May 2016 Ceatus Chronicles
Can’t Deny It: Reviews = Revenue
The Good, Bad and the (it doesn’t have to be) Ugly of Your Online Reputation
A now famous Harvard study found that Revenues are directly tied to Reviews. This data showed that businesses with review scores trending upward by 1 star, e.g. moving up from 3.5 to 4.5 on a 5-point rating scale, realized an increase in revenue of 9%, while movement in the opposite direction, i.e. 1 star downward, reduced revenue by the same amount — representing a not-insignificant swing of 18%. So if reviews are so important, why do so many surgeons and dentists lack a comprehensive reviews strategy? One Word – DENIAL!
Head in the Sand?
An overwhelming number of practitioners are afraid of Yelp and other review sites because of the potential for negative reviews. While no one enjoys being critiqued, putting your head in the sand and trying to pretend that these review sites don’t matter — or that consumers won’t use reviews to make buying decisions — is a dangerous game. Furthermore, this fear is misguided because it shifts the power away from you and directly to the reviews sites, sacrificing your practice revenue. Why do you think Yelp is able to use hardball tactics to sell its advertising? It’s the fear!
Now is the time to turn the tables on the major review sites and take control of your online reputation and practice revenue. How? By getting more positive reviews and making these reviews visible.
Many studies have shown that websites which display product information and reviews at the same time increase consumer trust and significantly boost conversion. To wit, Revoo found that conversion increases by 18% when reviews are mixed with product information, and iPerceptions noted that consumers are 63% more likely to purchase from sites that display reviews.
What Are You Waiting For?
If you want to increase your revenue, start publishing positive reviews on your website. Reviews from third-party sites like Yelp, Google, RateMDs, HealthGrades and others provide the most credibility when published on your site. It is best to use a review feed that captures 4- and 5-star reviews from these very well-known sites.
Next Step – Get More Positive Reviews
Now that you have a system for publishing reviews, the question is, how do you get more positive reviews? It’s a well-known (marketing) fact that unhappy customers are far more likely to post a review than happy customers. As happy patients leave your office, they have no sense of urgency to log on to Yelp, etc. Instead, they are excited to begin enjoying “the new them.” This means that without a good reviews strategy, your online reviews “footprint” will display a disproportionate ratio of negative to positive reviews. So, how do you get more positive reviews?
Don’t: Some companies offer the ability to capture patient comments on your website and then publish these comments as reviews. This is not a good strategy, because these “reviews” do not appear anywhere but on your site, and, as such, have no external credibility. The real value comes from reviews that are published on public review sites such as Yelp, Google and other major sites, and then also published on your website.
Do: To be effective, it has to be easy and quick for both the patient as well as your staff. Other strategies, like sending an email soliciting reviews or providing a survey to identify who should be targeted for positive reviews, can be cumbersome and typically generate few reviews on the major public review sites. So, to build practice revenue, your strategy for acquiring positive reviews should include a program whereby consumers can easily (and immediately) post reviews to the major review sites — using their smartphones, while they sit in your office; or, in some cases, right after treatment when they are really happy.
Monitor the Feedback
And lastly, don’t focus only on getting positive reviews. Try to regard negative reviews as real feedback. It is interesting to note that most negative reviews do not involve treatment issues but typically focus on service issues like excessive wait times, poor staff attitude or even parking difficulties. Use this information to improve your patients’ experiences when they visit your office. A simple system to monitor reviews in your office should be used to keep track of what others are saying about you. Using these reviews to correct any negative issues helps create a “firewall” to protect you from future negative reviews.
If you would like to learn more about increasing your number of positive reviews, publishing reviews and monitoring reviews, please contact us to find out about the Ceatus Reviews Manager.
CEATUS Case Study of the Month
Practice X Marks the Spot
Social media plan uncovers Practice X’s hidden treasure
Background
A very prominent and busy practice only had time to post content to their Facebook, Twitter and Google+ accounts a couple of times each month. And when they did post, the content was purely promotional in nature.
Problem
Their infrequent posts were getting lost among the many posts from their patients’ other connections and “friends.” Furthermore, their content was so promotional that their current followers were not engaging with the posts they had written. Due to their promotional content and limited interactions, they were missing out on golden opportunities to connect with their current and prospective patients.
Solution
They needed a social media plan that would build their engagement and online brand and bring patients to their practice. Ceatus provided Practice X with a social media package that enabled them to regularly interact with their followers.
- A Daily News feed was implemented
- Interesting, social content, written by Ceatus’ professional social media writers, was posted daily to Practice X’s Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages
- A Monthly Editorial Plan was provided that included topic recommendations, along with a schedule, supplying the practice with a plan for personalized posts that could be easily implemented
- A Like Us Campaign was launched to increase their audience
Result
Within three weeks of the campaign’s launch, Practice X’s Page Likes had increased (organically) from 179 to 623. Their Post Engagement increased from 5% to 82% and they gained two patients from their newly implemented Facebook campaign within the first two months.
Ask the experts
Q: Most review sites allow doctors to respond to reviews. Should my staff respond to reviews?
A: Yes, absolutely. Respond to as many reviews as possible. For positive reviews, thank patients for saying positive things about your practice. For negative reviews, express regret that they had a poor experience and thank the patient for pointing out the issue to you. Also, invite the patient to contact you directly to discuss the issue so that you can help resolve his or her concern. In either case, due to HIPAA regulations, do not use any identifying information about the patient, even things as innocuous as acknowledging that they are a patient or mentioning an appointment time or date.
Events
Maximize Your Internet Strategy
Come by the Ceatus booth for a FREE website evaluation!
