Thursday, December 6, 2007
Happy Holidays from FindUrgentCare!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Can Patients Find your Urgent Care?
In my quest for Urgent Care centers nationwide, I seek out the internet. According to market research, so do 94% of US consumers as their first stop for healthcare information. An advantage to performing the same research as our target consumer market, is that I experience the same frustrations and am able to tailor my site according to their needs. Have you seen the website of your competitor? Have you searched online for local urgent care centers? I encourage you to surf around, and find out how to market your clinic competetively.
Surprisingly, my biggest frustration as a potential consumer is the lack of vital clinic information posted on most primary websites. If I am fortunate enough to find a clinic's webpage, I often find that contact information is insufficient. Let me make a few suggestions that will help patients find your clinic:
* Include the zip code and a mapquest link if you can- providing an address without a zip code makes it much more difficult for mapquest users; most of the time, the program requires a zip code.
* Include the major crossroads, while still providing the exact address. It doesn't help a traveling patient who does not know crossroads if this is all you provide.
* Include the name of the shopping center and a familiar landmark. If a McDonald's is next to your clinic, you are allowed to mention this. Also, feel free to let the McDonald's know you are including their name in your marketing. Businesses generally appreciate more exposure, unless you mispell their name or they do not want to be associated with your business. You may even get a free Happy Meal =)
* Post pictures of your location, especially if your decor or building is something to be proud of! Either way, it will help patients quickly identify your building in your time of need.
* Use temporary, portable signage on sidewalks to attract passing traffic. This will especially help if it includes an arrow and "walk-in clinic". Clinics tucked deep into a plaza will especially benefit from this.
* Use bright or distinct permanant signage that is visible from the street. Make sure you adhere to all tenant policies if located within a plaza.
* The most obvious rule for helping patients find your clinic: Location, location location! Purchasing a great location will save you marketing dollars in the long-run by making it easier for patients to find your clinic.
* Update your website or online listing regularly!! There is nothing more dissappointing than driving to a location only to find that the hours, location, prices, or even clinic name aren't as advertised.
* Is your website on page 8 of the search results? This is where FindUrgentCare becomes valuable, you may have a beautiful website, but it won't benefit patients unless they can find it. FindUrgentCare stays up-to-date on search engine standards to provide clinics with optimal exposure.
* Did you know FindUrgentCare.com allows clinics to post a picture, provides a map, a Patient Pre-assessment Form, a link to your primary website (optional), services offered, and hours of operation?? Patients may find us by performing a search for local urgent care in major search engines.
Lastly, make sure your direct mail or ads are consistent with your website and feature landmarks, pictures, and marketing highlights.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
UCAOA Fall Conference: Marketing Lecture
Amy and I managed to break away and head out to Chicago for the UCAOA Fall Conference despite all the fun at home surrounding Halloween. I couldn’t make it to all the marketing lectures that were offered, but I did attend “Hands on Marketing: Effective Campaigns & Ideas”, instructed by Cynthia Rilling, Director of Operations & Marketing of Acute Injury & Illness Centers, LLC.
As Ms. Rilling was instrumental in all stages of development for three successful urgent care centers, she has learned the "dos and don’ts" of marketing a clinic. Like many tend to agree, much is in a name. Although Urgent Care has many noted differences from Emergency Care, some states regulate the use of this name as it may be misleading to patients. Ms. Rilling spoke about the importance of checking your state’s legislation on this. She also spoke about adding words like “injury and illness center” so people know exactly what you do. Sometimes, depending on your area, short names like immediate care, walk-in center, urgent care or convenient care might not be as familiar to patients.
Ms. Rilling’s clinics have undergone name changes as well as adaptations to the logo. After realizing that using the red cross shape in their logo violated the Red Cross organization’s rights to this symbol, she had to replace all signage and marketing materials as well. Ms. Rilling described it as an expensive mistake for a brand new clinic, especially since stacks of marketing materials were fresh off the press, and the signage hadn’t even seen the clinic’s opening day. However, she was able to make it as cost effective as possible by only cutting the symbol out of the signage.
