Attract More Patients With Strong Marketing

Welcome back to our series on developing your dream practice – The Better Practice Roadmap!™ Today, we’re diving into a key topic that can transform how your practice attracts and converts patients—a strong marketing funnel and strategy.

Be sure to read the full article to discover a tip for a competitive advantage that your competitors likely don’t have.

Let’s jump right in. If you’re not getting new business in your practice every week, you’re going to have a hard time growing a practice.  And you might be feeling some low morale about that.

Getting new clients is not easy.

People have more options for healthcare and wellness services than ever before and you need to know how to get their attention and then convert consumers to patients paying you for your services.

hard time growing a practice 800px
One big challenge is that you’re not only competing with every other healthcare practitioner in your town and on the web, you’re also competing with the convenient experiences patients get from consumer brands. How is your strategy working right now?

Do you attract and convert enough patients each week?  If you’re answer is not a resounding yes, this article will be a huge help to your overall strategy.

Implementing these marketing best practices will make a huge difference in how you reach new patients, convert them to paying customers, keep them engaged and have them generate more business for you through referrals.

There about 5 things you must do if you are going to get patients interested and then get them to convert to paying customers. These components are part of a healthcare marketing funnel that works in every type of business but is essential in healthcare and wellness businesses.

how-to-attract-convert-more-patients

If you get these 5 basic things right, you’ll see an increase in the number of new patients in 30 days:

1.  Attention: Getting people to find your website (social media, organic content, paid ads).

2.  Interest:  Your website needs to have 6 essential components to get people to think you’re the practitioner for them.

3.  Desire:  The offering needs to be aligned with what your patients want, not what you think you’re selling.

4.  Action:  Your conversion flow needs to make it easy to go from lead to paying customer.

5. Retention:  Patients need to be satisfied with your services if you expect them to return and bring other patients to you as referrals.

Patients need to find you to become interested. Let’s start with how to attract new patients.

1.  ATTENTION and ATTRACTION

Unless you have a high volume practice already, nearly all of your efforts to attract new patients are going to revolve around attention on the internet and word of mouth. Once you’ve scaled, you may find local radio or print ads effective. But until then, you have 3 primary channels to leverage for attention on the internet:

  • social media
  • organic inbound traffic from search-engine optimized (SEO) content on your website
  • ad spend (optional).

Social Media

Just like you, your patients are scrolling through instagram and other social media every day. You need to have a presence on social media platforms because patients will look for your there.

Organic Inbound SEO Content

When you write articles for your website, you need to focus on SEO which stands for search engine optimization. You need to use the right words to make sure you’re giving search engines the information they need to feature you when patients search for your services.

For the same reason, you want to make sure you’re using healthcare-related keywords that your ideal patients are searching for online. Just keep in mind what areas you specialize in and the solutions you offer and be sure to include this on your website so when people search for these services they are more likely to find you. We’ll talk more about your services below in the context of interest and conversion.

Paid Ads

This topic is worthy of a much larger dive so we won’t cover a lot here. But once you have your social media and SEO-driven website content generating interest, you can multiply the number of people coming to your website by driving people with advertising dollars that you spend on the same search terms people are using to find you.

Google’s Ads Manager has tools for this that make it simpler than ever to know what topics patients are searching for and what exact terms they are searching. Also, if you’re targeting customers in your area, city, county, state, you’ll be able to target them by geography as well.

So those are three areas where you can attract attention but the magic of your marketing funnel starts to come to life when this people you’ve attracted, become interested.

2. INTEREST

Interest in your services starts initially in the descriptions of what you do that people discover on social media and in the search engine results they encounter when your website content matches what they’re looking for. To really gain their interest on a deeper level, your website now needs to deliver on the promised content.

If they’re looking for a specialist in curing a leaky gut or addressing diabetic neuropathy in Cleveland Ohio, and they find your website, you’re going to need to have a few things to keep their Interest and then generate the Desire to take Action.

Here are the 6 essential things your website needs to pique their interest and move them closer to conversion.

1. User-Friendly Professional Website:

You don’t necessarily need an overly fancy website, but an up-to-date, easy-to-navigate website with clear and concise messaging can help potential patients go from being first time patients to becoming loyal patients. If you don’t already have a solid brand to match an attractive logo, invest a small amount in making the brand look attractive.

