6 Ways Healthcare Marketers Can Boost Conversions with Proven Retail Strategies

// By Ken Robbins //

Conversions are the goal of every marketer. But in healthcare, can you think of conversions the same way you do in other industries? Take retail, for example. Are tactics used to increase conversions in retail relevant to something as unique as healthcare? The answer to both questions is a resounding yes. Techniques used to increase conversions for larger retail organizations can be very successfully applied to healthcare.

If you need convincing, just consider the following:

• Digital interactions influence 36 cents of every dollar spent in a retail store, a sign Web browsing can often be a gateway, not a deterrent, to an in-store purchase.
• Digital interactions influence 50 percent of in-store sales.
• Customers who shop both online and offline with a specific retailer buy 250 percent more on average.
• But most important, 45 percent of consumers search for physicians using search engines.

“Health-sumers” are driving the marketplace. They conduct significant online research before committing to a decision on a care provider. But healthcare marketing reaches its full potential only if these prospects can be converted to patients. Similar to Web-to-store, this new philosophy is known in healthcare as “Web-to-walk-in,” a precise science that demands targeted Web optimization, quick response to leads, and nurturing of potential patients. Traditional retailers have long worked on conversion and measurement of Web-to-store traffic, and there are many lessons that can be applied to Web-to-walk-in.

Here are six tactics to help you take a health-sumer from searching online to sitting in the office of one of your walk-in clinics or practice locations:

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