There are over 5,700 dentists and 30,000 physicians in Massachusetts. These health care practitioners are competing for a population of 6.65 million, resulting in the highest density of healthcare practitioners in the United States. Many of these practitioners are offering the same services at similar prices. It is here, more than anywhere else in the United States, that making your healthcare practice stand out is of utmost importance. With a decade of healthcare marketing experience under our belt, we’ve been able to identify the ways to make your brand stand out as unique.
1. Photography and the Personal Touch – One of the biggest difference between various healthcare practices is the personality of the doctors, staff and office. From our experience we’ve seen that one of the first pages visitors view on a practice’s website is the “Meet the Doctors and Staff” page. When people choose a practice they aren’t just choosing services, they are mainly choosing the people who provide the services. If a website visitor feels a connection when they see the photos of the doctors, staff and office, you are at an advantage when the patient finally makes a choice.
2. Avoid the Template Look – Through interviewing the doctors and staff we’re able to identify the personality of the brand. This personality is then incorporated into the website design; even the font can impact brand representation. A patient looking at various websites will definitely remember your website, as its design and functionality surpass those of competitors.
3. Easy to Use – Even if a competitor manages to infuse their website with their practice’s personality, they may make the fatal error of sacrificing functionality for design. By making appointment forms and service information easy to find and use, you improve the patient’s positive attitude towards your brand.
4. Exceptional Patient Interaction – Site design is not the be-all and end-all of uniqueness. You can also stand out by providing exceptional customer care. Whether it’s staff interaction over the phone or doctor-patient interaction, the end result must be a positive impression. While some people naturally interact in an exceptional manner, more often than not, some training is required.
5. Your Practice’s WHY and Mission Statement – If you tell your patients WHY you do what you do you’d be able to connect with them on an emotional level. Once you connect with a patient on an emotional level you wield more sway in the patient’s decision making process. This is why we’ve been creating mission statements for dentists and doctors all these years. The mission statement is one of the best ways of letting your patients connect with you while also giving you and your staff a greater purpose in your work.
