With warm weather approaching , you may have been feeling the itch to do a bit of spring cleaning. Every year, millions of Americans just like you head out to their yards or into their closets to freshen up their homes, but what about their businesses?
Below, we have detailed a list of must-haves to spruce up your medical practice.
Use this as your spring cleaning checklist!
Directory listings:
- It is very important that the location and contact information about your practice is correct and consistent online. There are countless large and small directory sites that can display your information. Correct information will not only make you easier to find, but it also increases your legitimacy with Google, which can benefit your overall site rankings. If making sure that all of your practice information seems like a chore too big to tackle, consider a software like TriageTrak to help manage your online information. With TriageTrak, you can easily update information in one place and push the details out to your website, your scheduling staff and to online directories like Google My Business. The best part? No coding knowledge required! The entire software is also mobile responsive, which means you can make those changes on the go.
- Reputation management sites: At the very least, reputation management sites should be claimed on behalf of your practice. This is another opportunity to display proper contact information. It is also the first impression patients see of your practice when shopping for a provider. Claiming your sites will also allow you the opportunity to respond to patient comments and feedback.
- Website: While you’re in the online realm, it’s worth assessing your practice’s website. How old is it? Does it look good on a smartphone or tablet? Does the design make you cringe? If your website is more than 3 years old you likely need to make some significant adjustments. With Google Core Web Vitals, things like user experience and page speed are critically important. Feeling confident with the user experience and design? You’re not done looking. What has happened in the last year? Have you moved? Opened a new location or hired new staff? Make sure that your website has the most up-to-date information about your practice (hello TriageTrak!), including new service lines and procedures. Your website is only as useful as the information on it, so make sure that a thorough audit is performed at least once a quarter, if not more often.
- Internal systems/processes: Now that spring has sprung, it’s a good idea to take a look at your processes and systems. First, look at the processes that your team uses to stay organized and function on a daily basis. Has the company adopted new software or have certain things become obsolete? Make sure that all training manuals and templated documents are current and archive any old materials. This will ensure that employees only have access to the correct reference and document sheets, reducing confusion and error. Also, use this time to audit the computer desktops of each employee. Make sure there are no outdated templated documents saved on their desktops. (You should probably require that no documents be saved locally on any computers).
- Storage closets and materials: Now, it’s time for the manual labor! Take a look in storage closets, file rooms and anywhere that branded materials might be stored. Go through everything and discard any materials that have old logos, staff members, phone numbers or locations. If you wouldn’t hand the information out to a potential patient today, then discard it properly by recycling. Next, take a systematic assessment through the office, starting in the waiting room. Are the magazines and signs current? Is there any broken or stained furniture? Approach each area with the eyes of a first-time patient. If this sounds challenging, hire a secret shopper to come in and perform an assessment for you. In addition, review each patient room, taking note of the posters and informational materials hanging on the walls. Is everything relevant and current?
Spring cleaning should not be limited to your home. Following these tips, you will ensure that your practice appears clean and organized, building trust in your patient base.
Of course, if monitoring your digital marketing sounds daunting or if web maintenance feels too time-consuming, we can help. At Points Group, we specialize in helping practices grow. Whether it’s assisting with spring-cleaning or any other marketing service, we are at the ready. Contact us today!
