Chiropractic Marketing Research and Services» chiropractic websites

Why You Need to Have a Chiropractic Website

Mike Melton — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:12:02 +0000

The Internet has become a platform for commerce and information unlike any other technology that the world has ever known. Nearly 2 billion people access the Internet regularly, making it exponentially more effective for marketing over traditional printed media. Many patients now use the Internet as their primary method of finding a doctor so having a website is an important way to draw in potential patients. However, not all websites are equal. There are a few points to remember before making a leap into the world of Internet marketing.

Creating a functional and creative chiropractic website that attracts Internet users is part art and part science. The difference between being placed on the first page of search results and the second can be the difference between a million unique visitors per week and thousand. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art of designing a website to rank well on these search engines.

The ideal websites are those that rank highly, have a professional and simple design, and engage visitors to take action. This requires a human touch that “template” websites simply cannot provide. Small additions like chiropractor bios lend credibility to a website as well as boost its Internet visibility.

Another key feature to Internet marketing is social media. Facebook and other social media sites have hundreds of millions of registered users so have become one of the most effective components of any online marketing campaign. Promotional pages on Facebook that focus on honest, person-to-person interactions can draw in thousands of dedicated and loyal patients with minimal effort.

These are just a handful of ways to create an Internet presence for your chiropractic practice. Potential patients will be drawn to sites with a simple design, good content, links to social media, and an accessible call to action.

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Your Chiropractic Website Domain Name

Mike Melton — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:05:50 +0000

Whether you have just started your chiropractic business or have been practicing for the last twenty years, eventually you are going to want a website to bring in new clients. The domain name is going to be the first thing a customer sees on online, so you will want to choose it wisely.

Before your chiropractic website is even created, you will want to pick the best domain name to fit your business. The key to a perfect domain name is keeping it as small and as simple as possible. Try to keep it related to the name of your practice and incorporate your town name. Using your town in the domain makes people consider you as the primary source in the area. You aren’t a chiropractor that lives in Springfield, you are Springfield’s chiropractor. The distinction is vast and important.

Many businesses think their website needs an overly descriptive domain name, when the complete opposite is true. Sit with your website designer and talk through some of your options. A domain name isn’t a sentence. Something like ‘the best chiropractor in the state.com’ will seem silly and wordy when ‘springfieldchiropractor.com’ (insert your town name there) is more appropriate and memorable.

Remember that because you aren’t the only chiropractor out there, and you are fighting for domain names with people not just in your town, but the entire country. If you have a common town name, there is a good chance that you won’t be able to get the easiest iterations of your business and town. Just remember to keep it as simple as possible.

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Internet Explorer 9

Mike Melton — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 06:33:07 +0000

Just downloaded the newest web browser from Microsoft, and I have to say I’m surprised. It seems quick and nimble.

Over the next few days, we’ll be doing thorough testing with all of our client chiropractic websites to make sure that everything is working perfectly.

IE9 is supposed to have excellent support for HTML5, and as more browsers enable this functionality, we’ll be able to add more flexible video content to our client sites.

If you experience any site issues with the new version of IE, let us know at (800) 295-3346.

Mike Melton

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The problems with duplicate content

Mike Melton — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:42:41 +0000

We build a lot of chiropractic websites and one problem that we see every day is doctors “borrowing” content from other websites. There are a few problems with this.

First, it’s illegal. Taking content from another site without permission is copyright infringment, and the last thing you need to do while running a busy practice is deal with a lawsuit.

Second, Google has recently made some adjustments to their search algorithm that is designed to eliminate duplicate content from its search results.

Taking content from another website is going to create red flags for Google that will lower the overall search ranking of your site, making it harder for your patients to find you online.

The solution: original content.

Writing up short pages for you site relevant to your patients will provide useful information AND get you the extra search engine boost that will help your site in the long run.

Some doctors don’t have the time to add this type of content, and we understand that. So, if you need some help with this, we have access to freelance writers that can create this content for you.

Just give us a call at (800) 295-3346, and we can help you out with this.

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Trouble with Contracts

Roderick Campbell — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:34:47 +0000

In the chiropractic website industry, it’s almost impossible to find a reputable company that doesn’t require a lengthy contract in order to setup a website. In fact, most of these contracts are 1-3 years long and impose steep fines for breaking the contract early. The companies that require contracts usually justify them by expounding on the cost of setting up a website, which they dramatically inflate, and claiming that it’s an “industry norm.”