Las Vegas, Nevada
June 6-12, 2016
Booth 422
Join Ceatus Media Group at the upcoming Vegas Cosmetic Surgery conference in Las Vegas. Come visit us at Booth 422 and get a FREE website evaluation from one of our Digital Marketing experts.
Also, Ceatus CEO David Evans, PhD, and Ceatus VP of Marketing Tamara Evans will be presenting at VCS, so don’t miss out!
Presentations by David Evans, PhD:
“Maximizing Your Practice Internet Presence Without Spending Another Penny”
David Evans, PhD
CEO
Wednesday, June 8
4:05 PM
“‘RealSelf’ Bridging the Digital Divide” (Panel)
David Evans, PhD
CEO
Wednesday, June 8
5:00 PM
“Social Media: How Important is It?” (Panel)
David Evans, PhD
CEO
Saturday, June 11
8:50 AM
Presentation by Tamara Evans:
“How Do I Measure Social Media ROI?”
Tamara Evans
VP of Marketing
Saturday, June 11, 2016
7:50 AM
Boston, Massachusetts
July 14-17, 2016
Booth 1013
Give your Digital Strategy a smile makeover at AGD in Boston. Our Digital Marketing experts will be standing by to offer FREE digital and brand evaluations at booth 1013. We hope to see you there!
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Los Angeles, California
September 24-26, 2016
Booth 1446
Join us in Los Angeles at Booth 1446 to meet the Ceatus team and see how Ceatus can give your Digital Strategy a facelift!
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Chicago, Illinois
October 15-18, 2016
Is your Internet strategy out of FOCUS? Come visit Ceatus at this year’s AAO conference and get a FREE Digital Marketing Evaluation from our Digital Marketing experts.
The Great Outdoors
“Do – do you suppose we’ll meet any wild animals?”
– Dorothy, Wizard of Oz
With the weather heating up and the great outdoors calling, it’s time to pack up the gear and head outside. But just any old gear won’t do. These items are a must-have for adventurers and weekend warriors alike.
- Yeti Colster
Price: $29.99
The YETI Colster® represents the next evolution in can-insulating, hand-protecting technology. This drink insulator keeps your 12 oz. bottle or can chilled with double wall vacuum insulations and a load-and-lock gasket that locks in the cold. The stainless steel, no-sweat design keeps your drink cold but your hands just right. Crack one open and enjoy!
- Solar Paper
Price: $135-$400
Funded for 1 million on Kickstarter and touted as the “thinnest, lightest, most efficient” solar charger on the market, this sleek, 4-ounce panel is capable of charging an iPhone 6+ in 2.5 hours. Its small size (3.5 x 7.5 inches) makes for pocket portability and easy transport. Bring on the sun!
- Off the Grid Rentals
Price: Average $112.50 per night (Price based on length of rental)
Not into sleeping on the hard floor or rattling tents? Off The Grid Rentals has a camping solution for you! The Socal Teardrop trailers* are rentable trailers that offer sleeping space for two adults with an optional roof tent and space for a total of 5.
Weighing only 1,250 pounds, it can be easily towed by most vehicles. And with the built-in electronic brake controller, hookup is fast and easy.
With only a 2-night minimum, it’s perfect for a weekend getaway. To check pricing and availability and learn more about features, visit Off The Grid Rentals.
*Only Available in Laguna Hills, CA area and Phoenix area.
- Jetboil Flash Cooking System
Price: $99.95
Wake up and smell the coffee! This personal cooking system, in just over 2 minutes, provides 2 cups of boiling water for coffee, cocoa, instant soup or a freeze-dried meal. Start it up at the campsite or while taking in the sites on a hike.
Flash is designed to be one of the safest cooking solutions out there with a clip in cooking cup, preventing accidental spills, and a fuel canister tripod that ensures overall stability. The insulating cozy has a color-changing heat indicator that signals when contents are hot. Sip, Sip…ahhh!
- Goal Zero Lighthouse MINI*
Price: $59.99
Don’t judge this lantern by its size. It packs a lot of power in its 8oz package; when on the low setting it can run for 500 hours. On high it does double duty as a lantern and has a USB port that can charge 3,000mAh of battery or one full phone charge. It can also project light just one side at a time to allow illumination for reading without interrupting your tent partner. Let there be light!
*Pictured with the Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel for charging.
- Coleman Road Trip Propane Portable Grill LXE
Price: $151.99
Cooking on the camp fire can be a primitive experience. If you like your meat with grill marks cooked like you would in your backyard, the Coleman® RoadTrip® LXE Grill is your grill. The collapsible stand and wheels make for easy transportation and storage. With cast iron grills, 20,000 BTUs of grilling power, Instastart™ push-button ignition, and two adjustable burners, this grill can handle whatever you throw at it. Straight Grillin’!
- Eton Rugged Rukus
Price: $129.99
This solar-powered, drop-proof, water-resistant Bluetooth speaker is changing the game for portable speakers. Rugged rukus’ incredible solar panel generates massive amounts of power to play your music all day long. To keep your party going after dark, the internal battery will play music for 8 hours. Pump up the jams!
- Camp Chef Portable Outdoor Projector Screen
Price: $204.51
If you’re missing your TV back at home, this 120″ outdoor projector screen will make you feel right at home. Gather the family and friends and enjoy some screen time. With its portable carrying case and built-on legs and feet it can easily be set up in minutes wherever you need, even
if the outdoors for you is your backyard. Show time!For a compact projector: ASUS S1 LED Pocket Projector.
- Guide Gear Portable Folding Hammock
Price: $42.99
Hammocks are a great addition to any outdoor adventure but can be tricky if you don’t have any trees to hang them from. With the Guide Gear Portable Folding Hammock, all you need is a flat piece of ground and a couple minutes of set-up. With its mesh fabric it’s perfect for hot and humid days. Snooze on!