The logo underwent another conversion later on down the road, to a speedier looking red and yellow italicized cross. She also had another clinic that needed a backlit sign since it blended in too much with the building. Additional transformations like these required allocating valuable marketing dollars towards improvements in existing materials, but a simple change like this makes a world of difference in getting the patient's attention as well as to their first impression of the facility.
In fact, Ms. Rilling is very passionate about the patient’s first and lasting impression of the facility. She knows that the clinic’s design has almost as much impact on the patient as the care they receive. In her presentation, she noted “If your signage, your landscaping, and even the building you’re in isn’t the image you want to project, you will lose patients before they even meet the physician.” Her facilities’ designs employ everything from outer-space x-ray rooms, to custom murals in the waiting room, local art, plant life, a jungle themed pediatric room and a facility with a plasma screen TV. The list goes on because Ms. Rilling believes in exceeding the patient’s expectations. This is all part of removing the “white coat effect”- an expression she uses to describe the feeling of an uncomfortably sterile and bare facility—the last place you want to go when you are not feeling well.
More highlights of the lecture:
• Offer free or flu shots for a penny- for marketing purposes, not for profit
• Add more freestanding removable signage for the sidewalk
• Always mention a popular landmark in marketing materials, also include hours or other attractive benefits of your clinic, and a great picture of the facility
• Keep employees updated with your latest ad campaigns and specials
• Invite the community into your clinic for an open house with snacks and send them home with a magnet or other marketing materials
As Ms. Rilling was instrumental in all stages of development for three successful urgent care centers, she has learned the "dos and don’ts" of marketing a clinic. Like many tend to agree, much is in a name. Although Urgent Care has many noted differences from Emergency Care, some states regulate the use of this name as it may be misleading to patients. Ms. Rilling spoke about the importance of checking your state’s legislation on this. She also spoke about adding words like “injury and illness center” so people know exactly what you do. Sometimes, depending on your area, short names like immediate care, walk-in center, urgent care or convenient care might not be as familiar to patients.
Ms. Rilling’s clinics have undergone name changes as well as adaptations to the logo. After realizing that using the red cross shape in their logo violated the Red Cross organization’s rights to this symbol, she had to replace all signage and marketing materials as well. Ms. Rilling described it as an expensive mistake for a brand new clinic, especially since stacks of marketing materials were fresh off the press, and the signage hadn’t even seen the clinic’s opening day. However, she was able to make it as cost effective as possible by only cutting the symbol out of the signage.
The logo underwent another conversion later on down the road, to a speedier looking red and yellow italicized cross. She also had another clinic that needed a backlit sign since it blended in too much with the building. Additional transformations like these required allocating valuable marketing dollars towards improvements in existing materials, but a simple change like this makes a world of difference in getting the patient's attention as well as to their first impression of the facility.
In fact, Ms. Rilling is very passionate about the patient’s first and lasting impression of the facility. She knows that the clinic’s design has almost as much impact on the patient as the care they receive. In her presentation, she noted “If your signage, your landscaping, and even the building you’re in isn’t the image you want to project, you will lose patients before they even meet the physician.” Her facilities’ designs employ everything from outer-space x-ray rooms, to custom murals in the waiting room, local art, plant life, a jungle themed pediatric room and a facility with a plasma screen TV. The list goes on because Ms. Rilling believes in exceeding the patient’s expectations. This is all part of removing the “white coat effect”- an expression she uses to describe the feeling of an uncomfortably sterile and bare facility—the last place you want to go when you are not feeling well.
More highlights of the lecture:
• Offer free or flu shots for a penny- for marketing purposes, not for profit
• Add more freestanding removable signage for the sidewalk
• Always mention a popular landmark in marketing materials, also include hours or other attractive benefits of your clinic, and a great picture of the facility
• Keep employees updated with your latest ad campaigns and specials
• Invite the community into your clinic for an open house with snacks and send them home with a magnet or other marketing materials
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
We have a winner!!! The 8gb iPod Nano was claimed by...
Dr. Husain of Northwest Ohio Urgent Care! Our hearts are warmed to hear that he will be sharing it with his adorable son who accompanied him at the recent UCAOA Fall Conference in Chicago, where we featured the iPod drawing at our exhibitor booth. Congrats to Dr. Husain and family!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
2007 UCAOA Fall Conference- Chicago
Having fun being tourists in the "Windy City". We didn't have a ton of time to play unfortunately, but our late flight allowed for a bit of shopping and browsing. We did, however, experience some great eats at "De La Costa" and "Red Light" for dinner the two nights we were there.
