Ai Healthcare Marketing

Author: Ai Healthcare Marketing

  • Do-it-yourself Websites, the Pros and Cons

    Do-it-yourself Websites, the Pros and Cons

    You might think it would be counterintuitive for a marketing agency to write about the pros and cons of building your own website. But at the end of the day, we want our clients to be well informed about all their options. We want to guide them in making the best decision for their business.

    Your overall marketing strategy paves the way for the customer to find you. The experience your website delivers is typically the first impression a customer will have about your business making it one of your most valuable marketing assets. That being said, it is important to weigh all your options when it comes to building your site.

    “Back-in-the-day” building your own website meant needing a degree in computer programming. The average business owner did not have the skill set needed, leaving no choice other than to hire a professional. But this is 2019 and technology has provided several do-it-yourself options. DIY website building platforms like Wix, SquareSpace, Weebly or GoDaddy can help you easily create a website that is both functional and visually appealing. Their drag-and-drop features are a cinch to use and the website architecture is all template based, allowing the user to build their site with little to no programming required.

    With many of them offering Freemium plans (free to use) you can have a fully-functional, mobile responsive, graphically appealing website up and running with little out-of-pocket cost and minimal time invested.

    So, the question is, why choose otherwise?

    Time is Money:

    Time is money

    With the same basic knowledge it takes to operate your smartphone, you can have a nice looking website live in a fraction of the time it once took. Even though you do not need to know HTML, CSS or other coding languages to create your site, there is a ton of code behind the template options. That code is set in stone which creates functional limitations for scalability, future additions and search engine optimization.

    Fun fact: According to Kissmetrics, 47 percent of consumers expect a page to load in two seconds or less. Kissmetrics’ analytics say that 40 percent of consumers will abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load.

    This isn’t about patience really, it’s about our rapidly evolving “normal”. Some of us can remember the days of dial-up, when we could make dinner in the time it took for our information to load. Not so today. Every second counts when it comes to captivating your audience. The more you add to a templated website, the slower it will perform.

    “Your website is often the first interaction a client has with your brand. Ensuring that your website is operating at the most efficient level is essential in converting visitors into clients.” ~Vincent Baron, Director of Technical Operations

    While you might think that you would be saving time on the front end, we have met many clients who have become frustrated with the template-based limitations as they attempt to build out their websites with more robust content. They become frustrated because:

    • Building their own site proves to be a greater undertaking than they anticipated. Between writing their own content, choosing photos, creating menus and ensuring proper functionality, it’s more all-consuming than it appears to be.
    • Competitors websites begin to look a lot like theirs because everyone has access to the same stock templates.
    • They didn’t know what they didn’t know. The DIY client is often unaware of the tools, analytics and experience needed for future growth.
    • They struggle to keep up with necessary updates to keep their website digitally viable.

    Things change so fast in our online world, for a successful digital presence it is imperative that your website stays up to date. Google requirements and digital best practices demand constant attention and often require changes to the coding style to make them search engine friendly. Template-based building platforms limit the owner’s ability to make the necessary changes and finding a workaround will often cost the owner more time in the long run. Time they could be spending growing their business. And we all know, time is money.

    A Sense of Security

    Internet Security Concept

    When using a template-based platform or even if you graduate up to using WordPress to build your website, there are important security measures necessary to keep your content safe.

    Remember, the coding is set for you in most DIY platforms. Some website builders offer basic security encryption measures, SSL certificates and HTTPS activation. However, what is available varies from platform to platform, with most being add-on paid features limiting flexibility within a budget.

    Additionally, should your website become infected with malware and viruses, you must act quickly and thoroughly to prevent further infection. This can be a huge undertaking because it requires looking through hundreds of lines of codes looking for the slightest anomaly which would almost always necessitate the need for an IT professional. From our experience, this usually happens at the most inopportune time for a client.

    Assuming your site is coded securely, is your content safe? Sadly, there’s no guarantee.

    You spend countless days (and possibly nights) working on your website, tweaking this, adjusting that, adding content, and writing articles, only to login in one day and find that all of it is gone. Not just unavailable, but gone.

    The terms of service for many website builders outline that they have the right to determine the ownership of “User Content.” Yep, that means, in many cases, you don’t own or control your content.

    If you opt for a DIY platform, or an “included website”, read the fine print first! Make sure your marketing agreement states that you own your content. Google is demanding more and more authoritative content. It would be a shame to spend hours and money obtaining that content only to have it taken away.

    One more thing to consider when weighing your options…

    The Curse of Knowledge

    The Curse of Knowledge causes us to forget what it’s like to be the person learning something for the first time. We take for granted the knowledge we have, and we can’t remember the questions we would have asked before we gained the knowledge. This curse can fall on anyone who is making an initial introduction of a topic, company, product or even a person.

    We have reviewed many websites that made perfect sense to the one who wrote it, the owner, but left the user with a ton of unanswered questions. As the expert in your field, it can be a challenge to create a website that breaks the Curse of Knowledge and anticipates the information a first-time learner will need.

