Grow Your Medical Or Healthcare Business Online With WordPress

Health services practitioners face a number of challenges in the digital economy, especially in terms of growing their business online.

Online Challenges For Health Businesses

Today, more than ever, businesses in the medical and health sector must work harder than ever to remain competitive. Not only do you have to maintain a strong presence in the community you serve, you must also develop an active digital presence. This includes having a website and learning how to better market your medical services online.

As well as investing dollars in offline marketing, you will probably find (if you haven’t already) that in order to remain competitive, increasingly larger amounts of their budget need to be allocated to develop and manage a website that brings new leads, engages visitors, outranks the competition in search engines and social media, and helps increase your marketing reach online.

This means that your site not only has to look professional, load fast, and your site layout has to be easy to navigate, but it’s also important to keep in mind that your site’s needs will change in time and sections may need to be updated often. This requires implementing sound web and content management strategy.

Another challenge that health businesses face online, as most other professions do for that matter, is that your site has only around 30 seconds or less to provide visitors with what they need or they will go elsewhere to get their needs met.

“Websites have evolved into central information hubs where service information is still present but enhanced with web portals, hyperlinks to state and federal sites, and a variety of free tools.”

Michael Alter, http://www.accountingweb.com/technology/accounting-software/tips-for-improving-your-website

Opportunities For Medical Businesses In The Digital Economy

As well as facing significant business and technology changes, there are also plenty of online opportunities available to health or medical-related businesses that can evolve to meet online demands and can think outside the box when it comes to improving their online business marketing skills.

In this detailed guide, you will learn a number of ways to attract more visitors and improve your business presence online.

As well as providing useful website improvement tips, we also recommend that you consider using the WordPress Content Management System (CMS) to power your health or medical business website.

For more information about the benefits and advantages of using WordPress, see the articles below:

• Learn Why A Poorly Built Web Site Can Lose You Money And What To Do About It
• WordPress For Business Owners – The Beginner’s Guide To Building Your Successful Business With A WordPress Site

How To Improve Your Website

Let’s start by reviewing some basic stuff. In this section, we’ll look at ways to improve your medical or health website and get better results online. We show you what pages your site needs, what type of content works best for medical-related websites, ways of improving your layout and navigation structure, etc.

If you need additional information about website planning, see this guide: How To Plan Your Web Site: A Money-Saving Blueprint For Non-Technical Business Owners

Ways To Improve Your Website Pages

All business websites require several basic web pages. Let’s review the pages your  need and how to structure your website for best results.

Products And Services Page

You need to include a page that lists your products and services. Depending on which area of health you specialize in, this page can include services like:

• Medicine & Surgery – e.g. ear, nose & throat, nephrology hematology, cosmetic surgery, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, respiratory, endoscopy, optometry day surgery, etc.
• Dental Services – e.g. general dentistry, holistic dentistry, gum disease, teeth whitening, implants, emergency dental services, etc.
• Cardiology – e.g. cardiac patient education, coronary care
• Prenatal/Postnatal – e.g. birth suites, maternity services, etc.
• Child Health services – paediatrics, child development, children services, etc.
• Diagnostic services – breast screens, skin cancer, audiology, pap smears, magnetic resonance imaging, food allergy testing, etc.
• Pathology services – laboratory testing and analysis, routine pathology testing, food and water testing, speech pathology, etc
• Counselling – mental health services, alcohol, tobacco & other drug counselling, trauma counselling, diet and nutrition counselling, social development services
• Alternative treatments – Chinese medicine, homeopathy, functional medicine, shiatsu, chiropractic services, hypnotherapy, etc.
• Other medical services – weight management, sports medicine, reproductive endocrinology, stomal therapy, neurosciences, prosthetics, sleep therapy, home and community care, clinical information, medical transport, etc.

Make sure to list all of the services you provide, not just the ones you specialize in. Provide your visitors with information that will educate them about the benefits of using these services and why they should book an appointment with you.

Who We Are

The ‘About Us’ page needs to describe your business and explain to visitors what it stands for, its unique approach, philanthropy, etc.

Remember to also mention any medical-related awards, certifications, recognitions, accreditations, associations, publications, etc., that could be used to promote your medical, dental, chiropractic, surgery services, etc. and to set yourself above other competitors.

(List all of your industry awards recognitions, certifications, accreditations, publications, associations, etc. in the About Us page. Image sourced from: squaremedical.com.au)

Meet The Team

Are you looking for simple ideas to sell more products or services online? Then make it easier for your visitors to get to know you, your team and your organization better.

Your business needs to be relatable. One great way to do that is to have a page that introduces your staff or team members. This page should include a photo and a mini bio. Since most visitors won’t be well-versed in medical terms your descriptions should tell who they are and what their specialties are. It should also explain what those specialized areas do. This page can also include social buttons so your prospective clients can follow your team members on their social pages.

