As we discussed in our previous blog post, word-of-mouth referrals are increasingly incorporating online reviews into their decision-making process. As a result, it’s important to make sure your home health marketing ideas include an assessment of your agency’s online presence. Checking through these six areas is a great place to start.
- Your Website: Is your website easy to navigate with engaging text and photos? Can consumers easily find your contact form, phone number, and address? Does your website clearly explain the types of services your agency offers, along with frequently asked questions and details about how your caregivers are trained and vetted?
- Your SEO: When consumers search for home care in the location(s) you serve, does your agency appear in search results? Having a great website is only one part of the battle. Without keyword research, a clear understanding of your competition, and strategically placed keywords throughout your site, it might be difficult for consumers to find your agency.
- Your PPC: Pay-per-click campaigns can help agencies rank higher in search results. With customized campaigns, information about your home care agency can be delivered to targeted consumers according to key search terms.
- Your Online Business Listings: When someone searches for your agency, does it show up with a map? Claiming your business profile with Google, Yelp and others will help search engines provide the desired information to people who are searching for a specific product or service.
- Your Online Reviews: Reputation management is key in today’s highly competitive home care industry. Online reviews tell consumers how others feel about your agency, but these reviews and ratings also help improve your website’s domain authority, which translates to a higher search ranking.
- Your Social Media: Social media continues to be a low-cost method to reach consumers, referral sources and job seekers. Make sure you are sharing educational information, posting job openings, and interacting with referral sources to help build your agency’s following and reputation.
Your agency’s website, online reviews, social media and SEO/PPC strategies all play crucial roles in reinforcing word-of-mouth recommendations. Together, digital marketing and word-of-mouth referrals are powerful tools that provide consumers with a better understanding of your agency – from the services you provide to how you select, screen, and train your caregivers. Home care agencies that make both their online and offline reputation a priority are better positioned to increase revenue and meet the expectations of well-informed consumers.
Let the home care marketing experts at MOST ensure your home care agency’s online presence is as effective as possible. Contact us online or call us at 800.370.6580 for a free consultation to learn the many ways we can help!