    Know Your Options

    When a client comes to us for a consultation on updating or building a website from scratch, we go through a due diligence process to ensure they are making an educated decision. There are times when a DIY platform is the best initial option they have given their available resources. Our overarching goal is to help business owners leverage their available time, the software or digital tools available to them, and their money to achieve their growth goals.

    We encourage our clients to ask themselves a few questions before deciding the best avenue for their website development:

    • Do you have the time available to build your website the right way with engaging authoritative search engine friendly content?
    • Do you have the time to dedicate to ensure your website is visually appealing, laid out well, mobile responsive and secure?
    • Do you have a goal to grow your business past what a templated platform can offer you so you do not have to re-do your website as you grow?
    • Would you make more money doing what you do with the time it would take you to build and maintain your website?
    • If you already have a website, are you seeing the results you want to see?
    • Are you frustrated by limitations of a current site?

    Whether you’re a start-up or have been in business for some time, Ai Healthcare Marketing Image wants to be a trusted partner for the lifecycle of your business. We want our clients to feel confident that our main goal is their business and their success. We believe that when we act with integrity, educating and informing, our clients will remember us for more than a product we deliver.

    Not part of the Ai Healthcare Marketing family and have questions about your website? Call us at 800-742-3734, we’d be happy to help answer any question you may have.

  • Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) worth the ongoing investment?

    Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) worth the ongoing investment?

    Search Engine Optimization is a critical component to the success of any digital marketing campaign. If you aren’t evolving and optimizing with Google’s changes, then you will be a small needle, in a constantly growing and changing haystack.

    Search Engine Optimization is a highly competitive, ever-changing landscape. In order to quickly adapt to the latest Google changes, you must have a high level of technical proficiency to ensure that your website is not negatively impacted from Google’s updated algorithms.

    Can you help me understand SEO better?

    Personally, I love to educate clients and help them understand the highly confusing, and constantly volatile entity that is Search Engine Optimization. However, it is important to understand that SEO is an extremely technical profession. You could spend your time learning what terms like canonicalization, Meta Descriptions, and SCHEMA stand for, or you could devote that time to growing your business. When you allow experienced marketing professionals with decades of experience to optimize your website and digital presence, you are capitalizing on your marketing investment, and producing the best ROI of your time and money.

    Google’s main mission is to provide their users with the highest quality information, that will answer their questions as quickly and accurately as possible. There are millions and millions of websites on the internet, that Google can serve to their users.  Your opportunity to climb the ranks comes by utilizing SEO, high-quality content, and a highly optimized, fine-tuned website designed to turn your visitors into customers. Performing SEO shows not only Google, but your visitors as well that you are an expert in your field, and that you have the accurate, high-quality solutions to their problem.

    Aggressive SEO Campaigns tailored around building high-quality content through blog posts and press releases will increase your presence in Google significantly, as well as give your website the boost it needs to climb to the top.  The more SEO strategies that you employ, the more Google can understand the intent behind your business and your website. The better that Google understands your mission, and the purpose behind your business, the higher your chances are of Google turning to your website for the best answers.

    How do I increase my chances of being found?

    Google search screen

    A website that delivers a great experience to your customer and offers high-quality solutions to a consumer’s questions is going to be your ticket to success. Creating high-quality content that engages your visitors and is friendly to both search engines and consumers is the #1 ranking factor. You may be producing content, however, if your competitor is producing more content each month such as doubling the number of blogs you post each month and doing press releases, you will fall behind because they are employing more SEO strategies and producing more content for Google to index and rank.

    You significantly increase your chances of ranking by employing SEO strategies such as Backlink Acquisition campaigns, Press Release campaigns, and Hyperlocal SEO Blog campaigns. Engaging in an SEO campaign while utilizing some or all of these strategies will stack the odds in your favor as time goes on to significantly increase your presence in Google. The result of this is that it will further increase the number of visitors on your website that will convert into customers.

    Why does the cost of SEO vary?

    In the world of SEO, and business in general, there is a golden rule: The quality of the service that you pay for directly correlates with the amount that you invest in it. Enlisting the assistance of a marketing agency with more aggressive and comprehensive SEO campaigns will cost you more, however, as time goes on, you will see an increase in website traffic as well as higher rankings for your website, and in turn more conversions from visitors to customers. You could decide to go with a cheaper SEO agency, however, often these agencies employ Black Hat Tactics (spammy tactics that Google will penalize your website for) in order to obtain temporary rankings for a few months. This will end up hurting your website in the long run and costing you more money.

    Remember, the quality of your services will depend on the amount you are willing to invest in the future of your business. Isn’t it better to invest in your future now, and build a solid foundation for success for all your future marketing endeavors?

    Already part of the Ai Healthcare Marketing family but not enrolled in our SEO program? CALL NOW! We’ll help you get started before you can say “Search Engine Optimization!!” 

    Not a client yet? Interested in learning more about working with us? Have questions for one of our marketing experts? Call 800.405.1434 today! We have the marketing expertise you need to grow your business.

  • Are you growing your business from the inside out?

    Are you growing your business from the inside out?

