ASK THE CAREER COACH

Making the Web Work for You

By William B. Rabourn Jr.

Q: How important is the Internet to the success of my practice?

A: In a word: very. As you embark on your career, a web presence is one of the most important tools you'll develop. For many years now, businesses of all types and sizes have been connecting with customers less often via traditional vehicles and more often online. Furthermore, Internet searches for information about medical conditions and doctors are among the most popular. In light of these trends, the question to ask yourself is not whether you should have a website, but how effectively your online efforts generate leads and educate patients. It's fairly easy and inexpensive to set up a basic website using one of many available template-based services or perhaps even the help of a tech-savvy friend or relative. But maximizing the web's usefulness requires more than that, which is why I recommend hiring professional help. There's no shortage of individuals and companies providing web development services, but I suggest using a vendor with a healthcare focus. The practice of medicine has its own unique Internet dynamic and patient-customer needs that a specialized vendor will be better equipped to handle.

Create a Cohesive Strategy

A healthcare-focused vendor can assist you in developing a comprehensive web strategy. If the practice you join has an existing website, you may choose to integrate information about the services you'll provide and what your patients need to know, but this may not be the most effective way to build your own patient base.

As you introduce your personal brand to the community, people you meet may want to “check you out” on the web. If your name isn't associated with the name of the practice, patients will have more difficulty finding you, so it's better to have your own website. The vendor you hire should be able to:

■ purchase a domain (ie, web addresses) specific to your name and services
■ create high-quality, effective content for your pages
■ optimize your pages so they have high search engine rankings
■ link or redirect your pages to your practice's existing website
■ appropriately utilize social networking sites and tools, which increasingly include cataract-age patients among their users
■ ensure that your name appears on lists and industry-coordinated databases that help patients find doctors.

Play Defense, Too

While it's possible to set up many of these things yourself, some will require more advanced knowledge and strategy, and managing it all will be time-consuming. For instance, search engine optimization is a specialized and ongoing process, and domain[s] eventually expire and must be renewed immediately to prevent others from purchasing them. This is an increasingly important aspect of what is known as Internet reputation management. You've probably seen examples of websites posted by disgruntled patients who are dedicated to spreading damaging information—true or not—about a particular doctor. These cyber attacks can devastate your reputation. A professional can help you avoid this scenario by purchasing and managing domain name[s] that are likely to surface when users are searching for you, including likely misspellings of your name.

We've moved past the time when business owners can be successful without a web presence. Now, it's crucial. With a well thought-out and properly executed strategy, you should be able to avoid potential pitfalls and realize the practice-building benefits of an effective web presence. nMD

Mr. Rabourn is the founder and managing principal of Medical Consulting Group in Springfield, Mo. The Medical Consulting group team possesses a wide range of expertise in staff training, development of ambulatory surgery centers, and practice development, management, financial operations, efficiency and marketing/advertising.