In today's climate of heightened expectations in healthcare, patients are seeking seamless experiences that begin before they even step foot in your practice. 

But how can you begin to virtually develop a strong rapport with a potential patient and guide them along their healthcare journey? It starts with a concise, consistent, and current online presence. 

Do ensure you’re intentional about your online presence including a website or social media.

Solid and trustworthy marketing is the first step in building awareness and setting the foundation for an excellent patient experience.

When people are browsing online for a practitioner, they want to glean key information that will help them make a decision about booking a consultation or getting in touch. 

Will a website visitor learn the basics about you and your practice quickly? Do you list your credentials, qualifications, and association affiliations? Are your services clearly stated?  

Ask yourself how you want your practice to be seen by prospective patients. Do you want to leave the impression of a warm and relaxed environment? Or would you rather come across as modern and clinical? Do you have links to your Instagram posts or YouTube videos to convey your personality or detail your approach to treatment for prospective patients to see? 

Your online presence should reflect how you would introduce yourself in person, so being intentional about your content is critical. 

An out-of-date website or abandoned social channels could give off the wrong first impression. Equally important, unclear copy or confusing imagery might present enough friction to make a person click away. 

Now that we’ve cultivated a person’s attention, let’s talk about the next phase of the patient journey.

Don’t make it cumbersome to book a consultation or get in touch.

When prospective patients find you online, they typically start on your practice website (if you have one), so you want to make it as easy as possible for them to find your online booking system.

Online booking is seen as a huge perk by patients so don’t be afraid of adding clear call-to-actions to book online, or include a prominent button that directs them straight to your online booking page.

Booking an appointment online should be a frictionless process, and that starts by creating a low barrier to book. That means patients should be able to click as few buttons as possible to successfully complete their booking.

The quicker and easier you can make this process, the better. You can always change your settings later if you’re experiencing any sort of misuse of your online booking, but it’s nice to go in expecting the best intentions from your patients.

Do inject personal touches into your patient interactions 

According to a 2022 survey conducted by The Lacek Group on brand loyalty, 85 percent of participants responded that “being treated as a loyal customer across all brand interactions and engagements” was important to them. 

This same principle should apply in healthcare, too.

While there are many resources and guides on acquiring new patients, we might forget to add touches of delight to recognize our existing patient base. For example, acknowledging patient birthdays or sending personalized notes can go a long way in cementing a memorable patient experience.

Plus, making the effort in developing a longstanding rapport with patients can bolster confidence so they refer you to others. 

When you’ve got a strong online presence to match your clinical acumen, potential patients can discover you with ease and see what differentiates your practice. Don’t let that valuable virtual opportunity pass you by!

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Jane is a customizable, cloud-based EHR with a full suite of features to help make running your acupuncture practice easier and more efficient.

Want to learn more? Head to jane.app/acupuncture-us to book a 1-on-1 demo and see Jane in action. If you’re interested in building an external online booking website but don’t know where to start, you may want a helping hand from our integration partner,Clinic Sites.