Visionomics^®

Developing your Internet Strategy

Visionomics^® is a series of COPE- and ABO-approved business-building courses. The next Visionomics program will be held at this year's International Vision Expo West show. The courses focus on strategies for assessing and maximizing practice profitability. In this series of articles, Eyecare Business— the official trade media partner for Visionomics—will feature some of the program's speakers.

This month, Bob Main, ABOM, president/founder of Bob Main Consulting Group, LLC, in Draper, Utah, discusses his course, “Getting in the Game: Developing Your Internet and Social Media Strategy,” at Vision Expo West.

ECPs must recognize that people are changing the way they shop for eyecare and eyewear. Surveys prove that patients are turning to the Internet to get information before they decide which eye doctor to visit and before they buy eyeglasses.

Does your practice have a quality presence to provide that information? Let's look at some ways to create an effective online presence that will bring patients into your practice.

1. DEVELOP A PLAN

Get a professionally developed website, a fully engaging Facebook page, and monitor the online review sites. These efforts should be the primary focus in the beginning of any social media/online strategy. Then your strategy can explore other social media platforms.

2. LEVERAGE THE POWER OF THE INTERNET

The golden rule of any website is to display one or more of these four attributes: Engage visitors by getting them to share their email and contact information with you; entertain them with eyewear trivia questions or contests; link to educational articles and other materials; and inform visitors of what is happening in your practice.

3. KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT YOU

Consumers have become very comfortable posting reviews about products and services on online review sites like Yelp, Foursquare, and Google Places. Monitor these online sites to see who is posting a review. Be sure to “claim” your practice on each of them so that you can manage the information and post replies to reviews. There are online services and software that can monitor review sites for you and send you the results.

4. COMMUNICATE WITH PATIENTS BETWEEN EXAMS

Get email addresses from patients when they come in for an exam. Your website and Facebook page should also have a place for site visitors to provide you with their email address.

To make the process easy, and to develop a central database, use online software such as MailChimp.com or ConstantContact.com, or check with your practice management software provider for available options. Facebook makes it easy to produce a “connect” button for your website that will allow visitors to quickly connect to your page. EB

To download a free copy of Main's ebook, “How to Grow Your Practice Using the Internet,” visit his blog at TomorrowsOptical.info.