Have you been struggling to sell services and grow your practice? If so, you’re not alone. Veterinary visits and over all practice profits are declining. Bayer recently published a study to reveal what impact the economy has had on the veterinary profession. The findings showed that 55% of practices saw a decrease in the number of patient visits, and another 15% reported that growth was flat, with no movement in any direction at all.
In addition, Veterinarians have the lowest profit margins when compared to other professionals such as CPAs, dentists, chiropractors, and optometrists, and therapists. (Forbes.com, 2010). Less than 10% of the income that is generated translates into actual profit.
This fact brings us full circle back to the effectiveness of marketing your veterinary practice. If your revenue is stagnant or declining, then it is more important than ever to re-evaluate your strategy. Do you need to do more marketing, or so you simply need better marketing? Well, that really depends on what you are already doing and whether or not you are seeing results. Sometimes it is beneficial to explore new avenues of promoting your practice, and take a fresh look at where your dollars are being spent. If you’re’ sitting their scratching your head and wondering what you could possibly do that hasn’t been done a thousand times already, here is a new platform worth considering: mobile web marketing. You may be thinking, “That’s great, but what the heck is it and how do I do it, and while we are on the subject, how much is it going to cost me?” Mobile web marketing is the process of marketing to clients through their cell phone. It uses both advertising and promotional techniques to generate business for your practice. The target is both new clientele and existing clientele, depending on the techniques that are used. Mobile web marketing can be simple and cost effective too.
Do you really need mobile web marketing?
Well, consider the fact that mobile web is poised to be bigger than desktop internet usage ever was. There are 4.8 billion mobile phone users, compared to just 1.7 billion desktop internet users. The implications of this massive reach mean that there is a larger base – almost four times larger, in fact- in which to actively market to.
Think about the business that you may use that have already begun to tap this market. Banks now offer mobile banking. Airlines offer mobile alerts and mobile check in. Other large companies use the mobile web for sending out news updates. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, have also attracted a large numbers of mobile users.
- Keep it client focused. When you are thinking about what you want to include, remember that it has to based on the desires of your clients. Include the things that are useful to pet owners. For example, they probably won’t care about how many square feet your building is, or that you have a Super-Tech 3000 Ultrasonic Scaler, but they will care if you offer them ½ off on $25 gift certificates during the month of November… just in time for Christmas.
- Keep it simple. Write text that is short, simple, and to the point. Be direct so that clients don’t have to wade through a river of words to find out what they need to know. Simply state who you are, what you do, and what your competitive advantage is. Avoid long or complicated forms, as people are not likely to take the time to fill them out.
- Keep it fast. The key to mobile web is that it is easy to use and FAST. It is a mistake to include complicated graphics, animations, or videos. While you may think that the little dog running around on the screen is cute, many users will find it annoying, and it slows down the flow of information.
- Don’t forget to test it out. Whether you have an ad or mobile website, test it on different cell phones to see how it looks. Since different phones have different graphic displays, your media might not look right on some devices. If you discover a problem, you can address it correctly.
- Track your mobile website traffic. Google analytics is a free tool that tells you exactly how many people are viewing your mobile website and what they are clicking on. The information is useful because it will allow you to tweak things in order to increase traffic.
- Choose simple domain names for your mobile website. The shorter and more relevant it is, the easier it is to remember and navigate to.
Don’t be afraid to reach out and try in new and innovative ways. As the economic world of the veterinary industry is changing, you may find it easier to be flexible and adapt. The great thing about marketing is that if you decide that you don’t like what you are doing, it is easy to move on to something else.
For a free consultation on how mobile marketing can help drive more clients to your practice, contact us at 866-724-0355 or fill out the contact form under the "free consultation" tab.