    You’re a business owner, so naturally one of your primary concerns is attracting new customers. Marketing strategies are critical for growth and that’s where Ai Healthcare Marketing will go to work for you. As a marketing agency, we help you develop the tools you need to reach out and get new people through your doors. Our entire business is built on the fact that marketing efforts are a vital investment. They grow your business from the outside in. But are you growing from the inside out?

    We excel at helping you develop and grow your brand. We can build you a fantastic website, manage your digital presence, create your sales-funnels, generate social media buzz, build your direct mail campaigns and manage your SEO. We can help you optimize your brand to convert Google searches into initial contact with your office. Employing a combination of the above “marketing tool kit” strategies is designed to accomplish one mission, get your phone ringing and send people through your door, but then what? Bottom line, those customers are real people, craving a genuine connection with whom they do business. And who creates that meaningful connection with your customer? Your team.

    Your team is the heartbeat of all your marketing endeavors. They make your brand come to life for your customer. You can get 100 people to contact your business per week, but if they don’t feel important, valued, heard and cared for by your team, those same 100 people will move on to the next business on their Google search page. In most businesses, the first connection for the customer is with your team and not you. And they typically have more face-time to either make or break those relationships. For these reasons, your investment in them is vital to your overall success and to the ROI on every marketing move you make.

    So, are you growing from the inside out? Are you investing in your people while simultaneously investing in attracting new customers?  Investing in them means really getting to know the individuals on your team and helping them grow professionally. Sometimes it also means helping them move on to a culture more suited for them.

    GET TO KNOW THEM

    Just like your customer is looking for that genuine connection with your team, your team desires the same connection with you, with each other and to the overall vision of your business. We as human beings want to know we are contributing to something bigger than ourselves. We want to make a difference. We want to feel that the work we do is meaningful and valued.  When we feel those things, we grow and reach higher. We are inspired to stretch beyond mediocrity. We invent, we innovate. We feel fulfilled and we have the necessary free heart space to make those meaningful connections with the people we serve.

    It’s easy to let entrepreneurial tunnel vision blind you to the human condition of your team. And before you know it, you’re only seeing a manager and not Brenda. The reality is though, Brenda doesn’t stop being Brenda when she sits down at her desk.  Each person is not merely a skill set. Are you taking the time to get to know each member of your team beyond their title and job description? Do you have constant and consistent communication with each team member individually? Do you truly listen to their ideas, goals and dreams? Are you taking the time to understand what motivates them, what makes them feel appreciated, and to the contrary what deflates or discourages them? Much like parenting, what works for one child does not work for the other. Great leaders adjust and adapt to the unique personalities of those they lead. By getting to know your team, it will inspire them to do the same for your customers.

    HELP THEM GROW

    Group discussion | Growing Your Business

    As the saying goes, “nothing changes if nothing changes”.  It’s unrealistic as business owners to expect our team to work diligently to grow the business if they themselves are not growing. There is always more to learn no matter what position they hold.  Learning inspires thinking. Inspired thinking leads to new ideas and improvements to systems. There’s a reason doctors are required to have continual education, because it leads to better patient care. Your team is no different.  Being intentional about your teams’ continuing education is, therefore, an investment in better service to your customer.

    There are a plethora of ways to help your team grow. Some cost money like attending seminars. But there are many ways to invest in their ongoing growth without having to budget for them. Here are a few ideas:

    • Lead them in personal goal setting sessions
    • Start a team book club
    • Watch TEDtalks together and discuss
    • Send weekly emails with links to articles that pertain to growth in your industry
    • Allow cross-training experiences with fellow team members (This is huge! It leads to a more cohesive team as well as fresh ideas)

    WEED THEM OUT

    Ok, so the hard truth is you could spend time getting to know a team member and invest in their growth and at the end of the day, you could still have an employee who is not delivering the outcomes your business needs.  It’s easy to get caught in the trap of feeling like it’s less painful to work with what you’ve got than to go through the labor and time intensive process of finding a new employee. And as hard as it is to let an employee go, it is important to know when that time comes. In fact, many business owners often say after replacing a mediocre employee “I should have let so-and-so go sooner than I did”.

    That being said, some employees are worth an extra investment.  Theodore Roosevelt said, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” It’s a great barometer to use when trying to decide if you should keep or weed out an employee. Do they truly care? After all, you can teach people a multitude of skills but it’s extremely difficult to teach someone to care.  Caring employees take personal responsibility. They are teachable. They show a willingness to get better, be better. They fit your overall culture. Those are the people deserving of your patience.

    Opportunities and Connections

    As a marketing agency, our service to our clients is creating opportunities for people to meet you and your team.  Your team creates the connection that causes them to stay. Your success is dependent upon both opportunities and connections. We’re here to help grow your business from the outside in. You’ll get the biggest return on your marketing dollars when you’re also growing from the inside out.

    Do you know how your team is doing at making WOW factor connections with the leads from your marketing ventures? If not, we can help. Our call monitoring service allows you to hear how each incoming call is being handled by your team. It allows you to identify areas where additional training might be needed for individual team members. Give us a call today at 800.742.3734 so we can ensure your marketing dollars have the greatest potential for growth.

