Medical Marketing Enterprises, L.L.C.

Website Optimization, SEO, Reputation Management for Medical Practices

Lecture Schedule @ AAO 2018 Chicago

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Randall Wong, M.D. presents at the Young Ophthalmologists, AAO 2012

Randall Wong
Speaking/Lecture Schedule
Medical and Healthcare Internet Marketing

AAO 2018, Chicago

Look forward to seeing you!

Here's our lecture schedule for the upcoming Chicago meeting.  Lectures are split between the Tech Pavilion (located on the convention center floor) and traditional classrooms.

If you are going to attend "Live Website Analysis" - please submit your own site via email:  randall.v.wong@gmail.com.

Have a great AAO!

See you there.

 

Randy

 

Saturday, October 27, 2018

11:45 - 12:15 PM
Location:  Tech Pav

Online Reputation

1:00 - 4:00 PM
Location:  N427D
 Course SPE09

Marketing 101 – Kickstart Your Website, Social Media and Blog

Sunday, October 28, 2018

11:45 - 12:15 PM
Location:  Tech Pav

New Online Regulations that Affect You

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location:  S103D

220 - Live Website Analysis

Monday, October 29, 2018

11:45 - 12:15 PM
Location:  Tech Pav

New Online Regulations that Affect You

3:00 - 4:00 PM
Location: Tech Pav

Creating Effective Content

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Location:  S106B

633 - Protect Your Online Reputation and Improve Local SEO

Do Patients Hate Your Office? | 5 Ways to Improve Patient Experience

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Patient Experience can negatively impact your brand | Healthcare and Medical Internet MarketingPatient experience is probably the most important variable which creates your brand.  It may even rival the physician-patient relationship as being the most important reason patients love or…hate your office.

While patient experience does include the time spent with the physician, for this article, let’s just focus on every interaction besides the healthcare provider.  After all, patients spend about 80% of their time NOT with the doctor.

Here are some common pitfalls or “touch points” we all share.  These touch points can be hurdles for your patient and can invoke anxiety, frustration or even anger.  On the other hand, paying attention to these touch points could represent areas of strength for your practice…and brand.

“Your Call is Very Important to Us”

Really?  Nothing more irritating than a message on hold.  No bigger statement that says we are so busy and distracted that we might not be able to help you in a timely manner.

Being placed on hold is disrespectful of your patient’s time.  Changing voices, as the messages change, depersonalizes the call.

Message on hold can lead to frustration and anxiety.  It’s right up there with leaving a voicemail…after being on hold.

When was the last time you placed a call, to any business, and a real live person answered the phone?

What if you did that for your patients?  What if the very first time a new patient called your office you answered the phone “live”?  That would be a great way to start off this new relationship.

New Office Visit

Going to a new office can be confusing and intimidating.

There is confusion about parking, then actually walking to the office, what about new forms or records sent from the referring doctor’s office?  There are worries about types of payment and when payment may be due.

You can see how this can add up…and the patient hasn’t even seen the doctor yet.

Purgatory – The Waiting Room

Similar to being place on hold, waiting devalues a patient’s time.  Completing new patient forms prior to arrival to a new office does not ever seem to reduce the wait, it just produces frustration, maybe anger.

In my offices, we usually have multiple providers seeing patients, but only one waiting room.  There is ALWAYS confusion (actually anger) when certain patients get called before others (Hey! I was here first.)

Medical Insurance

Even the insurance specialists get confused.  Staff and patients get confused all the time, especially in areas with dozens of insurance companies.

Disagreements about co-pays, or worse, overcharging a co-pay leads to distrust and casts doubt over the capabilities of your office.   A common mistake in our office is charging a co-pay for a post-op visit…although I think we are improving.

The Front Line

Your front office staff are the most important (yet probably paid the least) employees in your office.  They greet and send-off your patients…hopefully sincerely and with cheer.

How often are they distracted, inattentive  or seem disinterested (probably because the phone keeps ringing)?

Too often, patients start the office visit with a negative touch point and end with one, too.

All the best!

Randy

 

 

SEO for Healthcare and Medicine | Website Rank?

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Healthcare and Medical Internet MarketingHave a brand new medical website and can’t figure out if it’s growing your bottom line?  Why aren’t patients calling?

You are not alone.  While most healthcare groups and medical practices now have a website, very few of you are actually happy with the marketing results.  In fact, most of you are frustrated as;

  1. Website not ranking
  2. Website not growing practice
  3. Return on Investment (ROI) is not defined
  4. Cost/Benefit ratio too high

How Google “Searches”

When you “Google” something, you are beginning a search.  You are “searching” for an answer to a question or solution to a problem.

Movie tickets, restaurant reviews…or a new doctor.