In this page, don’t be afraid to show the human side of your team members with personal stories, hobbies, etc., but make sure to highlight each team member’s experience, why they are an asset to your team, and more importantly, how they will help add value to your clients’ business.

(Make sure to add a staff description page. Screenshot image source: southperthchiro.com.au)

We have created a detailed tutorial on how to add an updatable simple team members directory to your website with no coding skills required here: How To Easily Add A Simple Employee List On Your WordPress Site Without Editing Code

Work With Us

List any job opportunities available within your business. This page should include training provided, employee benefits, opportunities for advancement, social activities promoted or encouraged by your business, etc. It should include information about additional career opportunities in the medical industry.

Also include a positions available section in your page. If there are no positions currently available, consider inviting people to return periodically to this page, join your newsletter, follow your social pages, etc.

Case Studies & Testimonials

Case studies and client reviews are a great way to attract potential clients and showcase the services you offer. By adding a page with case studies and testimonials, you are also helping to provide visitors social proof online.

(Add a web page with case studies and testimonials from past clients. Screenshot image sourced from: arrowsmiledental.com)

We have created a detailed article on using case studies, testimonials and client reviews to improve your business results online. Go here to learn more about this: How To Create Better Results Online With Profit-Boosting Client Testimonials

Contact Us Page

Having a contact page is absolutely necessary.

Your contact page should provide some or all of the following information:

• Name
• Street address of consulting practice
• Phone
• Facsimile number
• Email
• Google Map
• Web address
• Contact form
• Name of person to contact
• Links to social media profiles
• Interactive chat feature

If your business operates out of several locations you should make this clear when showing the address and contact info.

Consider also including a few links point to the most commonly asked questions page, main pages, online booking form, helpdesk, newsletter opt-in form, blog, etc.

Add A Blog Section

A blog can be a very powerful business marketing tool. Most blogging platforms are built around a content management system that is simple to use and allows you to promote your business using timely content such as events, updates, useful information, opinions on current topics, videos, webinars, etc.

If you already have an health site, then consider adding a WordPress blog to promote your medical clinic.

If you don’t have a website yet, or if your existing medical site is hard to manage or not delivering you the results you want, then WordPress can be used as both your business website and business blog.

Something few people know about, is that WordPress can turn into an automated traffic machine that will begin attracting new visitors to your site, simply by publishing new content to your website on a consistent basis.

(WordPress can automate your traffic generation)

Go here to learn more about this:

• Web Site Traffic Blueprint – A Complete Guide To Growing Your Website Visitors Automatically

Legal Info Pages

As a professional business, having a website that complies will all legal requirements online is crucial. This is not only important for establishing credibility with visitors, but also to ensure that no local, regional or federal laws and regulations are being contravened in whatever location you do business.

Depending on the products and services you provide, adding the legal pages below to your health or medical-related website will help you stay out of trouble with most regulatory authorities, third-party service providers, and other potential sources of legal threats and inconveniences:

• Contact Page
• Privacy Policy
• Terms Of Use
• Website Disclaimer
• Affiliate Agreement
• Anti-Spam Policy
• Compensation Disclosure
• DMCA Notice
• Earnings Disclaimer
• External Linking Policy
• Health and Financial Disclaimers
• Refund Policy
• Video/Audio Terms
• and others

Go here for a detailed article on adding legal pages to your site: What You Need To Know About Adding Legal Pages To Your WordPress Site

Ways To Improve The Content On Your Website

In today’s globally competitive economy, the sooner you begin to publish content on your site, the sooner you will begin to differentiate yourself from the competition.

You want to provide useful content with information, advice or tips that will get your visitors sharing it with others and coming back for more content. Content marketing is the most effective way to inform and educate site visitors and prospects about your business and services.

For example, if your business provides weight loss services, then some of the topics you could write content about include:

• What is fiber and how can it help you with weight loss?
• How to get support when embarking on a weight loss program (friends, family, weight loss seekers)
• Comparing different diets, e.g. Atkins diet, South Beach diet, Jenny Craig diet (what these are, how they can benefit you, how effective they are)
• How to incorporate a little fast food into a healthy diet plan
• Etc.

You can also create a series of educational articles that will help your readers gain a better understanding of your services, by explaining benefits, procedures, costs (including payment plans, insurance coverage, etc).

Include the keywords and terms in your articles that readers would search for.

We recommend subscribing to our Content Marketing Email Training Series. You will receive a comprehensive series of training emails with actionable information and practical tips that will teach exactly how to drive more traffic to your site, save money creating useful content that will add value to your visitors and grow your business online using content marketing. It’s not only a great course with loads of useful information, it’s also completely FREE!