Amy(right) and I(left) working hard on our macs at the UCAOA Fall Conference in Chicago October 27th. We had a ton of fun demoing the brand new upgraded and redesigned FindUrgentCare site for existing members and many aspiring FindUrgentCare clinics. Check out our press release!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Surcharges for Minor Emergencies in the ER!
No bones about it, visiting the ER may be unavoidable for some patients suffering from minor illnesses or injuries. Maybe you are unsure of the severity of your medical condition? You should go to the ER. Need immedate attention after, the after-hours clinics are closed and don't know of any local on-call doctors? Or is there simply confusion about the difference between the ER and an Urgent Care facility? Don't know of a local Urgent Care Clinic, or is the hospital just closer? Undoubtedly, going to the ER is the better option for some, but if convenience is your only motivation to attend the ER, think again.
If you are not aware of the services offered at an Urgent Care, click here and scroll down, if you are well-versed on Urgent Care, skip ahead to the next paragraph. When any of the minor medical illnesses or injuries listed occurs, Urgent Care is the answer. It is especially convenient when your Primary Care physician is overbooked, you need medical attention after-hours, or when you are on vacation.
Northeastern Florida Hospitals attempt to solve over-crowding issues in the ER by implementing extra charges for those whose health concerns do not warrant emergency medical attention. Check out more on the hospitals implementing this surcharge. So far, these surcharges are right around $100.
Although, these surcharges have only been written about in Florida, a policy like this may catch on for it's value as a preventative measure for ER overcrowding. The best way to avoid this surcharge is to visit an urgent care. If you don't know of one in your area, go to FindUrgentCare.com. Our site lists each clinic's normal hours of operation, and services offered, like 24/7 On-Call physician care. If the ER is a must for your minor illness or injury, ask about surcharges!
If you are not aware of the services offered at an Urgent Care, click here and scroll down, if you are well-versed on Urgent Care, skip ahead to the next paragraph. When any of the minor medical illnesses or injuries listed occurs, Urgent Care is the answer. It is especially convenient when your Primary Care physician is overbooked, you need medical attention after-hours, or when you are on vacation.
Northeastern Florida Hospitals attempt to solve over-crowding issues in the ER by implementing extra charges for those whose health concerns do not warrant emergency medical attention. Check out more on the hospitals implementing this surcharge. So far, these surcharges are right around $100.
Although, these surcharges have only been written about in Florida, a policy like this may catch on for it's value as a preventative measure for ER overcrowding. The best way to avoid this surcharge is to visit an urgent care. If you don't know of one in your area, go to FindUrgentCare.com. Our site lists each clinic's normal hours of operation, and services offered, like 24/7 On-Call physician care. If the ER is a must for your minor illness or injury, ask about surcharges!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Can't get no satisfaction?
I was thinking again about this idea of how Urgent Care is perceived by the public and about patient satisfaction in Urgent Care. Aside from my own Urgent Care experience mentioned in the previous blog, surveys also show the number one reason patients become irritated is their wait time exceed expectations. But catch this, it's not just the waiting that makes them irritable, it's not being informed of delays. Check out the article Fostering Patient Loyalty In Urgent Care Settings, by Penny J Miceli, and Dave Van Remortel. This article addresses the public perception of an Urgent Care as convenience driven (as it partially is), and thus, most patients are expecting a wait time of zero minutes. The survey also noted that patients were not likely to return unless they were 100% satisfied. If a patient bears an unexpected wait and remains dissatisfied whether or not he/she received quality service, they are still not likely to return. Simply informing of their estimated wait time and allowing them to decide whether they want to leave or stay prevents irritability and increases the likelihood of their return. On the optimistic side, this lessons the stress of the front-end staff by easing tension in the waiting room. Surprisingly enough, people are willing to wait, if they are adequately informed.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Urgent Care Spys.....Watch Out!
