3 Big Reasons Why You Must Optimize Your Website for Local Search...

With Tips on How it’s Done!

Google, Yahoo, and Bing all offer a “local search” capability that you simply cannot afford to ignore. Why? Consider the following:

1. Chiropractors do business primarily on a local level: many potential customers will be searching for Chiropractic services online, and if you're not showing up in search results, you're leaving an open door to your competition.
2. Local search results appear above general search results: show up there and you have a strong visibility advantage over competitors who have not optimized their websites for local search.
3. Here’s the big one, Search Engines and local search have become the NUMBER ONE source of local business information for consumers.

That's why you need to optimize for local search, now here's HOW: 

The Mind of The Patient Leads to YES!

Every time you work with a patient your goal is to get to YES. Yes, I want you to treat me. Yes, I believe the outcome is worth the cost. Yes, I want to be healthy for a lifetime. Yes, I believe you can help me reach my health goals. Sounds like a great outcome for you and your patient – if it was only this easy.

As you well know, YES is rarely achieved in a single visit. YES, is typically achieved over time and through multiple experiences. Why? Because YES is directly related to trust – and trust takes time and effort to develop. Trust is the key to success when parties in a relationship are asked to commit to one another. And because this is what you’re asking your patients to do, make a commitment to your long-term care, then you need to understand how to influence the development of trust with your patients.

So, how do you build a trusting relationship with your patients? Well, it’s important to know that you begin building a successful and trusting long-term relationship by first recognizing and accepting that you are starting your patient relationship with no trust, no history, and therefore, no basis for a long-term relationship.

Total Experience Drives Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth (WOM) is the act of consumers providing information to other consumers, and positive WOM is the ultimate goal of all marketers. When patients begin to “spontaneously” talk about a chiropractic clinic with their colleagues, friends, and relatives, a real and meaningful perspective is communicated along with a trusted recommendation. It is this personal influence of trust found within the relationship that makes WOM the best source of new patients.

When you take part in a really good experience, what do you do? You can’t wait to tell others. And that’s what your patients do.

Image is Everything?

Early in his career, Andre Agassi, at that time an up-and-coming tennis pro, became the lead celebrity in the Canon “Image is Everything” advertising campaign.   With the unique combination of his personal “rebel” attitude and this confrontational tagline, Agassi was able to launch into worldwide notoriety.  Interestingly, this tagline has gained a life of its own, and ever since the campaign it has been used as slang for the importance of brand image in the marketplace.  Image became important because “Image is Everything.”

But is this simple statement true?  Is brand image that powerful?  The unequivocal answer is – Yes.  Brand image is critical to how we value products and services as we shop. 

Growth 101

Every chiropractor wants to grow their practice. If we took a survey right now of chiropractors and asked them what their primary desire was for their practice, they would most assuredly state something about growth. And there’s nothing wrong with that, however, the concept of growth deserves a closer examination.

When I hear a chiropractor list “growth” as one of their primary desires, I begin to ask questions. Questions like: What does that mean? What areas do they want to grow? Why grow at all? Is there something inherently good about growth? And, does that make non-growth bad?

Stop Doing What You're Doing!

As you plan your “marketing” activities for 2009, may I give you my best advice? Stop Doing What You’re Doing! Stop listening to every newspaper, radio, cable, billboard, direct mail, and postcard pack media sales rep that calls on your office, telling you what you “have” to do to succeed.

It’s your practice, so take charge. Don’t let outside sales reps convince you that their advertising opportunity is the “silver bullet” that your practice needs to succeed in this tough market in 2009.

Let’s get this straight – there are NO silver bullets…

There has to be a better way!