People expect a professional looking brand even if it has little to do with your qualifications. It’s an optic and first impression that does matter. For an inexpensive branding proof of concept, consider hiring a designer on Fiverr or similar sites to get going before you sink a lot of money into expensive design resources.

2. Credibility Layer

Patients expect you to have some credentials that match the services you’re offering. Whatever those credentials are, show them right up front and also on an About You page. If you’re a board certified cardiologist with degrees after your name, say it on your front page and pair with with the area you serve geographically as well as one or two of your main services.

George Martin, MD is a board-certified cardiologist and has been helping patients with hypertension and diabetes-related illnesses in the Duluth Georgia area since 1999.

Patients who search for these key terms are likely to find you when googling but will then have their interest validated when they see who you are. Embellish on this on an About Us page with other elements of your experience, accomplishments, personal interests, etc. It helps to make it clear that you’re also a person with interests outside of your practice so tell your story and your journey in a way that is relatable.

Beyond those two elements about you, your website should be about your patient. Too many practitioners spend way too much time on their websites listing their accomplishments and listing all they types of medicine they practice.  

3. Services and Solutions 

What can you do for the patient? This is the main focus of your website. Don’t talk in great detail about your focus on “functional medicine” or “holistic” care. How are you going to solve my problem?

If you offer medical weight loss, have a page about your medical weight loss solution and what’s included in that. Does the program include coaching, support Telehealth visits? Have other people had success with the program? How much weight can I expect to lose? What does the program cost?  

These are the things your patient cares about. Not whether you describe yourself as an integrative practitioner or follow the method of some society they haven’t heard of. 

What really hits home with patients is a promise that you’re going to be there for them after they leave you and go back home and to work every day. People are expecting a concierge level approach and you can promise it without costing you any more time or expense:

  • Offer weekly check ins using telemedicine to make this nearly effortless for you.
  • Include a digital care plan on an app that tells the patient what is expected of them every day or every week.
  • Send digital reminders about supplements, appointments, tracking food and body measurements.
  • Enroll patients into group discussions where they can commiserate with and challenge each other.
  • Use an app and platform where patients’ activities and biometrics are visible to you and your staff and generate alerts when patients are off track or out of range.
  • Leverage digital forms and surveys that automatically prompt patients to answer and update progress during their program.
  • Offer a 24/7 messaging option so patients feel like you’re available to them.
  • Give patients an easy to use place where you and the patient can share photos, documents, lab results

In short, make it clear that your program continues beyond the 4 walls of your clinic and that you’ll be available to them “virtually” throughout the program. This will differentiate you from all of the other practices who just send patients on their way when they leave the clinic or the virtual encounter.

4. Patient Testimonials

If you deliver on just some of the services described above, you’re going to get great results from your treatment of patients and they are going to be happy. Ask them for written or video testimonials describing what services they used, the results they achieved and what they liked about you. Not only will this enhance your SEO, but highlighting testimonials builds trust and shows that other patients have had great results with your care.

5. Prominent Contact Info

You’re going to want a full conversion funnel with booking and more, described below, but make sure you have a Contact Us page with all of your info. This should have a map of your locations, complete address and phone number and unless it is disruptive to your intake flow, your email address. 

6. Easy Conversion Flow and Calls to Action

To get your interested leads to become converted patients, you need simple and easy to complete calls to action. A call to action encourages patients to complete a task that leads to them getting a step closer to becoming paying patient. Whether it’s booking an appointment, signing up for a newsletter, or joining one of your education programs, patients need an obvious next step.

Booking flow is one of the best ways to convert. Your website should have a prominent button that says “Book an Appointment”. That call to action should launch a page with all of your event or service types and allow the patient to choose the event they want with the provider they want and book that appointment. 

You can do the same if you want patients to purchase a program from you. “Buy this Package” or “Buy this Program” should launch a page with the details of what’s included and let the patient pay for it on the spot. And if the package includes a digital plan and/or app where the patient follows a digital plan, the enrollment into the app and the program should be seamless. 