Ever heard of a secret shopper? I'm sure this concept isn't new to many. They are typically hired by a corporate chain of a retailer or restaurant to act as a customer and rate the quality service. Ever heard of a secret shopper in the healthcare industry? Believe it or not, it has been done.
According to the Boston Globe, Beth Israel Deaconess,a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School started employing secret shoppers to rate their operators and waiting rooms. One report from a shopper recorded service as poor as a receptionist asking a patient to speak louder when giving his social security number. The Shopper heard the number clearly from the back of the room. After using results from secret shoppers in the last couple of years in order to better train their staff, the article reports service ratings jumping from "fair" to "excellent". I was surprised to hear this had been done before, with all the HIPPA regulations one would need to comply with, but after recently enduring the waiting room at an urgent care, I thought it was a great idea.
After signing in at the Urgent Care for a sore throat, I was told I would be called when they were ready to see me, so I grabbed a magazine and sat down. During my 45 minute wait, not too shabby considering there were about 5 people in front of me, I made a pretty thorough assessment of the level of service the Urgent Care facility was producing on the front end. To be sure, I want to clarify that working with facilities all over the nation does not necessarily breed one an Urgent Care snob. I have a high level of respect for those who are pioneering our relatively new facet of the health care industry. I am aware of the hurdles great healthcare professionals must gracefully traverse in establishing a business when urgent cares still carry the stigma of “doc-in-a-box” or “the fast-food of the healthcare industry” , (although thankfully these titles are starting to disappear). I kept all this in mind, but it didn’t altogether prevent me from becoming frustrated with the front of the house.
I realized during this visit, that sometimes one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. The sour attitude of the receptionist seemed to permeate the room as it became more crowded. Those not expecting a wait became visibly indignant within five minutes, it didn’t help that they hadn’t been prepared with an estimated wait time. Patients started talking amongst themselves when little action seemed to be taking place past the waiting room door. A few potential patients walked out. An ambulance came and went, wheeling in a stretcher and wheeling it back out, empty. Finally my name was called and I could feel the bitter stare of a woman who was there before me. The perception of this group of sick and cranky people was that they were wasting their time at a poorly managed clinic, one they might have never previously visited and might never visit again. The receptionist was not interested in patient relations, seeming entertained by her computer screen.
After making it past the front end, I heard the steady buzz of busyness and was relieved to see a staff working hard behind the scenes. The PA informed me that the medical staff had been struggling with a woman who needed emergency care and repeatedly turned away the ambulance. I was out in no time, leaving satisfied with my level of care. As someone who serves the Urgent Care community, I knew enough not to jump on the bandwagon of critiquing the entire clinic, but it also occurred to me that very few patients have this insight. The doctors might be extraordinary, but something as easy as an aloof receptionist is enough to make a patient never want to come back. Secret shoppers don’t sound like such a bad idea. I think most clinic managers would be surprised to hear how poorly the waiting room can reflect on their facility.
If you have multiple clinics, send an employee to another clinic. They’ll know what the employees should be doing. They can slip in unnoticed or be “waiting for their friend to come out”. For an evaluation of your clerical and medical staff, refer someone to your clinic with a business card and have them give you a call after their visit. Offer them a discount for further motivation to provide feedback. Whether you hire someone for this role, or send someone from another clinic, I would suggest creating an evaluation form that compliments the flow of operations. Understand that feedback won’t be valuable if you don’t communicate it with your staff and follow up with a resolution. Finally, remember that praising improvements is a great motivator for people to keep doing what works well.
According to the Boston Globe, Beth Israel Deaconess,a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School started employing secret shoppers to rate their operators and waiting rooms. One report from a shopper recorded service as poor as a receptionist asking a patient to speak louder when giving his social security number. The Shopper heard the number clearly from the back of the room. After using results from secret shoppers in the last couple of years in order to better train their staff, the article reports service ratings jumping from "fair" to "excellent". I was surprised to hear this had been done before, with all the HIPPA regulations one would need to comply with, but after recently enduring the waiting room at an urgent care, I thought it was a great idea.