  • How to know if it’s time to update your website in 2019 – Part 2

    How to know if it’s time to update your website in 2019 – Part 2

    How’s Your Website Performing?

    If you didn’t catch our last blog about how to decide if 2019 is the year you should make some website changes, we discussed how the visual appearance of your website affects the user experience, creates excitement and promotes consumer engagement. However, it’s not just about how your site looks on the outside.

    We live in a time where things are changing fast. Technology is advancing faster than any other time in history. With so many changes and updates, it’s important to make sure the inner workings of your website are up-to-date. You need a plan to make sure you not only have the best-looking site, but also the strongest website on the block (internet)!

    Is 2019 the year for some website improvement projects? Let’s find out…

    Keys to Unlock Growth…

    Content is King

    You’ve made sure that website is an attention grabber and you’re making a great first impression. And that’s important. But once you have their attention, you need to keep them there with compelling content. The visuals of your website should complement the words and vice versa. That’s where the real consumer connection happens and creates a powerful user experience.

    So, what makes content great? There’s an overwhelming amount of information on the internet. In fact, even with the rise in video and other media marketing, the written text still dominates the landscape. How do you compete?

    There are three basic keys to unlocking a great website content plan…

    Key #1: Original Content

    Your customer and all the big-name search engines are looking for originality. Of course, avoiding plagiarism is important for obvious reasons; but originality means more than not copying and pasting. It means your message should be uniquely yours.

    Original content is informative, different and a true reflection of what it’s like to do business with your company. The tone of your content should be specifically targeted to your intended audience. It should be simple to understand, answer your customers’ big questions and instill confidence in your team. You want to establish yourself as an authority on all things related to your industry. Hiring a copywriter that spends time getting to know you and your business ensures that your website copy stands out. It’s the level of professionalism you need to make an impact, no matter what business you are in.

    Key #2: Consistent Content

    The term “consistency is key” applies to your life and your website. How often do you have your air conditioner checked? How often do you change light bulbs? Your website content also requires regular maintenance.

    “Google Search Engines perform over 500 updates every year. These updates can be anything from small algorithm updates to major rank changing factors such as the Mobile First Indexing, and the Speed updates.” ~Vincent Baron, Director of Technical Operations

    If Google is updating that fast, it’s essential that you are adding content on a consistent basis to keep up and get noticed. Google wants websites that offer unique, high-quality content for their visitors. And part of what they consider to be high quality is content that is new and fresh.

    Having regular blog posts and press releases is a great way to be consistently adding content to your website. The “hot-off-the-press” information shared enhances the user experience and keeps Google happy ensuring you’re ranking well in search engine optimization. Adding infographics, social media updates, webinar training, free downloads like e-books, and updated calendars are all great ways to ensure your content is changing and bringing fresh light to your website.

    Keyword #3: Keyword or SEO Content

    Blog content statistics

    Google is the tour-guide of the internet. Their sole purpose is to help people find the hot spots to visit. When people are searching for local services, Google wants to rank websites and brands that offer the best experience. Keywords are the signage that leads Google to notice your website. Google knows what people are looking for based on data collected from common searches. When you hit the “search” key, Google goes out looking for those same signs on website properties and returns to the user a list of websites that will answer their question.

    It is essential to know what those keywords are to make sure that Google, and therefore your customers can find you. Great SEO content is an integration of original information and keywords in such a way that leads to findability and content readability. Regular blog posts hit both key elements and generate lead conversion rates like no other initiative.

    Drafting Your Plan

    First things first, you’re going to need a plan. Whether you decide to add-on, rebuild, or simply refresh your website, drafting a content marketing plan for 2019 is where you should start. For the purpose of this article, we focused on your website content alone, but a full creative content strategy encompasses your website, SEO, social media, pay per click (PPC) advertising and various forms of curated content and collaterals. When developing your plan, it is important to make sure you are staying true to your brand story across all platforms ensuring that no matter how your customer finds you, they recognize you!

    You also want to look ahead. Often, we see businesses using a fly-by-the-seat of their pants strategy and feeling frustrated with the results. Your plan should include things like new products or services you’ll be offering in 2019; how will you tell people about those? Do you have specific promotions you want to run? What’s new in your industry that you want your customers to know about? We recommend you start with the first six months and reevaluate around month four for the second half of the year.

    Not sure where to start? We have a team of experts to advise you.  Interested in learning more about content marketing initiatives, we are happy to help. Schedule your complimentary market analysis today. We have that whole team of talented people to build, maintain and maximize efficiency for YOUR website.

    As a special incentive, we are offering a Free Content Review with our Creative Content Marketing Specialist to the first 10 people to enter! This is a $250 value, absolutely free to you!

  • SEO in 2019

    SEO in 2019

    Search Engine Optimization or SEO as it is widely known, is Essential for any Dental Practice that wants to get New Patients from the Web or Online in 2019.

