With over 4 billion users spending more than eight hours on the Internet every day, what potential patients read about your practice online has a significant impact on your revenue and growth. According to reports, seven out of 10 Americans look for online reviews and ratings before choosing their next doctor.
- More than 89 percent of patients read more than two online reviews before selecting a new physician.
- Nearly 86 percent of patients will not come to your practice if they read negative reviews about you.
Thus, you have a better chance of converting visitors to customers if you have lots of positive online reviews about your practice. Though there are many ways to gather positive online reviews, here are the top three ways to make your patients share positive reviews and high ratings about your practice:
- Inform and Educate Your Patients: After every consultation, you must contact your patients and request them to post online reviews. Also, you must educate your patients on the correct way to post reviews.
- Acknowledge and Reward: Keep your patients motivated and to show your gratitude for their efforts, you should surprise them with a gift coupon or free consultation on their next visit.
- Provide Unmatched Customer Service: Train your medical staff to properly welcome patients and make them feel special at all times. Your team should make patients feel connected to your practice.
Negative online reviews are tough to handle. An unhappy patient leaving bad reviews for your practice is like a swift kick to your online reputation. Online reviews tend to keep popping up in search results for years to come and can make patients turn their back to you. Here are some useful tips for dealing with negative online reviews:
- Respond Quickly: A prompt reply shows that you value the opinions and sentiments of your patients. It may pacify the angry reviewer, and you may get a second chance.
- Be Polite: Take time to collect your thoughts and respond politely. If you feel the reviewer is right, take immediate steps to resolve the issue.
- Request the Reviewer to Remove Negative Comment: You must try to convince the reviewer to remove the negative comment. If the comment is defamatory in nature, you should request the review website to take it down.
- Don’t Take Reviews Lightly: When patients leave negative reviews, they do not intend to defame you. They only want to express their dissatisfaction with the quality of your service. Take negative reviews with a positive attitude, and try to implement the suggestions.
myPracticeReputation can help you take charge of your online reputation, from positive patient reviews to SEO, blogs and social media profiles. With myPracticeReputation, you can protect your medical practice before it is too late. If you want to know more about our services, contact a myPracticeReputation representative today.