If you own a business, you will already know that a website is the most vital tool when it comes to attracting and retaining customers.

While people often know the importance of having a website, many still fail to recognise the most important element when it comes to creating a 'brilliant' website that generates traffic and inquiries.

The key is content.

Google holds content in the highest regard when it ranks your website online even higher than your site's mobile responsive design or e-commerce (online shop) service, for example.

Your website's content should be comprehensive and descriptive, but it also needs to be flexible in order to gain Google's almighty seal of approval.

The biggest mistake you can make is creating regular content that can't be easily shared.

Content should transcend your website to appear on social media and email marketing campaigns. It should even create opportunities for mutual backlinks with other websites.

An example of shareable content could be your 'about us' page (which SEO research tells us is one of the most viewed pages on any website).

If your company has an interesting backstory, or you are a fourth-generation family run-business, for example, this is something you should broadcasting.

Not only will a great organic story create online chatter and generate a personality for your business, it will also draw attention back to your site keeping Google happy.

The basic rule of thumb is to always create multi-dimensional content.

Whether you are launching a new product, commenting on an industry trend or simply listing your services on your website, always consider more than just one way to share the news.

Understandably, creating good content can take some time and effort. We are here to help lift the pressure that comes with creating memorable content that has a long lifespan.

Our team of writers at Bloomtools can also help manage your blog, creating articles that are ideal for re-sharing and tweaking across different platforms.

Feel free to get in touch with your Bloomtools Consultant to find out how we can deliver on your content needs.

There are close to 7 billion searches conducted online each and every day.  Five billion of those are on Google!

With an estimated search market share of 77%, it's no wonder 'Google it' has become the colloquial terminology for 'search online'.
And with over 140,000 new websites launched each day, it can take a lot of time, effort and perseverance before a website starts appearing on page one of Google.

So, what's the point?  The point is that the Internet today is a very busy place and companies spend upwards of tens of millions of dollars each year on Search Engine Optimisation and Pay Per Click tactics to ensure they appear in the first position on page one of Google.

On the Internet, you don't compete on products and services - you compete for attention.  Standing out online results in attracting your ideal target client, encouraging them to visit your website where they can take action and eventually, convert into paying clients.
The financial services sector (accountants, bookkeepers, financial planners, mortgage brokers etc) are one group that stands to gain the most from having a stand-out online presence.

One simple reason for this is the Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), of a client.

Once a client buys a service from a financial services provider, they will most likely continue to do so for possibly many years to come on a regular basis.  Hence, the purchase is not transactional, rather, it's very much relational, regular & ongoing and based on trust.

Having a stand-out presence online can yield a very profitable client base thanks to CLV.

A well designed and functional website is the starting point, what is also needed is a cohesive set of strategies to maximise your website's presence.

Here are 5 simple yet effective strategies to help your financial services business establish a productive online presence.

No.1 - Be Educational - provide value

There is no shortage of information on the Internet - some good and lots not so good!  People are always looking for valuable, useful, insightful and above all, original information.  The more your business can establish itself as a font of knowledge relevant to your business, the more you will be seen as the expert, authority and more importantly, a trusted source.  Chances are that more people will gravitate to you for advice, input, guidance and even for your business if they see you in this light.  The best and most effective ways to be educational; write informational & educational blogs, publish quality content newsletters, email marketing, again with quality & usable information (targeted to your client base).  Finally, consider hosting webinars and online Q&A sessions.

No.2 -  Be Open - promote others

Developing and publishing your own content is great.  Equally powerful though is promoting other's content.  Do this when you come across great content - make reference to it with your own spin and take.  Content Curation actually adds to your reputation as a trusted and authoritative source.  The key obviously is to give credit and acknowledgement and provide your input as well.

No.3 - Show Your Worth - engage

Providing useful, valuable and insightful information is one side.  Actively engaging with your potential client base is another.  Engaging in relevant conversations through social media on LinkedIn and Twitter as well as chat forums will allow you to have a dialogue with potential clients - you can answer their questions, provide guidance and insights.  The more you do so, the more you and your business will be seen as a trusted source - not only attracting clients, yet also being referred to others as a valuable resource.

No.4 - Get Social

A follow on from the point above, yes, you do need to engage with your client base through social media - this is bordering on becoming inescapable.  Selecting the appropriate channel to use is one aspect (LinkedIn, Twitter), however, the challenge appears to be what to post, how often, how much and what's my sales message!  Content on social media works when it falls into one of three categories; it's educational, it's entertaining, it's controversial.  For the financial services group - the objective is to be educational with a touch of entertainment - it's not about selling!

No.5 - Know Who You Are - establish your niche

You cannot be everything to everyone.  If you try, your message will be confusing, you will be confused and your clients will be confused.  This is even more relevant for the financial services sector.  If you're an accountant, what's your speciality area - small business, corporates, forensic accounting, SMSF?  The more clarity around who you are targeting, the clearer your messages are.  This allows you to then craft and develop an online presence that talks specifically to your target group - increasing the chances of attracting your ideal client.

Yes, it takes work, anything worthwhile does.  If you're not sure where to start, get help, but don't neglect the strategy.