    The job of SEO is simply to get your potential new patient to see your Dental Practice on the Organic or Unpaid section of Google and the other Search Engines. In 2019 there are well over 300 Ranking Factors that Google takes into account. These factors are constantly changing in relevance and percentage of importance, as well as new ranking factors coming out regularly. Here are just a few of the ones that came in over 2018:

    Google Medic Update: Google’s Core Search Update Had Big Impact On Health/Medical Sites: In the week of August 1, 2018, Google confirmed via Twitter (@searchliason) that it had “released a broad core algorithm update, designed to improve [the quality of] our results.

    Google has said that this update was a “broad core algorithm update” and that it does these updates “several times per year.”

    Several SEOs have tweeted at Google asking how to fix their site to better adhere to best practices. To which Google has replied, “There’s nothing wrong with pages that may now perform less well. Instead, it’s that changes to our systems are benefiting pages that were previously being under-rewarded” … “[so] remain focused on building great content.”

    Rolling out Google’s mobile-first indexing:
    On Monday, March 26, 2018, Google announced that after a year and a half of careful experimentation testing, they started migrating sites that follow the best practices for mobile-first indexing.

    Mobile-first means that the mobile version will be considered the primary version when it comes to how rankings are determined. However, there may be circumstances where the desktop version could be taken into consideration (for instance, if you don’t have a mobile version of a page).

    If you don’t have a mobile version of your site and your desktop version is not mobile-friendly, your content can still be indexed; however, you may not rank as well in comparison to mobile-friendly websites.

    Google speed update has become a major factor in rankings:
    Google announced that on July 28, 2018 a new ranking algorithm designed for mobile search would be deployed, named the “Speed Update”. Only pages that “deliver the slowest experience to users” will be impacted by this update, the company says.

    Search engine users enter mobile queries differently than they enter desktop queries. For one thing, mobile queries are shorter. Queries in general have become more conversational as we’ve become more intimate with our devices. Factors that impact site page speed: Image size, taking advantage of caching, optimize JS and CSS files, eliminate website baggage.

    Google says switch to HTTPS or lose Rankings:
    HTTP basically allows unauthorized people to tap into your computer and steal all of your valuable information. Google wants to avoid that by strongly encouraging the shift to HTTPS.

    Stats have shown that having an SSL Certificate on your site can decrease your page bounce rates significantly. Some results have shown a decrease as much as 50% in bounce rates. That equates to great increase in traffic. Bounce rates are equated in Google’s Algorithm, lower bounce rates equal higher rankings.

    As you can see these have a high level of technicality. Done right, these factors will improve the ranking of your website. Done wrong they will be a huge factor in reducing your ranking and in some cases virtually blacking out your website and visibility on Google. Google never announces the specifics of the changes and additions being made to what they are doing with their search engine, and most of the time they never even announce them at all. It is up to the SEO community and SEO companies like Affordable Image to figure it all out after the fact. That is why even the best Optimized Websites will have ups and downs with their Rankings, but the goal is always to be trending upward.

    The one thing we do know about SEO is that it is a constantly moving target and in reality, many, many moving targets.  We also, know that what your competition is doing for their SEO has a major impact on where your Practice Website will rank for the various searches. One thing I recommend doing every 6 months is an SEO Audit of your website. A good SEO Audit will tell you what is broken on your website and what are your weaknesses on your website, as well as other things not related to your website that you need to do to increase your visibility on the search engines like, get more Reviews for your Practice, clean up your directory listings or, add more directory listings, get more quality links back to your website, and disavow any toxic links.  SEO can be overwhelming but, with an SEO Professional, you can be successful.

    – Mike Shoun, President and CEO

    Originally published at www.thedentistsnetwork.net/dmktg13.html

  • Photo Release Consent Form? That’s so formal! It’s just a silly picture of my neighbor doing yoga. Is that really necessary for a simple little post?

    Photo Release Consent Form? That’s so formal! It’s just a silly picture of my neighbor doing yoga. Is that really necessary for a simple little post?

    The short answer, yes.

    The image you are using may seem insignificant. In fact, you may even be related to the person in the photos. But bottom line, it’s absolutely not worth risking your business for a simple signature.

    PATIENTS AND CLIENTS

    I hear this often from our clients, “We just snapped a quick picture for fun!” or “It’s our favorite patient. They don’t mind.” I completely understand. It can feel awkward and formal to ask someone to sign a Photo Release for a quick social media post, especially someone you know really well. But it’s like a rubber band or a match, they seem small until you need one.

    With the growth of social media use in the healthcare arena, it’s important to remember that HIPAA law prohibits the sharing of health-related “individually identifiable” information. So the “Happy Birthday to our favorite patient Betty!” would definitely fall into the “individually identifiable” category and would constitute a HIPAA violation. One that could cost your business anywhere from $50,000 to $1.5 million!

    HIPAA aside, there is something legally known as “the right of publicity” which prohibits the use of a person’s image to be used for endorsement of a product or service without their written consent.

    TEAM MEMBERS

    I understand that Sally has worked for you forever and her photo has been on your website for all of those wonderful years. Unfortunately though, you never know when it will be time for Sally to say goodbye. It is important that every team member give written consent to use their images across all forms of digital and non-digital marketing platforms to protect you from any legal ramifications upon termination; even if it was friendly.

    “Do you have one we can use?”

