Optometry Websites - Your Patients Are Looking For You - Are You There Yet?

Here's a test scenario: Let's say your practice is named "Paradise Island Optometry" and you live in the Bahamas. (You wish, right?) You look for yourself online, and you type "Paradise Island Optometry" into Google or Yahoo. Your website is the first result. Fabulous, right? Especially since your domain name is "paradiseislandoptometry.com." Your potential patients should have no problem finding you, right? Well, not if they already know about you, at least. And that's the potential problem for many optometry websites.

No matter how wonderful your website is, you'll find that you get much more traffic if you appear in the search engine results for more general terms, besides just your practice name. (And if you don't even appear for your practice name-which is a particular challenge for those with very generic names-it's even more problematic.) Ideally, you should appear not just for "Paradise Island Optometry" but also "Bahamas optometrist" "Nassau optometry" and "glasses Bahamas."

How can you ensure that patients can find you if they don't already know your name? It helps to know exactly what they're looking for. They may use terms similar to the examples above, as well as other terms. Start with conducting keyword research related to your practice via one of the many online keyword tools that are available. For instance, you may have an opportunity to have a potential patient find you by incorporating information on various eye conditions into your website. Someone who is experiencing spotty vision or another problem may find your site by seeking information on this symptom.

These are the types of terms people use when they are looking for optometry websites.

This brings us to the next key point: be sure to include a strong local element in your site. Make sure your street address is prominently displayed on your site and visible to the search engines. Include a map, and include your town or region in your page titles. While a person who is doing Internet research on their spotty vision symptom in Nebraska may find your site useful, you're really looking for patients who are in the Bahamas (or wherever you are.) Notify Google Maps and Yahoo Local, as well as area review sites, about your practice, and you're more likely to appear for searches in your area.

Once your potential patients find your site, make they have a reason to stay on your site and eventually schedule an appointment with you. Obviously, your site should look clean and professional-but it should also be easy to navigate and easy to contact you and book appointments. The best optometry websites excel at inspiring a sense of trust and well-being amongst potential patients, while offering in-demand information and convenient scheduling.

Most doctors use less than 20% of the potential of their website for gaining new patients. A great looking website is only one part of getting patients from the internet. Are you getting as many patients as you can from yours? You may find the free expert guide, “7 Mistakes Doctors Make When Getting Their Website Done,” a valuable optometry websites resource.