At Bloomtools, we not only design and develop great websites, we can also help you with your overall online strategy.
Contact your Bloomtools consultant today.

Does your current website reflect your expertise as a Doctor?

We know that you have the least amount of time to spend on branding and updating your business, especially online, so the following will give you some insight into the top tips we have learnt from many of our medical clients.

Top 5 things that your website should have:

1. Keywords  

(for Google and your readers)

The average person doesn't necessarily know the medical term for what they are searching for, so keep the language simple as well as educate the user with what the medical term. Eg. Abdominoplasty is a Tummy Tuck, include both words.

2. Quality Content vs Content Overshare

Under specific headings make the content easy to find and to the point, you don't need to cover it over 5 or 6 paragraphs and use bullet points for ease of understanding.  Your words are there to showcase what you do, your expertise, but give enough information to encourage action / or give them the initial insight they need.

3. Location, Location, Location

People need to find you, be sure to have your correct address and easy way to find you as well as tips on where to park.  We also help our clients with their listings on Google, so Google Maps, Business etc have your location correct and the same for maximum results.

4. Keep Content Fresh

The best way to keep your content fresh is via a blog, even if it's once a month, Google will know and reward you.  We also help our clients write and use this content to further promote their expertise externally, as content marketing is the essential step needed for any content produced these days.

5. Affiliations and Awards

Remember to list your qualifications, affiliations and awards, with links to their websites (Top tip, also request to be placed on their website directories back to yours to help you further be found and ranked higher by Google).  This gives your potential patients peace of mind and helps confirm your level of expertise.  For example:

• RACS Royal Australasian College of Surgeons www.surgeons.org.au
• ASPS Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons www.plasticsurgery.org.au
• ASAPS Australian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery www.asaps.org.au

Take a look at some of our clients in the Medical Industry:

• Dr Lily Vrtik
• Oceanside Medical
• Dr Samuel Yang
• Dr Susan O'Mahony
• Graduate Medicine
• Queensland Medical Orchestra

Make sure your website is a good indication of your professionalism.  If you are looking to update your website you may be eligible for a Small Business Digital Grant?

If you would like to discuss your online presence (website or Internet Marketing) give a Bloomtools Consultant a call, or contact us via email.

 

Posts feature is now available on Google My Business

Google My Business, is one of the first strategies you need to have sorted, and one that will make a massive difference to your business being found. This is backed up by Googles statistics that say that 82% of people turn to search engines to find local information and 70% look at multiple businesses before making a decision.

Now Google has made it even more effective, by now allowing businesses to post on their listing.  This is powerful for promoting events, blogs, offers, specials, product updates, announcements and more.

• As an accountant, you could promote Tax workshop for the end of financial year, with a 'Book Now' call to action (CTA),  
• A private school could promote an Open Day event, with a 'Call Now' CTA;  
• A Dentist could promote a special offer for teeth Whitening, with 'Call Now' CTA;
• A business coach could promote one of their blogs to showcase their expertise, with a 'Learn More' CTA;
• A dog groomer you could promote getting your dog groomed, with a Book Now CTA;  

Think what you could use this tool for to promote your business, and schedule adding new posts once a week or month.

To add posts, simply log into your Google My Business Account, then click on posts

Important tips:

• Photo/image used:  Make sure it is of good quality and fits within the box restrictions
• Make your post brief.  You have 100-300 characters to give the key information, then inspire to encourage action
• Add in your button of 'call to action'.

For more detailed step by step of what to do, Google Support has a good support article, to help you set up along with tips and examples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Think about the last time you went to the dentist.  Most likely, this has been your family dentist for many years and the reason you go to this dentist is because of familiarity, relationship and trust.  

But what if, for some reason, you had to choose a new dentist.  What would you do?

Typically you would first search online for dentists near your location - this could be near your home, workplace or you could be on holidays and in need of a dentist close to where you may be staying.  Regardless, your research starts off on the Internet.

From there you are now presented with a list of dentist around your area or an area of speciality.   Now begins the process of shortlisting and ultimately, choosing.

So here's what happens.

You see a listing online, click through to their website and start reviewing the practice to see if this is for you or not. 

The judgements you form will be based on;

• Your first impressions based on the look and feel of their website,
• Are the services offered clear and related to your needs,
• Can you easily move around their website,
• Can you find what you're looking for,
• Is there a compelling reason why you should contact them and
• How do you contact them

After your initial review, you may then move onto what other's have to say about this dentist - reviews and testimonials. 

All this adds up to building trust and comfort - encouraging you to make the decision to contact the practice.

If this is the typical 'online evaluation' process, then there a few simple online strategies a dental practice can put in place to earn trust and comfort with prospective patients and have them contact the practice.

Oh, and by the way, the same evaluation process happens even if someone recommends a dentist to you

Here are 5 simple digital strategies for dentists that help with building trust and comfort.

No. 1
Ensure your website is professionally designed and one that is responsive (can be viewed on mobile devices easily).

By professional we mean visitors should be taken down a path that leads them to want to get in touch with the practice.  So many sites are presented with an overload of text, images and links to the point the visitor is not sure what to click on, where to go or even what to do!