    Yes, we do. We have a standard Photo/Model Release template that we are happy to provide to our clients. But we are marketers, not attorneys. We recommend that you have your personal legal counsel review the document to ensure that your particular situation is addressed and you are protected.

    And we recommend you have everyone sign it. It doesn’t matter how you know them, if they are the main subject of your photo or in the background, or how many times you will use their image, get the signature! It’s not awkward when you ask everyone and tell them they’re a model!

    Already part of the Ai Healthcare Marketing family and need your $1,500,000 savings form (a.k.a. Model Release)? CALL NOW and we’ll get that to you before you can say “1 – 2 -3 Smile!” 

    Not a client yet? Interested in learning more about working with us? Have questions for one of our marketing experts? Call 800.405.1434 today and we will get you the marketing expertise you need to grow your business.

  • How to know if it’s time to update your website in 2019 – Part 1

    How to know if it’s time to update your website in 2019 – Part 1

    Curb Appeal

    Website stuff (that’s a super technical term) can be daunting for a business owner. Let’s face it, there is A LOT to know and understand. There’s the technical, analytical side of things coupled with the ‘make it look pretty’ catch their eye design element as well. It takes a team of talented people to build, maintain and maximize efficiency for a website.

    Think of your website as your business home. It’s where people stop-by, say hello, look around and most importantly, it’s where they get to know YOU.  The consumer is driving down Internet Avenue, looking at each house (website) and making their buying decisions based on website curb appeal. So, how’s your house looking? Is 2019 the year for some “home” improvement projects or do you just need to keep the landscaper coming to keep everything neat and tidy?

    Look Next Door

    Your life is busy. As a business owner, you have a lot to juggle. It’s easy to get tunnel vision and not venture out of your own bubble. But to really decide if your website could use some work, you need to look around. Get to know your neighbors, or in this case, your competition. Check out their curb appeal. Visit their websites often. How is your website in comparison? Remember, the consumer is constantly driving by, you should be also. Are they adding new plants, putting in a patio, is your yard manicured like theirs? Obviously, these are analogies for the visual aspect of your site but if your website isn’t “keeping up with the Joneses” it’s time for an improvement project in 2019.

    Be Trendy

    Just like in decorating, there are website design trends. Adding the latest style and staying “trendy” is a good thing when it comes to your website. Things are changing faster than ever, we recommend redecorating with current design elements no less than every three years. It’s essential to your website success. Here are a few elements you can expect to see more of in the year to come:

    Website Best of Winner

    Hero Images:  This does not mean Batman, but they should be super! A hero image is an oversized picture that should evoke emotion. It should create the general “feel” for your site and give people a sense of what they can expect when they walk inside. It should move and almost breathe. Does your website have a hero? If not, it’s time to get one!

    Unique Font and Oversized Headings: In 2019 it’s about using a unique font that STANDS OUT! People are scrolling faster and faster. Having dynamic, engaging and unique font catches the eye. The font you choose for your overall brand solidifies your look and feel. And strategically placing OVERSIZED HEADINGS, helps direct traffic as they are flying by.  You only have 2 to 4 seconds to grab their attention and convert them from guest to customer. Make sure your signage does just that!

    Less is more: Like staging a home for sale, it’s important to keep things clean, concise and clutter free. Consumers are looking for easy to navigate websites. Avoid complicated menus. The desired user experience is a simple interface and that feels comfortable to navigate. Make sure your website design leaves enough space between graphics to allow the eye to rest and take in the scenery.

    Great Graphics: The consumer wants to feel something BEFORE reading what you have to say. They are looking for bright colors with smooth transitions, animation, video, and geometric shapes that don’t make them feel like you’re putting them in boxes.

    Be a Porch Sitter

    Remember when people used to sit out on their porch and say hello as folks walked by? Well, it’s time to sit on the porch of your website. The lightning-fast movement of technology has left people hungry for the human element. They want to engage, ask questions, feel noticed and connect. Live chat is your front porch swing.

    Welcome your guests. Thank them for stopping by, ask how you can help them. Remember, there are people on the other end of those clicks you’re analyzing. People who want their questions answered quickly and people who want to feel valued. You can always opt for automated “chatbots” if you do not have someone to engage in real time. Either way, it adds the human element to what is normally a static experience.  And as artificial intelligence “learns” more, the chatbots will be smarter and better able to handle frequently asked questions.  Some marketing experts are predicting that live chat could be the most welcomed website element in 2019.

    Whether you are the type of person who makes resolutions or not, we encourage you to step outside your “home” in 2019. Look around, see what other people are doing and decide if there are even small changes you can make that will get you noticed and guarantee your curb appeal is memorable. Not sure?

    We are happy to help. Schedule your complimentary market analysis today. We have that whole team of talented people to build, maintain and maximize efficiency for YOUR website.

    Be sure to catch the next episode when we talk about whether you need to renovate the inside (all that technical website stuff).

