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The Foundation of Your Marketing Strategy: A Strong Web Presence

By Kim Goin and Brent Cavender

These stages are even longer and more involved for bariatric patients, so it is vital for providers to use interactive marketing strategies that increase patient awareness and support patient loyalty over time. Bariatric practices that embrace a comprehensive online marketing strategy will quickly witness how effective it is.

Twenty five years ago, bariatric patients went through the same five-step process, but a lack of information restricted their progress. In particular, patients struggled with evaluating options and resolving concerns. Consequently, they found themselves limited to information from social circles, primary care referrals, medical journals, library references, and yellow-page directories. As a result, options were less clear, questions and concerns went unaddressed, and the decision to pursue weight loss surgery was likely delayed for months, years, or simply abandoned.

Because of the Internet, scarcity of and access to information no longer limit bariatric patient progress. Instead, today's patients face new and unique decision-making challenges because of the abundance of available information. The quantity of available data can be overwhelming and confusing. Helpful, informative content is critical, but so is the structure and presentation of that content; it must be easy to find (in search engines) and organized in a logical, meaningful way.

A Website is Mandatory

Medical organizations need a website; it's no longer a question of "if" or even "when." The market has made this decision for all providers. Now, the relevant questions are:

• Is the website easy to use and navigate?
• Does the site have rich, unique, and persuasive content?
• Will prospective patients be able to find the site/content in routine search engine queries?

Let's be clear. The objective of a financially successful website is not to be found by patients who already know the practice exists and are searching by practice name or by physician. While that's important, real value online is in being found by potential patients seeking services by topical terms such as:

• Desired results (weight loss)
• Branded names (LAP-BAND®)
• Conditions (obesity)
• Procedures (restrictive banding surgery)
• Geographical terms (city, state, or region)

It is essential to understand that many potential patients use the Internet to make difficult medical decisions. There is overwhelming evidence that consumers are online in increasing numbers and that medical consumers, in particular, use the Web to find answers to their questions. For example, the Pew Research Institute finds that 74% of Americans were online in 2009 and that 82% of Internet-connected Americans made medical decisions based on online information.

Website Marketing Versus Other Tactics

Because Bariatric programs are unique in geographical market, surgical procedures, risk adversity, and practice personality, it stands to reason that their marketing strategies should be unique as well. However, there is one truth that holds across all bariatric practices in today's marketplace: A strong Web presence should be the hub of any marketing strategy.

Here's why:

1. All other marketing initiatives-whether online or offline-will naturally lead potential patients to your website (see Figure 1). These initiatives include traditional offline tactics like broadcast advertising, billboards, and direct mail, as well as online strategies such as blogs, pay-per-click advertising, and social media. For example, if potential patients hear a radio ad in their car but don't catch the telephone number, they likely will go online to find the contact information. While they research the organization online, there is an opportunity to answer additional questions and motivate them to take the next step. Or, consider the LAP-BAND® candidate who is introduced to the process at an informational seminar, is initially engaged, but stops making progress after struggling with weight loss attempts. Recapturing this patient's attention is something that can be done with an engaging and optimized website that provides a positive user experience. Ultimately, the success of any particular marketing tactic is enhanced when the website is informative, appealing, easy to find, and effective at converting visitors to active program participants. As a result, the return on investment (ROI) of individual tactics-online and offline-can be maximized when the website is comprehensive and effective.
   
   
2. Unlike most offline tactics, an effective website allows practices to monitor and measure performance and results. Even when offline marketing tactics provide some means of measurement, the methodology or accounting is often rudimentary. At a minimum, websites track and tabulate anonymous metrics like unique visitors and page views using programs like Google Analytics. However, practices that fully leverage online properties are able to follow patient inquiries all the way from the website through seminars, consults, surgery, and postsurgical programs. They are able to identify those campaigns (online and offline) that are most effective and those that should be eliminated or updated to meet financial objectives. By tracking marketing metrics in this way, organizations will have confidence in their budgetary spending and a better roadmap for continual improvement of the larger marketing plan.
   
   
3. Compared to traditional broadcast advertising, website marketing is a "pull" strategy. In other words, information consumption online is democratic in its very nature. Consumers vote their preference with use of search engines and by following relevant links. Contrary to traditional advertising, potential patients are not forced to watch irrelevant commercials to access desired information and entertainment. The "pull" nature of online marketing makes it particularly valuable to bariatric practices that want to maximize ROI by reaching a specific audience with a specific message.
   