After signing in at the Urgent Care for a sore throat, I was told I would be called when they were ready to see me, so I grabbed a magazine and sat down. During my 45 minute wait, not too shabby considering there were about 5 people in front of me, I made a pretty thorough assessment of the level of service the Urgent Care facility was producing on the front end. To be sure, I want to clarify that working with facilities all over the nation does not necessarily breed one an Urgent Care snob. I have a high level of respect for those who are pioneering our relatively new facet of the health care industry. I am aware of the hurdles great healthcare professionals must gracefully traverse in establishing a business when urgent cares still carry the stigma of “doc-in-a-box” or “the fast-food of the healthcare industry” , (although thankfully these titles are starting to disappear). I kept all this in mind, but it didn’t altogether prevent me from becoming frustrated with the front of the house.
I realized during this visit, that sometimes one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. The sour attitude of the receptionist seemed to permeate the room as it became more crowded. Those not expecting a wait became visibly indignant within five minutes, it didn’t help that they hadn’t been prepared with an estimated wait time. Patients started talking amongst themselves when little action seemed to be taking place past the waiting room door. A few potential patients walked out. An ambulance came and went, wheeling in a stretcher and wheeling it back out, empty. Finally my name was called and I could feel the bitter stare of a woman who was there before me. The perception of this group of sick and cranky people was that they were wasting their time at a poorly managed clinic, one they might have never previously visited and might never visit again. The receptionist was not interested in patient relations, seeming entertained by her computer screen.
After making it past the front end, I heard the steady buzz of busyness and was relieved to see a staff working hard behind the scenes. The PA informed me that the medical staff had been struggling with a woman who needed emergency care and repeatedly turned away the ambulance. I was out in no time, leaving satisfied with my level of care. As someone who serves the Urgent Care community, I knew enough not to jump on the bandwagon of critiquing the entire clinic, but it also occurred to me that very few patients have this insight. The doctors might be extraordinary, but something as easy as an aloof receptionist is enough to make a patient never want to come back. Secret shoppers don’t sound like such a bad idea. I think most clinic managers would be surprised to hear how poorly the waiting room can reflect on their facility.
If you have multiple clinics, send an employee to another clinic. They’ll know what the employees should be doing. They can slip in unnoticed or be “waiting for their friend to come out”. For an evaluation of your clerical and medical staff, refer someone to your clinic with a business card and have them give you a call after their visit. Offer them a discount for further motivation to provide feedback. Whether you hire someone for this role, or send someone from another clinic, I would suggest creating an evaluation form that compliments the flow of operations. Understand that feedback won’t be valuable if you don’t communicate it with your staff and follow up with a resolution. Finally, remember that praising improvements is a great motivator for people to keep doing what works well.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
I wanna be like HealthCare Marketing Guru Eric Berkowitz some day...
As we are revisiting our yearly Marketing Plan I was reminded to check back over my notes from the lecture delivered by Eric N. Berkowitz (Not to be confused with Erik G. Berkowitz—Computer Programmer and author) at the 2007 Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) Conference in Daytona Beach, Florida. I was fortunate enough to steal away from my exhibitor booth and let Amy fight the crowds, as we were repeatedly mistaken, fairly enough, for “Registration”. Thanks to our wonderful conference organizers at the UCAOA, we had a prime location next to the entrance but, even our FindUrgentCare.com banner didn’t stop many an attendee from intently parking in front of us to ask for their name-tag. However, the frequent stray did result in many fruitful contacts and of course, a few good laughs. Although during this afternoon lecture, and to Amy’s delight, she was steadily entertained with visits, but for the most part the crowds dissipated.
Even with 500 attendees present, the expanse of exhibitor domain on third floor of the Hilton quieted to a low buzz, with the exception of the animated Dr. Berkowitz’ voice and intermittent laughter sneaking past the double doors and adding high notes. Peering inside the lecture hall, a latecomer like me found it hard to slip in and find a seat and either ended up in the back-row or held up the wall for easy access to their booth. But even these spaces weren’t inconspicuous to the dynamic lecturer who coursed the room, engaging his audience in jests. At one point he dialogued with a woman to whom he responded loudly, “Do you love your children?” I was too far away to understand the context of the matter but despite this, I laughed into hysterics with the rest of the room. Although highly entertained, would you believe I still scribbled 4 pages of notes?