There are two reasons for requiring a contract:
1. to guarantee job security for large contracts ($10,000+).
2. to lock your customers into a subpar service.

Here at ChiroHosting we’re using a radically different strategy – we’ve done away with contracts entirely! Our philosophy is to provide an exceptional service at a remarkable price. We’re one of the few companies in our industry that doesn’t need to strap clients down to retain them. I know, it’s mind-blowing, but our clients stay with us because they genuinely like us! The downside to our strategy is that it requires harder work, more dedication, and a lower profit margin (our CEO doesn’t own a yacht). The upside is that we enjoy going to work everyday, our clients love us, and we’re growing faster than any of our competitors.

We’re not revolutionaries or geniuses — we’re just doing the right thing.

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New Chiropractic Websites

Roderick Campbell — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:28:35 +0000

We’re designing a whole new collection of customizable chiropractic websites! The new designs use a clean, minimalist approach and focus on providing easily accessible information for prospective patients. Patients respond well to easily navigable websites, video integration, and straightforward information.

Our websites will never include cheesy gizmos, annoying popups, or car dealership sales pitches. We’re successful because our websites are really, really good at conveying honesty and competence — the most important traits in a doctor. Give us a call today for more information!

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Surprising Your Clients (Part 2)

Roderick Campbell — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:28:26 +0000

Mike’s last article on Surprising Your Clients was well received and garnered a lot of positive feedback from our clients. I just want to reinforce his comments by highlighting an experience I had today while talking with a prospective client. About an hour ago, “Jane” called us and wanted to know more about our $50 price. She wanted to know about “all of the extra hidden costs” and the “graphic design fees”. It took me several minutes to explain to her that we have no hidden costs, no graphic design fees, and no contracts.

That blew her mind.

She couldn’t understand how the best chiropractic website company could also be one of the least expensive. The answer is really simple: we have our clients’ best interest at heart. ChiroHosting exists in an industry filled with profiteers, corporations, and scam artists. Being honest, caring, and going the extra mile makes us stand out amongst our competitors and that is the sole reason for our success.

As a chiropractor, you can imitate our strategy. By going out of your way to surprise and delight your patients, you’re creating a tribe of evangelists who will ensure your success. Plus you’ll develop good karma!

Roderick Campbell
Marketing Director
ChiroHosting.com

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Surprising your clients

Mike Melton — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:17:59 +0000

I love to surprise my clients.

Today, for instance, a potential client called about a website for his practice and I answered the phone. That doesn’t sound that unusual, until you realize that it was a Sunday morning. The doctor was shocked that he reached a human, let alone the owner of the business.

Here’s another way we surprise our clients: sometimes we tell them that we’re not the best choice for them and direct them to a competitor. There are some occasions where the client would be happier with a ChiroMatrix site than one of ours, and we’re certainly not going to spend our valuable time and the client’s valuable time trying to convince them otherwise. Life is too short for that. Plus, it’s just going to be a disappointment for both of us down the road.

And that’s another way we surprise our potential customers: we don’t have a sales staff. I don’t know about you, but I hate the hard sell, and I don’t like pushy sales people bugging me constantly. I like to have the facts about a product or service and make my own decision.

One advantage of not having a sales staff: we don’t have to charge a $500 setup fee to pay a sales commission! This saves you a ton of money, which is important in this tough economy.

So, if you have questions about getting a chiropractic website for your practice, give us a call. I assure you that we’ll be happy to answer your questions and we won’t bug you to death trying to “get the sale!”

Mike Melton
Owner
(800) 295-3346

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Chiropractic marketing question – “how do I ensure a solid return on my advertising budget?”

Roderick Campbell — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 01:51:21 +0000

These days, chiropractic marketing budgets are usually tight and it’s more important than ever that your advertising and marketing investments return a steady profit. How can you get the most bang for your buck?

First off, avoid spending money on paid directory listings like phonebooks or web directories. Any intelligent marketer knows that directories are dying and that it’s almost impossible to get a return on paid directory advertising. Sure, these websites and phonebook companies guarantee “vast traffic” and “thousands of patients” but they can’t compete with websites like Yelp, Google, Facebook and other modern websites and hubs of information. If you’re spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on phonebook advertising, you’re getting scammed!

