How Can Other Practices Improve Your Online Reputation?

Today, online reputation management is crucial for the survival and growth of any practice. The ever-growing competition is making it tough for practices to outshine others. So instead of getting worried about what others are doing, it’s time to learn from them and improve yourself. Let’s see how your competitors can benefit you by improving your online reputation.

• Better website

Your website is the first impression a new customer will have of your practice. It is the first thing they see during their online research. So you need to have a well-designed website to make the right impression on your potential patients.

Check out your competitors’ websites to see what kind of an impression they are leaving on their visitors. Are their sites clear or cluttered? Do they have clear navigation and can they be accessed on a mobile device? Take a look at every aspect and then compare them with your website.

• Unique content

In addition to a good-looking website, you need to have educational and easy-to-understand content. Content includes information such as office details, your bio, specialty, and services that put the patient at ease and understand your practice in a better way.

In addition to informative content, it is necessary that you have good SEO. If your competitor outranks your website, you are likely lacking good SEO strategies and quality content. Check your competitors’ websites content and implement new ideas in your web content. Always remember your content should be unique, informative, and original.

• Review management

Your online reputation is influenced by your online reviews. There are numerous review platforms such as Yelp, Healthgrades, Vitals, YellowPages, etc. that allow consumers to post reviews and others to read what users have experienced. So you need to proactively check review sites for any patient reviews and reply accordingly.

You should check what people are saying about your competitors and how are they handling reviews. Also, take a look at their ratings on various review sites. Knowing what your competitors are doing better than you can help you formulate strategies around it and improve your practice’s marketing and operations. Don’t forget to ask for reviews from your happy patients when they visit your practice or through mail and messages.

• Interaction with patients

To manage your online reputation, you also need to learn how and when to interact with your customers. Responding to online reviews is one element. You should know how to deal with negative reviews without taking them personally and welcome the scope of improvement.
Social media platform, mailers, seminars, etc. are other interaction spots. You need to keep a close check on your competitors’ initiatives of interaction. You can send interactive mailers or conduct surveys to get your patients comfortable with you. Whenever your patients make a physical visit to your practice, ask them about the mode of communication they prefer and if they have anything to share about your practice or their experience.

• Social media presence

Everyone is on some social media platform. In addition to socializing with friends and family, these platforms let you share your knowledge, reviews, concerns and much more. It has made the world a small place where anyone can be in touch with another person.

Take a look at various social media platforms to see how your competitors are replying to their patients and how are they engaging their target audiences. This analysis will help you build stronger marketing strategies.
If you don’t have an active account on social media platforms, create one as soon as possible. Implement social media marketing strategies and post relevant forms of content that showcase your thought-leader personality in front of your existing and potential patients. This will help you build a strong online reputation. 

Manish Chauhan is Digital Marketing Manager at myPracticeReputation which is an easy-to-use reputation management solution for physicians to help monitor, protect and promote their medical practices at all times in the simplest way possible.