Top tips to make your veterinary practice stand out from the crowd

20.04.2017 Create a website and market it well Gone are the days of phone books, the majority of people now use the internet to find a practice meaning a website is necessary for you to stand a chance. While it’s important to have a website that looks good, don’t forget that it must also be simple to find information that your clients require. Provet Cloud offer an easy online booking system which can be integrated into any website allowing your clients to book appointments quickly and at their own convenience. The appointments offered here can be tailored to your practice to take into account work schedules and appointment lengths. Once you have a website – you need to market it. To establish your brand you need search engine optimization (SEO). This means that when a potential client types in specific key words to a search engine, they will be directed to you. To gain the first spot of an internet search page may be tough if there are high volumes of established practices in your area. You can maximise your chances by investing in some search engine marketing (SEM), where a fee is paid to boost your listing above local competition. Use social media Social media can help you connect with clients 365 days a year and build relationships outside the consult room. Facebook will probably help you reach the widest audience, however posts will only be seen if a client’s friend has liked them – therefore they need to be appealing otherwise you’re wasting your time. Twitter and Instagram are also both valuable tools, it’s important to remember that different groups of people view different social media platforms and different posts also attract different audiences so make sure there’s something for everyone. Increase your community presence Activities such as open days for charity or careers talk at schools really help you in becoming a household name in your community. A video guided tour of your practice posted on your Facebook page and website is an effective way of opening up your practice to the community if you don’t have time to run a physical open day. Go the extra mile To really make your practice stand out from the crowd, you need to go above and beyond what your competitors offer and offer extra services that clients love. For example, a token gift for every new client. It’s always useful to have a good relationship with a local pet shop, who may provide you with a discounted rate for these in return for some free advertising within your practice. Another trick guaranteed to make clients smile is a text on their pet’s birthday. With Provet Cloud this is easy to set up and our packages all come with a certain amount of SMS messages per month, if you run out its really easy to top up so no pets birthday is forgotten!