Striking a balance between presenting enough detailed information versus ease of navigation, consistency and clarity is a fine balance.

Your website is the first opportunity to instil comfort and trust through; letting clients know how they will be looked after, patient care information, why they should trust you and of course, what you have to offer - by way of services and your methods.

Given that a majority of searches typically happen on a mobile device, you must ensure the website is optimised for a mobile experience, so it is easily read on anyone's mobile phone.

The content presentation should be in such a way that those scanning quickly can get a feel for the practice whilst those looking for more in-depth information, e.g. information on procedures or how to guides, will also be catered for.

Finally, you need to be very clear with Calls To Action on your website. What would you like the visitor to do?  Call the practice?  Fill in the contact us page?  Complete an initial consultation form?  The calls to action need to be up front and centre - a key objective of the website is to also generate new patient leads.

No. 2
Make sure your website is setup for local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). 

Local SEO is a very targeted online marketing approach.  Local SEO allows the clinic to position the practice on search engines and other digital marketing platforms so they're seen by potential patients on their terms.

This involves not only structuring the site so that it's found for chosen geographical keywords, yet also setting up the practice on platforms such as Google My Business and Bing Places for Business with localised content.

Local search marketing is highly targeted and timely - the practice can found as and when a potential patient is searching for a dentist or a particular treatment.

A proper local SEO structured site will have one of the highest conversion rates of any advertising channel.

No. 3
Blogging - the number one content marketing strategy for dentists.

Search engines love websites that have fresh and ever changing content.

However, there are only so many times you can update the About Us page or a page on Dental Implants.

So, the best way to ensure fresh, up to date and relevant content is via blogs.

A dental practice has a wealth of information to share, ranging from dental tips on hygiene through to the latest advancements such as  'invisible' braces as well as keeping patients up to date with the newest happenings in the practice, new staff and community involvement.

All this information can be shared through blogs.

Blogs are great because they are so versatile.  They can be used to share technical information, 'how to' information as well as personal and light-hearted insights, making the practice more appealing and encouraging reader engagement.

Hand in hand with blogging is Email Marketing [link to email marketing blog].  You can communicate with your existing patient database with news, announcements, reminders and technology advancements and hence staying top of mind.

However, beware of overselling.  Blog and email content should be 80% about the patient and 20% about the business.

Embedding appropriate and relevant videos in blogs is an even better way to increase engagement - everyone loves a good video.

No. 4

Encourage patients to leave you reviews and testimonials.

Why is this important?  Because it's part of building trust.  Positive and comforting reviews online from clients is the single most powerful way to instil a sense of trust.

Research has shown that consumers rely heavily on product and service reviews to help them decide on whether or not to go to the next step, i.e. contact you.

Your website is a great place to showcase client testimonials.  Equally powerful is to have clients leave you reviews on your Google My Business page (see point No. 2 above).

Reviews are a two-edged sword though.  When you do receive a review, you need to do something with it, else it may turn into a negative consequence.

For example, let's say a patient leaves a glowing review on your Google My Business page.  You should at least acknowledge and thank the person who left you the review - this shows active engagement on your part and that you are paying attention.

Conversely, if a client leaves you a less than positive review, again acknowledge the review with a response along the lines of "Thank you for your feedback.  We take all feedback seriously and do our best to improve our services based on your feedback".

Next, ask to take the conversation off-line so you can gain a better understanding as to what lead to the negative review.  This can be done by simply asking for a direct conversation.  At the very least, everyone can now see that you are more than willing to engage.

Remember, in the Internet world, good news will eventually get around, however, bad news is VIRAL!

No. 5
Remember to get social.

For the foreseeable future, social is here to stay, so don't ignore it.

Dentists can gain immensely from actively engaging on relevant social channels in order to show their more humorous and human sides - again, helping to gain trust and comfort.

Social channels serve to drive potentially large volumes of traffic to your website.

Here are some ways to use social channels to drive website traffic;

• Post interesting and relevant content for your followers and potential clients including; dental tips and the latest in modern (pain-free) dentistry.
• Customise your posts to suit the channel you're posting on.  For example, Twitter only allows your 140 characters to post, so the message needs to be clear and concise, whereas Facebook allows for longer form posting.
• Where possible, use short videos to get your message across.
• Don't sell!  Brands have come undone not because they don't have a great product or service to sell, rather, they've used social media to ramrod home a sales message.  However, that does not mean you can't post the occasional 'sales promotion', that is befitting your practice.
• Remember to drive traffic back to your website via links and 'read more' teasers.

What are the best social channels for dentists?  That really depends on how much you have to offer.  What your target market use (ask them). What effort you are willing to put in (better to do one regularly, vs many sporadically)  From experience though, the more relevant ones tend to be Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (very much a visual platform, great to show before and after work, e.g. teeth whitening etc).

Dentists can stand to gain immensely from having an integrated and professionally managed online presence.  Trust, Comfort and Reputation Management is key for dentists - your online presence will help you with this.

Find out how Bloomtools can help you establish a professional and results-oriented online presence.  Contact your Bloomtools Internet consultant today.