  • Your Dental Marketing Budget

    Your Dental Marketing Budget

    With the end of every year, comes the time when budgets should be created.
    A successful practice knows how they did this year, what they will be doing next year and the goal for the next five years. Those who prepare have success on their side. These forward-thinking doctors know what it takes to be part of the digital revolution while utilizing the tried and true approach of print media and the lost art of direct mail. Combining these techniques helps doctors to make their practice strong online while allowing traditional approaches to take them to new heights. Many practices think that avoiding old ways and going all-digital is the best solution, but we know differently. We call it Brand Loyalty around our office.

    Brand Loyalty is the framework of all the essential marketing tools at the hands of any practice. This allows patients to see and connect to the doctor/practice on the level that they feel most comfortable with. Some patients will only be on their smartphones, while others still look forward to the paper they receive in the mail. Some both. Either way, your choice in marketing does matter, because the message you send out must be consistent and connect with your current and potential patients in the form that they want to be communicated to.

    We know that this time of year is exhausting for everyone, but getting started as a new practice can be over-the-top grueling for a new dentist. For the purposes of this article, I will assume you have a start-up practice versus a mature dental practice. For a start-up, the percentages and dollar figures I recommend will be higher than that of a mature dental practice.

    A fresh new practice is without an identity of any kind, so the office will need a logo to start off. The next step is to establish the branding items the practice will need and create a website. To work with a qualified and reputable company, you can plan on spending anywhere from $4000 to $6000, depending on your needs. You will also need to keep in mind the yearly maintenance of updating items and purchasing items you used up. This is an investment and you shouldn’t just pick the cheapest company; find someone who has the same goals and vision as you do. Once your brand is completed and your website is up, you will need to add SEO and Social Media to get the practice headed in the right direction. Plan on investing anywhere from $800 to $1200, depending on your online strategies.

    After covering your brand and online presence, consider your internal and external marketing budget. The internal items are considered items in your reception area, on-hold campaigns, patient thank you notes, wall art, referral brochures, loyalty programs and uniforms (if you provide or share in the cost). The budget set aside for these items is an average of .5% to 2% of your yearly revenue for an existing practice. A new practice can expect to invest at least $3000 to $5000 to get started.

    This leaves us with external marketing. A new practice needs patients, and depending on your location this might be difficult. Allow yourself at least 5-10% of your yearly revenue. Getting your chairs filled is the goal. I suggest putting aside extra funds for a grand opening and a halfway party, then one more at the end of the year. These events need advertising and some planning, but with the right guidance, the budget can be kept to a minimum.

    Let’s talk about the actual goal of external marketing. External means “outside”. You will need to find these patients outside of your office, and the best way to find them is by doing a demographic report and mailing to the closest 5k to 15k in your area. Frequency is key. A budget of $2500 to $5500 a month is a good number to start with. However, the more you put into your marketing budget, the more new patients you will get.

    Make sure you have a person(s) who answers your phone professionally and is trained on how to convert calls into new patients that come into your practice. Your new patient flow is only as strong as the skills and the passion of the person answering your phones.

    Having a plan is essential to any practice’s success and growth. Do you have yours completed yet?

    – Mike Shoun, President and CEO

    Originally published at www.thedentistsnetwork.net/dmktg12.html

  • BRANDING: Lesson Learned

    BRANDING: Lesson Learned

    Rancher Smith had a new bride and new piece of land. He took what little he had and invested in a small herd of cattle. He took pride in his accomplishment. He was now able to provide for his wife. Along came spring and not only did his herd grow, so did his family. Spring brought new life to the rancher. With each passing spring the family grew and so did the herd.

    With this great new blessing also came a burden. Every once in a while, one of his precious cattle would wonder off, never to be found. Over time this became a concern.  While his herd was thinning out, his neighbor Rancher Jones’ herd was growing.  Rancher Smith approached Rancher Jones and asked how he was able to afford such a great herd. A reply came from Rancher Jones, “This magic spot on my ranch!” Rancher Smith was in disbelief. “Magic Spot’? How is this to be?” Rancher Jones was ever so excited to tell Rancher Smith all about how he acquired his abundant herd without spending one dime. He didn’t even have to wait until spring!

    Inquisitive by nature, Rancher Smith asked to see this “Magic Spot.” Without hesitation the two men mounted their horses and rode off to a hillside – and sure enough, a beautiful steer was standing grazing in rancher Jones’ field. “See I told you! Every time I come to this spot, a steer or two just appear! I am truly blessed that I don’t have to spend one dime to grow my herd. This steer will give me plenty of strong calves and I will make plenty to expand my ranch.”

    Perplexed by what he witnessed, Rancher Smith scratched his head and congratulated Rancher Jones. He went home and shared this news with his wife. His wife was in awe of what she heard – as a good neighbor she was happy for their neighbor’s abundance, but saddened that her family was struggling to survive.

    As the years rolled on, Rancher Jones became the pillar of the community with the largest herd in the valley, while Rancher Smith struggled to make ends meet. One day Rancher Smith got on his horse and rode off to escape his thoughts. While on his journey, he dreamed of having a magic spot on his land. He went to Rancher Jones spot, and while on his horse he witnessed something in the distance that would change his life.