For those of us who haven’t read any of Dr. Berkowitz’ publications or received formal Marketing training specific to the Health Care Industry, his lecture entitled “Distinguishing Your Urgent Care Center in the Marketplace” truly shed light on how much there is to be learned in the realm of marketing an Urgent Care. He taught many basic marketing principles, but applied them directly to the HealthCare Industry, drawing from over 30 years of experience in marketing and consulting.
Among the many questions he asked were:
• What is your Differential Advantage- How do you stand out from the crowd?
o Ex. Later hours than your competitor
o Ex. Participating in a Patient Benefit Program
• What is the value added for patients at your clinic?
o Ex. Staffing MD’s and PA’s
o Ex. Sending Medical Records to the patient's primary physician
• Who is my target market?
o One man replied “women between the ages of 18-35” to which he replied “NO! --- Married women with children and a husband with a fixed income”
--I wasn’t the only one who didn’t expect such an exclusive demographic group
• How are you working on keeping the patients you already have loyal?
o Don’t make any major changes that will alienate the majority
• Where are you advertising? Not everyone should see your ad, just people who are looking for Urgent Care
I don’t know Dr. Berkowitz personally or professionally, but I’d hate to go on about his lecture without some mention that he expounds on this material much more eloquantly in his many publications. You may join me in purchasing one of his books specific to Marketing in the HealthCare Industry.
If I may, I’d like to highlight a few of the points he touched on and add to it from my own experience more specifically in Internet Marketing. One thing he recommended regarding a primary website, (in addition to of course for instance a webpage on FindUrgentCare.com...Shameless plug #2) was to list your clinic’s prices competitively on your webpage. His main point behind this was that people like to shop, and they might associate prices too low with poor quality, but what they appreciate is a reasonable deal and the option of knowing prices in advance. This will almost always drive them to your door versus an emergency room.
Another recommendation he made was to list all medical staff with a short bio on your primary webpage. I scale through many Urgent Care primary webpages on an average business day. Most look dated, are missing zip codes or other vital information for finding the clinic. I would also recommend featuring a picture of the clinic so that patients may see the building they are searching for. If you are going to spend the money on a webpage, I also recommend that you make sure it’s accessible to the public, and not on the 10th page of search results on Google.com.
Taking the advice of Dr. Berkowitz, FindUrgentCare has been working on adding value to the services of our clinics, with the X+raCare Patient Benefits Network. We only target web users who are searching for Urgent Care online, which is ususally only available to those who have a fixed income and are able to afford internet service. We allow a link for a primary webpage with more detailed information about the medical staff, or this content can be posted directly on your FindUrgentCare site. Vital information like office hours, address and phone number is found on every listing, and services offered or any other detailed information may always be added to the page content.
I know that I am one of my product's greatest fans, so let's hear about your's....Has anyone else started to implement some of these marketing principles to their Urgent Care? Comments are also welcome for those who though we were registration!
Even with 500 attendees present, the expanse of exhibitor domain on third floor of the Hilton quieted to a low buzz, with the exception of the animated Dr. Berkowitz’ voice and intermittent laughter sneaking past the double doors and adding high notes. Peering inside the lecture hall, a latecomer like me found it hard to slip in and find a seat and either ended up in the back-row or held up the wall for easy access to their booth. But even these spaces weren’t inconspicuous to the dynamic lecturer who coursed the room, engaging his audience in jests. At one point he dialogued with a woman to whom he responded loudly, “Do you love your children?” I was too far away to understand the context of the matter but despite this, I laughed into hysterics with the rest of the room. Although highly entertained, would you believe I still scribbled 4 pages of notes?
For those of us who haven’t read any of Dr. Berkowitz’ publications or received formal Marketing training specific to the Health Care Industry, his lecture entitled “Distinguishing Your Urgent Care Center in the Marketplace” truly shed light on how much there is to be learned in the realm of marketing an Urgent Care. He taught many basic marketing principles, but applied them directly to the HealthCare Industry, drawing from over 30 years of experience in marketing and consulting.
