a clear link to a contact page. Provide details to your would-be clients about your location, how to get there, an email address, a fax number and phone number to give them options. If they know how to physically find you and your website supports your claims that you are highly skilled and qualified, they’ll pick up the phone.
You’re an expert on the procedures you perform in your office, but not necessarily on creating and delivering web content about your practice. That’s okay, because you don’t need to be.Contact Surgeon’s Advisor at 305-763-8011 or email the Surgeon’s Advisor Client Contact Form today to learn more about content marketing strategies that are relevant to your practice.