Tips For Improving Visitor Experience

Improving your website’s user experience (known as UX) helps to keep visitors coming back and engaging with your site. This section will show you ways you can improve your visitor engagement and UX.

RSS Feeds

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds provide lots of benefits for your website.

If you provide content that adds value to others, other sites may want to syndicate your content.

Some of the benefits of syndicating your content to other websites using RSS feeds, include:

• All of your content updates are in one place
• Content distribution doesn’t rely on email
• Feeds can be shared
• Users can subscribe to your feed
• It provides links to your site
• Feeds can be submitted to RSS directories and aggregators
• RSS provides several ways for your readers to receive your content (e.g. read your content on their mobile device using feed readers)
• It’s built into WordPress

There are also a number of benefits when it comes to adding syndicated content to your site from other websites, such as the fact that you don’t have to write, manage or update the content.

To find useful RSS feeds just search online for relevant government departments and well-known industry bodies.

Below we have listed a few RSS feeds containing useful information that you could add to your website:

• US Department Of Health And Human Services – e.g. Latest news feed: http://www.hhs.gov/rss/news/hhsnews.xml, etc. You can also choose specific feeds, like feeds on women’s health issues (e.g. Emergency preparedness, Health care for women, Heart health and stroke, Mental health, Violence against women, etc.) here: http://womenshealth.gov/news/rss/rss-feeds.html
• US National Libraries Of Medicine – For a directory of feeds from leading medical journals, publications and websites (e.g. Rheumatology, JAMA & Archives, BMJ Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, BMJ Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Transplantation – Most Popular Articles, etc.) go here: http://www.healthplusplus.com/wiki/List_of_RSS_feeds_on_health
• National Institutes Of Health - Get many RSS feeds on health-related news here: http://www.nih.gov/Subscriptions.htm
• FDA – Find FDA-related RSS feeds (e.g. criminal investigations press releases, MedWatch safety alerts (human medical products), recalls, drugs, etc.) and podcasts here: http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/ContactFDA/StayInformed/RSSFeeds
• Department of Health UK (www.gov.uk) – Latest news: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health.atom
• The Department Of Health (Australian Government): http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/xml/rssLatestNews.xml
• Department Of Public Health (Australia – State Level): e.g. Western Australia – http://www.public.health.wa.gov.au/feed/?types=news
• Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (www.cdc.gov) - Find many feeds on health-related news and podcasts here: http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/rss.asp
• Medical News: You can search medical news RSS feeds in major news publications like the NYTimes feeds section (e.g. Health news: http://www.nytimes.com/services/xml/rss/nyt/Health.xml)
• MedicineNet – MedTerms Medical Word of the Day: http://www.medicinenet.com/rss/dailyword.xml. You can also select individual RSS feeds here (http://www.medicinenet.com/rss/article.htm) (e.g. Alzheimer’s Disease, Arthritis, Cold & Flu, Oral Health, Exercise & Fitness, Sleep, etc.)
• MedicalNewsToday.com – Featured Headlines: http://rss.medicalnewstoday.com/featurednews.xml
• Medical News Today – You can also choose specific feeds here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newsfeeds-rss (e.g. MRSA/Drug Resistance, Lupus, Compliance, Sleep/Sleep Disorders/Insomnia, Medical Devices/Diagnostics, Sports Medicine/Fitness, Liver Disease/Hepatitis, etc.)

You can also search online for general feeds, e.g. “medical rss feeds” or search for feeds on specific topics, e.g. “medical training rss feeds”, “veterinary rss feeds”, “genetics rss feeds”, etc.

(RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds can help to improve your site’s UX.)

Add Online Checklists & Forms

Adding checklists and medical forms to your site is a great way to increase user engagement and add value to your readers. Checklists and medical forms can give them useful instructions and resources to get necessary steps done. Checklists and forms can also be great educational tools.

You can provide checklists and forms covering a range of subjects such as:

• Checklists/forms for booking appointments
• Checklists for post-surgery recovery
• Health checklists and charts for specific medical conditions
• Dental checklists – e.g. first visit, caries prevention program, cosmetic dentistry, etc.
• Weight loss and nutrition program checklists
• General charts & infographics (e.g. caloric level of different foods, sleep requirements at different ages, etc.)

Unique Tools

Providing unique tools, gadgets and applications on your website is a great way to increase visitor engagement and add value to your visitors. Health-related calculators are popular tools for your website. Other tools would include things like nutritional tools, or even recipes.

In part 2 of this detailed article, we will be discussing a several WordPress plugins and themes you can use in your health-related website that can also help improve search engine optimization, increase user engagement and drive more traffic to your business.

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This is the end of part 1.

To continue, click this link:

• Your Medical Services And Health-Related Website – Improve Search Engine Optimization, Improve User Engagement And Generate More Traffic Using WordPress Plugins

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