PracticalDermatology

Conversion in online marketing parlance refers to a website visitor who gets convinced enough to take affirmative action in favor of the business after going through the website. Conversion through the website should be one of the main goals of a dermatology practice seeking new patients in a competitive market environment.

Conversion can only happen when the website content, in addition to the overall website experience, is unique and compelling. The website content must be such that it attracts new readers, involves and engages them, and ultimately urges them to respond favorably to one of the website’s calls to action.

Here are some proven content techniques and ideas that can help you to increase the conversion rates of your dermatology website.

Make Use of Patient Reviews and Testimonials

When it comes to original site content that converts, the most powerful technique is not about content creation at all. It is about letting satisfied patients express their happiness and share their experience with your practice. Patients may review a procedure or product, or may provide a testimonial directly to your dermatology site, or may publish it on a third-party review site.

In case of a third-party site review or testimonial, you can present it on your practice website along with a link to the original site. New patients will be far more convinced when they read good things about your practice from a previous patient rather than directly from you. You should encourage patients to give reviews by requesting them to fill a simple questionnaire or give scores on specific services on a scale of 0 to 5, or simply give a star-rated review on Google+ or other social forums.

Focus on the Patient’s Concerns, Not on Self-Promotion

Your dermatology website content should be useful, informative, and patient-friendly. Instead of giving in to the temptation of self-promotion, show through your content that you really care for your patients and give them valuable knowledge and advice. Address the common queries, doubts and concerns of your patients in detail, without making them feel that you are trying to “sell” your services.

Explain the benefits of various dermatology procedures and services that your practice offers. Make sure the information you provide is accurate, relevant, and authoritative. Create content in simple, patient-friendly language. Instead of pushing the solution that you are offering, push the benefits in order to achieve a higher conversion rate.

Highlight Key Content Elements

Online readers are spoiled for choice and are particularly impatient when reading off their mobile screens. They will skim and scan through the content but will rarely read through every word. To achieve impact with such readers and urge them to convert, you should highlight the important elements in your website content.

The headline is the most important part of a landing page on your website. Make it a gripping headline that grabs instant attention and arouses the curiosity of the reader. Provide sub-heads within the page content, which should aptly describe the content in the ensuing paragraphs. If you are using images, try to give a brief title or description to the image.

The call-to-action (CTA) is another very important element, which can be highlighted in the form of a button, click-to-call number, or in another prominent way. Whenever you are going to list a certain number of items in the content, try to use bullet points. Avoid creating very long paragraphs, and break the monotony with images, videos, graphics, and data wherever you can.

Keep the Content Simple and Conversational

Your dermatology patients may not have the knowledge of various technical terms and specific procedures. Do not use professional jargon. Explain things in a patient-friendly language. Use short sentences and short paragraphs, and keep the tone simple and interesting. Many content creators make the mistake of using too many keywords, and compromise the quality of content.

Avoid the temptation of keyword-stuffing in your site content. Google and other search engines now have advanced site crawling robots that can identify your content with minimal keyword usage. Keep the tone of your writing conversational, as if you would be speaking personally to a patient. This will help to keep your average reader more engaged and involved with your content.

Most importantly, write your content for your readers, and not for search engines. Some people focus only on the SEO aspects, and bother little about creating good quality content. Google has repeatedly advised website content developers to write for the readers, and not for the search engines. The sophisticated search engine algorithms will automatically pick up such a web page in the top search results, which can best address a search user’s query.

Cite Reports and Data for Authenticity

Today’s online readers are highly discerning and well-informed. You cannot convince or convert them on the basis of your words alone. Wherever relevant, you should cite reports, surveys, studies, and figures from authoritative sources. You should also give appropriate credit or reference to the source when you quote an individual or cite data from a third-party source.

Provide dates, numbers, and other factual information and be as specific as possible. When you are specific, the reader finds your content more authentic and reliable. Tables, charts, graphs, and diagrams may be used where necessary in order to explain the details in a nutshell.

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Include Contact Details and Call to Action

Many websites make the mistake of not providing their contact telephone number on the home page. The phone number or a “click-to-call’ link should ideally be provided on every page of the website, including the home page. Full address details, landmarks, and location map should be included in the “Contact Us” section of the website.

Call to Action is probably the most important part of content that converts. If the CTA is represented in the form of a button, it should have its own copy. Choose the copy for the CTA creatively so that the readers can feel the urge to take favorable action.

These are simple but highly effective tactics to create content that lays the foundation for a high conversion rate for your dermatology website.

Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete Internet marketing company which focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education and the online reputations of dermatologists. With a team of 140+ full time marketers, www.ekwa.com helps dermatologists who know where they want to go get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call 855-598-3320 to speak with Naren.