    Rancher Smith rode as fast as he could to tell his last ranch hand to gather some items and follow him. Not sure of the excitement, the ranch hand followed orders and quickly caught up with Rancher Smith. The two worked feverishly late into the night, and as the sun rose the two were quite happy with their accomplishment.

    The next day Rancher Smith rode to Rancher Jones’ place and asked some of his other neighbors to meet him there. As the group met, Rancher Smith asked Rancher Jones to share with everyone how the “magical spot” on his ranch had blessed him so well these past few years. Rancher Jones was delighted to brag about his wealth. He brought the brood up to the hill and low and behold two strong cattle were once again in the spot.  The crowd was wowed and Rancher Jones smiled from ear to ear.

    Rancher Smith settled the crowd to share some news. “We have watched our neighbor here grow in wealth, while our own ranches have deteriorated. I have news that will bring a close to our losses. I placed a mark on all my cattle with a hot iron. For on the sides will be my mark. This mark will be branded on all my livestock. Please examine the side of this steer and if it is mine it will have an “S” – if not it is yours.”

    Low and behold, an “S” appeared on the side of the cattle. The ranchers all knew that the magic appearances of the cattle were just mere lack of maintenance on a forgotten fence line. From that moment on the branding stood strong in that community and the ranch of Rancher Smith grew to a profitable place once again.

    The moral of our story is this: If you fail to “brand” your products or services, you get lost and your competition runs away with the profits. The consistency and strength of our brand makes a mark. Great companies large and small know the value of their brand and make sure they get experts to guide them to the appropriate use of their brand. When considering how to brand, make sure your logo – “the stamp” – is memorable and strong. Don’t be like Rancher Smith and allow too much time to go by.  Stop the competition from taking your profits today.

    – Mike Shoun, President and CEO

    Originally published at www.thedentistsnetwork.net/dmktg1.html

  • Developing Content for Your Website

    Developing Content for Your Website

    One of the most common requests we receive from doctors is for a website with “super clean homepage design without clutter or too many words”. While it might sound easy, this is often the hardest thing for us to do. Doctors also want their new website to rank high in the search engines, and trying to accomplish the latter with the style of the first can be almost impossible.

    Your website is your virtual office. It is there to represent you before anyone meets you.  An online connection, of sorts should be as compelling and informative as possible. It tells the story of who you are, allowing the user to decide if you are the doctor and practice they want to go to.  It is an intimate decision to determine who a person will allow to treat them. Many potential new patients will decide if they will call you based on what they see and understand from your online message. If your online message is not thought out, all your investment and efforts are useless.

    From its earliest days, Google’s core search algorithm offered the most relevant and organic search results quickly and accurately. For a few years, Google’s search worked seamlessly, repeatedly predicting the most relevant search results every single time, again and again. Then something happened – they saw this was a moneymaker for them. They also saw that people were savvy enough to figure out their algorithms on how the searches were done, and they furthermore knew they would have to change them constantly to keep the system honest and relevant.

    With Google’s ever-changing ways, it is enough to frustrate any web team out there, ours included. With these ever-fluctuating changes, staying on top of your SEO matters more than ever. Google has many items that they factor in, but for now I want to talk about how extremely important content is.

    While pretty, modern layouts are all the rage, they don’t help you be seen on the search engines. One of the major anchors that tether you to Google’s relevancy algorithms is content. If your content is just a few words (thin content) or duplicate content, or even something that is spun, this can hurt you.

    While writing content needs to be lengthy and packed with critical keywords, it also has to be well written. Throwing a few words on a page doesn’t offer the reader any engaging information, and it doesn’t allow Google to see you as relevant either. Google favors those who show themselves as “Thought Leaders” and rewards those who practice it.

    To keep a website significant in the eyes of the Search Engines, we need to make sure that keyword-rich meta titles are in place from the early development stages. The words you place in the meta title of each page on your website need to be the same words that patients are looking for you when searching for your services. Without this strategy, you will not be found.

    Your content does matter. If someone is not in the field of dentistry, they are not an expert and do not know or understand the language that you and your staff speak. The information searched online has to connect to you. Example: A person who doesn’t know why they have bleeding gums may start out by asking Google “why do my gums bleed?” or “bleeding gums causes”. They don’t know to put “Gingivitis” in the search bar. Your content needs to connect with the answer to their question.

    Reasons why we need content:

    • Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You need to maximize keywords for Google. Websites need to be just as appealing to search engines as they are for humans. What good is a “pretty” website that is never seen?

    • Mobile Devices. When someone goes onto a website with their mobile phone, they are conditioned to continue scrolling down to get the information they want. If everything is hidden in a menu system, they will not know your services or practice, get discouraged and click away from the page.

    • Everyone navigates websites differently. You can’t assume that everyone will think like you do, so the more content the better. Allow for nothing to be missed.

    Many factors go into your rank on Google. Google cares about your age; if you are new then you are not their favorite. It takes time and patience to grow on Google, but keeping your content fresh and relevant will keep you on the path that Google likes. So if the question is “To Give Content or Not”, I say the more thought-provoking, well-written content, the better!

    – Mike Shoun, President and CEO

    Originally published at www.thedentistsnetwork.net/dmktg2.html