   
4. Online promotional initiatives tend to be interactive, drawing in and engaging visitors. Websites that connect potential patients with practices in more proactive ways are "stickier," encouraging repeat visitation and producing higher visitor-to-patient conversion rates. The possibilities of interaction online are virtually limitless. Site visitors can become engaged with tools as simple as a BMI calculator or a seminar reservation system, or they can interact with the practice or other patients in more sophisticated ways like video consults and support forums. Website interactivity encourages potential patients to return frequently and consume additional content which may lead to new services like dietary programs and nutritional supplements. Interactivity encourages organizations to leverage their existing website to grow their audience and their service offerings.
   
   
5. The cost of growing impressions scales more favorably online than it does with offline advertising. Even though an effective Web strategy can attract ever-increasing visitors into the practice, the associated advertising costs of providing additional Web impressions remain relatively constant. For traditional offline channels-radio and television advertising, billboards, direct mail-cost scales almost linearly with the frequency of transmissions, publications, or audience impressions achieved. While the upfront investment to initially build a website may be slightly higher, additional operating expense to serve up significantly higher volume of Web impressions is quite modest.
   
   
6. Online marketing is a more dynamic media, so websites can evolve over time to include new content, results, and services. Because bariatric patients traditionally conduct research for several months , the capability to change, update, and adapt quickly is particularly appealing to patients that are likely to return repeatedly. Practices that choose online marketing are placing their marketing resources into a platform that can be easily updated:
   
   
   • Seminar schedules can be updated online.
   • Patients can ask questions of practices and other patients in online forums and then return to review the answers.
   • Bariatric practices and health care organizations that grow and evolve locations, services, or practitioners over time can leverage their websites to announce news and events and promote new services.
   • Photo galleries with before-and-after views of actual patients are a particularly effective online tactic, one that leverages the dynamic nature of websites. Photo galleries inspire potential patients to become program participants. When practices regularly update photo galleries to tell the success stories of their patients, they earn repeat visits from patients with more urgent interest. And, as potential patients connect emotionally with past patients, they naturally connect with the practice and its programs.
7. Potential patients consume information on websites anonymously, which is advantageous to bariatric practices. By allowing site visitors to review a practice's information anonymously, potential patients are encouraged to return frequently and to consume information without fear of losing their privacy or receiving unwanted marketing pressure. As potential patients visit repeatedly, they become more knowledgeable and comfortable, and are more likely to take action. However, for practices to ultimately earn inquiries and new patients online, their websites must deliver sufficient information and value to motivate website visitors to reveal their identity. Eventually, interested patients will make a trade, giving up their name, e-mail address, or phone number for something of value. Fortunately, there are numerous transactions online where bariatric service providers can offer value. They can provide:
   
   
   • Short-term value to website visitors by offering prompt answers to questions.
   • Medium-term value by offering to reserve spots in Webinars or at seminars.
   • Long-term value by distributing regular newsletters.
   An effective online strategy offers an appropriate value transaction for potential patients in every stage of the decision-making process. By providing ever-increasing value to potential bariatric patients free of charge, practices develop trust and loyalty over time. Eventually, they will earn requests for consult and services.

Successful Marketing Strategy

The potential positive impact of a marketing plan with a robust website as its foundation is indisputable. Effective website campaigns provide a viable, flexible, and affordable channel for bariatric practices to acquire new patient inquiries. A caveat, however, requires that practices understand that the primary elements of an effective online marketing strategy-anonymity, interactivity, and flexibility-are available to everyone, including competitors. The bariatric surgery organization that hopes to be successful in its online marketing effort will want to monitor, meet, and exceed the achievements of its competitors.

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Authors' note: Not all Web service providers are created equal. There are considerable differences in skill, services and expected delivery of ROI between various providers so choosing the right vendor can have a huge impact on a practice's financial success. A follow-up article will share a series of questions and tactics that savvy medical organizations can use to select a quality medical Web provider.

About the authors: Kim Goin is a member of the Allergan Bariatric Practice Advisor (BPA) team. She is based in Mundelein, Illinois. Brent Cavender is in business development at Etna Interactive, a website design and online marketing strategy firm that specializes in helping elective health care organizations increase the results from their Internet efforts.