Among the many questions he asked were:
• What is your Differential Advantage- How do you stand out from the crowd?
o Ex. Later hours than your competitor
o Ex. Participating in a Patient Benefit Program
• What is the value added for patients at your clinic?
o Ex. Staffing MD’s and PA’s
o Ex. Sending Medical Records to the patient's primary physician
• Who is my target market?
o One man replied “women between the ages of 18-35” to which he replied “NO! --- Married women with children and a husband with a fixed income”
--I wasn’t the only one who didn’t expect such an exclusive demographic group
• How are you working on keeping the patients you already have loyal?
o Don’t make any major changes that will alienate the majority
• Where are you advertising? Not everyone should see your ad, just people who are looking for Urgent Care
I don’t know Dr. Berkowitz personally or professionally, but I’d hate to go on about his lecture without some mention that he expounds on this material much more eloquantly in his many publications. You may join me in purchasing one of his books specific to Marketing in the HealthCare Industry.
If I may, I’d like to highlight a few of the points he touched on and add to it from my own experience more specifically in Internet Marketing. One thing he recommended regarding a primary website, (in addition to of course for instance a webpage on FindUrgentCare.com...Shameless plug #2) was to list your clinic’s prices competitively on your webpage. His main point behind this was that people like to shop, and they might associate prices too low with poor quality, but what they appreciate is a reasonable deal and the option of knowing prices in advance. This will almost always drive them to your door versus an emergency room.
Another recommendation he made was to list all medical staff with a short bio on your primary webpage. I scale through many Urgent Care primary webpages on an average business day. Most look dated, are missing zip codes or other vital information for finding the clinic. I would also recommend featuring a picture of the clinic so that patients may see the building they are searching for. If you are going to spend the money on a webpage, I also recommend that you make sure it’s accessible to the public, and not on the 10th page of search results on Google.com.
Taking the advice of Dr. Berkowitz, FindUrgentCare has been working on adding value to the services of our clinics, with the X+raCare Patient Benefits Network. We only target web users who are searching for Urgent Care online, which is ususally only available to those who have a fixed income and are able to afford internet service. We allow a link for a primary webpage with more detailed information about the medical staff, or this content can be posted directly on your FindUrgentCare site. Vital information like office hours, address and phone number is found on every listing, and services offered or any other detailed information may always be added to the page content.
I know that I am one of my product's greatest fans, so let's hear about your's....Has anyone else started to implement some of these marketing principles to their Urgent Care? Comments are also welcome for those who though we were registration!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
How did FindUrgentCare get started?
FindUrgentCare saw the expansion of Urgent Care within the Healthcare Industry as patients needed immediate care without waiting weeks for an appointment with their family doctor or multiple hours in the emergency room. Primary Care and ER physicians even started referring patients to local Urgent Care facilities due to overbooking or patient or doctor vacation.
Finding a local Urgent Care center can prove tedious, especially for patients who are traveling. In addition to this, since Urgent Care is a relatively new facet of the Healthcare Industry, most patients are not familiar with the many names it assumes. Urgent Care facilties can be called anything like "immediate care", "walk-in clinic", "convenient care" and the list goes on. FindUrgentCare simplifies the process of finding the nearest Urgent Care clinic. Just enter your city and state or zip code and the results are immediate!
Finding a local Urgent Care center can prove tedious, especially for patients who are traveling. In addition to this, since Urgent Care is a relatively new facet of the Healthcare Industry, most patients are not familiar with the many names it assumes. Urgent Care facilties can be called anything like "immediate care", "walk-in clinic", "convenient care" and the list goes on. FindUrgentCare simplifies the process of finding the nearest Urgent Care clinic. Just enter your city and state or zip code and the results are immediate!
What Is Find Urgent Care?
FindUrgentCare is an interactive tool which enables patients to locate the nearest Urgent Care facility by zip code or city & state, eliminating the hassle of cumbersome search engines with limited search scopes. FindUrgentCare is a priority driven system that locates Urgent Care centers by geographic areas.
FindUrgentCare delivers patients to the doors of Urgent Care clinics using a sophisticated search engine database and patient information gathering tools.
Additional information can be found at:
https://www.findurgentcare.com
FindUrgentCare delivers patients to the doors of Urgent Care clinics using a sophisticated search engine database and patient information gathering tools.
Additional information can be found at:
https://www.findurgentcare.com
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