The same thing goes for newspaper advertisements. Who the heck remembers newspaper ads for chiropractors?

Now that you’re saving a hefty chunk of change, you need to find solid investments.

1. AdWords

No marketing tool can guarantee faster or more effective results than AdWords. It’s also the most expensive option- you can easily spend $200-$300/month for a medium sized city. Calculate the number of patients you would need to convert in order to cover that kind of expense and invest $300-$500 in a 30 day trial run. Make sure you set up AdWords properly. If you’re one of our clients, we can do it for you (no cost).

2. Facebook

This is the best long-term chiropractic marketing investment. The service doesn’t cost anything but you’ll need to calculate the number of labor hours. If you’re a web savvy chiropractor, try investing 1-2 hours per day on participating in the Facebook community. If you’re a busy or less savvy chiropractor, hire a bright college student to manage your Facebook profile/page. If you want advice for how to effectively use Facebook for chiropractic marketing, give me a call (or have your bright college student call me).

3. Google Places

Here’s another free chiropractic marketing resource. Google Places has been called the phonebook killer and it’s a great way to improve your website’s search engine ranking and gain more visibility without paying a dime. If you’re one of our clients, we’ll setup and optimize your Google Places listing for free!

4. Yelp

Yelp draws a growing audience of smartphone users who want rapid information on local businesses and is another free profile that’ll boost your exposure and allows you to collect positive reviews. Your Yelp reviews and ratings will automatically upload to Google Places, saving you time and boosting your credibility/exposure.

5. Youtube

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then video is worth a thousand pictures. Nothing will help promote your credibility better than a good 1-2 minute introduction video. Pay a young film student $300 to film and edit a friendly, professional video of you introducing yourself and briefly explaining chiropractic. A talented student can film, edit, and upload a high quality video in less than 6 hours and you’ll see immediate results. Make sure you upload the video to youtube, embed it on your website, and then upload it to Google Places!

There you go, proven marketing strategies with guaranteed return-on-investment. What the heck are you waiting for?

Have questions? Not sure where to start? Call me at (800)295-3346.

Rod Campbell
Marketing Director
ChiroHosting.com

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Grabbing the long tail of search

Mike Melton — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 15:08:47 +0000

There are many misconceptions about search engine optimization among chiropractic website companies. For instance, one company advertises a “gold package” where you can have “10 Search Terms” on your site for an extra fee.

This is a scam, pure and simple.

Why? Because no website is limited to any number of search terms. The number of search terms you rank well for is dependent on the content on your site. Not a silly list of keywords you pay for.

A great article on WordTracker describes the idea of “long tail search optimization, but here’s the gist:

Most chiropractors are fixated on the idea of targeting the big key phrases: “Chiropractor in Arlington Texas” or “Schererville Indiana Chiropractic.”

And those are important search terms to target, because quite a few people search for those terms.

But did you know that a larger number of people are search for more specific things, such as:

Arlington TX headache treatment
Arlington TX sciatica treatment
Schererville IN back pain treatment

These non-primary key phrase searches are the long tail of search, and it’s very easy to optimize your website for these searches.

How? The thing to keep in mind about Google is this: Google wants to provide the best search result for the searcher. The better the search result, the more likely it will be for the person to keep using Google, and the more money that Google will make.

So, if you have a page on your site about “Schererville IN carpal tunnel,” guess what? You’re going to rank highly (probably #1) for that search term. (Test it out for yourself. Go to Google and search for “Schererville IN carpal tunnel” and you’ll see one of ChiroHosting client sites pop right to the top.)

This technique is very simple. All you have to do is come up with a list of conditions you work with, and then create a little mini-page on your website for each of those exact key phrases you wish to target. Make sure you use the proper title tags and description tags, too, which helps Google index your page.

“What if I don’t have the time to write a dozen articles?” Check out Craigslist or Elance.com and find a freelance writer. They can write up a dozen articles quickly for you for a reasonable fee. (Just make sure to get some examples of their work first.)

If you have any questions about chiropractic search optimization or how to exploit the long tail effect, give us a call at (800) 295-3346 and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.

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