How exactly do the search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) decide which webpages are most likely to help you?

Every search engine travels the Internet and visits every webpage on every website.  Every word is memorized, catalogued and indexed.   Each file on your website containing text gets indexed.

Google et al have their own algorithms to compare one webpage to another.  They use these formulas to decide which webpage will best answer your question or problem.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is your key to making sure Google, Bing and Yahoo pick your webpage!

Your goal is to get your webpages ranked in the “Top Ten” with the search engines.

Search Engine Optimization

Any and every healthcare and medical website must be optimized for it to rank well with the search engines.  Understanding SEO is understanding what criteria Google expects to rank your page well.

Understanding the different variables in the SEO algorithms is only way your webpages can rank highly.  There is no exception or gimmick to avoid search engine optimization.

The most important element of your website is the value and quality of your content.  It is your content, when optimized, which will allow you to beat your competitors and rank highly.

With properly optimized content, you have the ability to “tell”  Google, Bing and Yahoo exactly why and how your content is more relevant and valuable than other’s sites.

“Randy”

Randall Wong, M.D.
Healthcare and Medical Internet Marketing

Russ and Randy | Podcast on Healthcare and Medical Internet Marketing

Subscribe to “Russ and Randy” | Podcast on Healthcare and Medical Internet Marketing.

New Healthcare & Medical Internet Marketing Podcast!

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I have just launched a brand new podcast with Russell Faust, M.D.  It’s the only podcast focused on Internet marketing for Healthcare and Medicine….by two physicians!

Russ and Randy | Healthcare and Medical Internet Marketing

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You can download on;

  1.  iTunes Podcast (if you have iTunes)
  2.  RSS
  3. Our Podcast Website (if you don’t have iTunes)
  4. Visit our website @ www.RussandRandy.com

Download, Listen and Share

We need your help to make our launch successful.

Please subscribe to the podcast, and share with your friends.

Most importantly….PLEASE RANK us on iTunes (5-stars, of course!)
Healthcare and Medical Internet Marketing

 

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Thank you and To Your Success!

 

Randy

HELP, I Stink at Marketing My Medical Practice!

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Medical Marketing Practice IdeasNot every physician has a gift for marketing.  On the other hand, medical practices are becoming more and more dependent on marketing.   This can pose a very difficult dilemma for medical practices in this tech savvy environment….an environment where every patient now searches for physicians on-line!  So, for those physicians who don’t feel like they’ve got what it takes when it comes to marketing, what’s the answer?

Actually, there are a few good options.  Being a less-than-skilled medical marketer doesn’t spell doom for your medical practice, rather it means that you need to find alternative ways to market your practice.

What are Your Strengths?

If you’re reading this, then it’s probably because you already know the importance of marketing your medical practice.  You’ve probably also noticed that there seems to be no shortage of ways to do just that!   Many services proclaim they have the secret ingredient to making your practice number one on the web.  With all of the possibilities out there…it is quite likely that you are confused as to whose advice you should follow.

Go With Your Strengths 

For example, do you like public speaking…then your strength may be in giving presentations.  However, if the thought of public speaking terrifies you then it is probably not going to help you or your practice.

Consider the following:

  • You love to write and create….consider direct mail advertising.
  • You have a ton of medical information to share….but do not want to do public speaking…..consider blogging.
  • You love socializing and connecting with others, but don’t want to spend a great deal of time on writing….consider social media.

The important thing is to take your time so that you can analyze your strengths and then build on those strengths for an authentic and results-oriented way to market your medical practice.

Educate Yourself and Your Staff 

Maybe you don’t know a ton about marketing, but it sure does look like fun to one of your staff members! In that case, why not pay for them to take a marketing class. Nothing quite beats the enthusiasm that goes along with implementing new ideas, and classes/coaching are a great way to gain exposure to those ideas.

If a class doesn’t seem like it would work for you or your staff member, you might also consider hiring a marketing coach.  This person will get to know the specific needs of your medical practice, along with your personality, in
order to make suggestions for strong methods to market your medical practice.

Hire a Professional Whose Niche is Medical Marketing

You and I both know that not every physician has an interest in marketing his or her practice.  With few exceptions, it’s not typically why someone goes to medical school.  If you’ve determined that you don’t enjoy marketing and/or you’re just not getting results from your efforts, it might be time to consider hiring a marketing professional.  Especially one with a proven track record of marketing physicians and their practices.

This may actually be  your best course of action.  Not only does it free up your time to practice medicine, but it can also save a fair amount of money in the long run by avoiding newbie mistakes and giving your medical marketing a professional appearance while achieving the results you desire.

Interested in hiring a physician who know the ins and outs of medical practices, email me at randall.v.wong@gmail.com or call me at 240.230.7353.

To Your Success,

Randy

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