Using your website to expand your client base

Optometric websites need to be accessible and professional to get the results you want—in other words, to reach out to, inform, educate, and generally make life easier for current and potential customers. While a simple website is better than no website at all, a dynamic, visually enticing, and user-friendly website can significantly increase your customer base. Here are some tips I’ve gleaned from optometric websites that do it right:

Usability is key. How user-friendly is your website? This should be at the front of your mind, especially given your profession. As an optometrist, a significant number of your patients likely have some kind of vision impairment. Is the “look” of your site helping them? Make sure that the appearance of your site won’t alienate current and potential customers.

Think like a patient. Include everything you’d expect to find if you were a patient. Amazingly enough, some websites leave out crucial information such as hours, directions, and services offered. Don’t be one of these websites. Go the extra mile by soliciting feedback prior to your website going “live.” This way, you can make sure you’re not missing anything.

Give some history. This is a great way to build trust with your patients. Include some general information about your practice, like how it started. Biographies of key staff are also a nice touch.

Make it public. Do people know about you? If not, you can use the internet to resolve this issue. Get your name out there through savvy search engine optimization—in other words, build your site so that you have a chance of appearing when someone searches for “YourTown Optometrist” in Google or Yahoo. If you don’t know how to do this, Google “search engine optimization” for a start. You should also consider buying some pay-per-click advertising to drive other traffic to your site. In a short time, you’ll be able to tell which ads are most cost-effective.

Offer incentives to visit. Your patients should know about your website and have reasons to check it out. Including special offers, an opt-in newsletter, and other services will go a long way to making this happen. If you offer coupons on your website, for instance, they can’t get lost like their paper counterparts. This is a cost-effective way to reach out to your customers.

Push the envelope. Offering “extras” through special features on your website is a definite plus. Think about what your client base would benefit from, and make it happen on your website. Perhaps it’s an interactive feature like a glasses suggestion tool, or real-time online appointment scheduling. Your patients will greatly appreciate such creative—and helpful—flourishes.

Optometric websites can be many things. At their best, they can help you build your client base and secure a vibrant future for your practice. Take a look at your website today and ask yourself: Am I giving my customers what they want?