You’ve invested in good search engine optimization and digital marketing strategies, and your business has never been busier. However, new leads and patients from increased web traffic may not always stay. In fact, patients churn at about a 48% rate. Patient retention provides steady income, allows you to build stronger relationships with your clients, and improves your reputation. So, how do you transform your success bringing in high quality leads to developing a consistent, reliable client base?
Patient retention can refer to clients coming to you for multiple procedures. It also involves the rate at which patients complete their treatment program and routine care. This makes patient retention important even for medical practices not built around a repeat customer business model.
If your practice struggles with retention, you should first consider the underlying causes. Do patients have a consistent and easy way to communicate with their physicians? How quickly do they have access to test results, and how well explained are those results? Strong communication helps patients feel supported by their doctors and encourages them to stick with your practice.
Surveys are a reliable way to understand what may be causing poor retention as well as on how to fix it. Prompting your patients to leave feedback in an efficient format can help you find solutions and ensure their experience stays positive. You can do this through online surveys, social media, or in-person interviews.
Additionally, make sure to check your online business reviews. Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Healthgrades offer a wealth of valuable information. Keep track of how many patients you have at the start and end of a period, as well as the number of new patients acquired during that period. Over time, this data can help you find patterns in retention.
Once you know what is and isn’t working for your business, you can build a plan of action. A digital marketing agency like MedShark Digital can help you automize marketing and survey technologies while supporting in the analysis and review of retention data. We can work with you to develop improvement strategies based on real feedback and data from your patients. Enlisting the help of an agency allows you to prioritize patient satisfaction while focusing your time and energy on your work. Contact us today to get started.