Those are the 6 basic elements your website must have. To recap: 

(1) Design 

(2) Credibility

(3) Testimonials

(4) Attractive Solutions

(5) Contact Info

(6) Easy Conversion Flow 

And that leads us to the Fifth part of your marketing funnel, perhaps most important to long term growth.  

5. RETENTION

To keep patients happy, have them return to you an refer business to you, you have to help patients get the outcome you promised. How do you do that?

Not long ago, you could see patients, charge them for your time and advice and then send them on their way. If they failed, it was on them. Not any more. Patients expect that you are going to partner with them in their journey. Direct primary care, concierge medicine and the Amazon effect that we talked about in last week’s article have led to an expectation that you’re going to literally be with the patient on their journey. 

It sounds like a lot of work but in a digital world, you can deliver on this promise easily and a also make it your competitive advantage. Helping patients like this will set your practice apart.  

So, what is your competitive advantage? If you’re saying that you provide great customer service and top-notch care that’s great. But can’t your competitors do the same? You want something that is really going to set you apart.

One competitive advantage you might not have considered is remote patient care. With the rise of digital health tools, patients increasingly value the ability to stay connected to their provider outside of office visits. Offering remote patient care can differentiate your practice and meet the needs of patients who crave flexibility and ongoing support.

Combining Your Website With Consumer-Facing Digital Tools

Your website is often the first impression patients will have of your practice. It’s where they’ll learn about your services, find answers to their questions, and—if everything goes smoothly—book an appointment. But what happens after they schedule that first visit? That’s where remote patient care tools, like BodySite, come into play.

BodySite is a remote patient care platform that extends your practice’s reach beyond the walls of your office by offering remote monitoring, automated patient education, and continuous support in an easy-to-use HIPAA compliant portal for providers and their patients.

While your website draws patients in, BodySite keeps them engaged with their care plan, reinforcing the idea that your practice offers more than just in-person visits.

When your website and remote care tools work together, patients get a complete experience. They’re attracted by the convenience of your digital offerings, and they stay engaged because you’re supporting their health journey every step of the way.

Implementing Remote Patient Care: A Game-Changer for Attracting Patients

Remote patient care isn’t just a nice-to-have feature—it can be a game-changer for your practice. By integrating BodySite, you’re giving patients the tools they need to stay on top of their health, whether it’s through education, monitoring, or personalized care plans. In today’s digital world, patients expect this kind of convenience, and it can be a significant competitive advantage for your practice.

BodySite enables you to deliver the kind of continuous, personalized support that patients value, without adding extra strain to your day-to-day operations. You’re offering the kind of ongoing care that keeps patients satisfied and loyal, all while freeing up your time to focus on other aspects of your practice.

Marketing Your Competitive Edge with BodySite

Now that you’ve implemented remote patient care, it’s time to showcase it to potential patients. Here are some easy ways to highlight your competitive advantage on your website:

          • Homepage and Services Page: Make sure you’re featuring remote patient care as a core service.
          • Patient Testimonials: Include stories or case studies that show how your remote care program has benefited real patients.
          • Dedicated Section: Create a page that explains how your remote care works, why it’s beneficial, and how patients can get started.

By making remote patient care a key part of your online presence, you’re letting potential patients know that you offer more than just traditional care—you’re offering the convenience, support, and engagement they’re looking for.

Actionable Steps to Start Attracting Patients Today

Ready to start attracting more patients? Here’s a quick checklist of things you can do today to improve your marketing:

          • Review your website for clarity and patient-focused messaging.
          • Identify your competitive advantages and make sure they’re prominently displayed.
          • Explore offering something new and different implementing a remote patient care solution, like BodySite, to enhance patient engagement and satisfaction.

The key to attracting patients is to focus on what makes your practice unique, communicate to them what that is and when they move forward with you, to show patients how your approach can make a real difference in their health journey.

Getting Started

In a crowded healthcare market, strong marketing is essential to attract and convert more patients. But it’s not enough to just promote your services—you need to highlight your competitive advantages and show patients that you’re offering something truly valuable.

Remote patient care, powered by BodySite, can give your practice the edge it needs to stand out. By marketing this service effectively, you can attract more patients, keep them engaged, and build long-lasting relationships that benefit both your patients and your practice.

Ready to take the next step? Start offering remote patient care with BodySite and see how it can transform your practice. Sign up for a free trial today!