Most podiatrists want content on their websites that attracts perfect patients and referral sources and presents their practices in a positive light. They want website content that sounds professional, yet personable, and they want their staff to appear knowledgeable and skilled. They want it to be friendly for online searches. And, ultimately, they want that content to convert their website visitors into real patients for their practice.
Of course, all that is much easier said than done.
Are you struggling to create content for your podiatry website that has a positive impact on your patients and profits? Below, let’s talk about the 5 main things you should do when creating content, as well as 3 things you definitely don’t want to do.
5 Ways to Turn Readers Into Patients With Your Website Content
You can’t just post anything and hope that’s enough to attract new readers and turn them into new patients. Instead, you need to be focused on your audience, your goals, and what people want out of online content. Here are 5 important tips that will help you accomplish that.
1. Cater to short attention spans.
The average adult’s attention span is about eight seconds. Research shows that the average attention span decreased by around 25 percent just between 2000 and 2015. What that means is that your content has to capture attention, and it has to do it quickly.
You want a compelling headline at the top that tells people what they should expect to get out of this article. You want to summarize the most critical points up front and leave the details for later. And you want to avoid wandering off topic or adding too many irrelevant details. When readers get to the end, they should have clear answers to the questions that brought them in.
That doesn’t mean that your content should always be short and sweet, though! It just means that you want to take the broad strokes first and follow with the details and anecdotes that reinforce the main point.
2. Show your expertise and authority.
Potential patients come to your website because they are looking for professional-level guidance and expertise. You want to show them that you know your stuff and can answer their questions. What you don’t want to do is overwhelm them with medical jargon and academic formalities that leave them confused.
When people search for a podiatrist online, they do want someone that is highly skilled in their field and highly qualified to perform services. However, you have to understand that what they really want is a doctor that has all that knowledge and can also break it down to them in helpful, approachable ways. For most people, it isn’t really about what you know. It’s about what you can communicate to patients that are worried, scared, and frustrated and how you can reassure them.
So, when you create content for your website, think about how you might explain these kinds of topics to a patient in your office. Think about the questions they might ask, and think about the parts they struggle to understand. The more you can write as though you’re truly explaining these concepts to your average patient, the more you’ll be able to connect with the people that visit your website looking for a doctor to help them with their problems.
3. Personalize your message for your perfect patients.
Don’t be afraid to get specific with your content. Most podiatrists have several main areas of practice, and they probably have a different “perfect patient” avatar in mind for each one. So, go ahead and tailor your message to your most perfect patients for that topic. You don’t have to generalize and write for every type of patient in every piece! Instead, really think about your narrow target audience and get laser-focused on what’s important to them.
For example, if you’re writing about diabetic foot issues, you want to really address the questions people with diabetes have. Your headline and content should resonate with them and reflect the kinds of things they deal with every day. If you’re writing for people that have a loved one with diabetes, the tone you take and issues you address will be slightly different to really connect with that audience. And if you’re writing about toenail fungus or sports injuries, you want to home in on what’s most important to those kinds of patients.
You want to have that narrow audience firmly in mind as you write. You want to show them that you care about their issues, understand what they’re going through, and aren’t trying to be everything to everybody. That’s what converts!
4. Use H3 subheadings, images, and bullet lists.
How you structure your content on the page can make a big difference in how effective it is at connecting with potential patients. You want to make your content “scannable”—readers should be able to glance over the page and get a basic idea of what they’ll learn. And one of the best ways to accomplish that is to use subheadings and bullet lists to break up walls of text and organize the information on the page.
You essentially want to break it down into approachable “bites.” Many readers prefer to read through section headers, text boxes, and lists before they dig into the “meat” of an article. So, give them the waypoints they need. Use accurate headings that describe what they’ll learn in each section. Use lists that make that high-value information digestible. Capture attention with headings that speak to major questions and concerns.
And don’t forget about the power of images. A quick diagram or relevant photo can speak volumes and help draw people into the rest of the content.
5. Incorporate testimonials and success stories.
Stories of real people with real problems are memorable and relatable. So, go ahead and use testimonials, success stories, before-and-after photos, and other real-life stories to bring your points home with your readers.
If you already have permission to use a success story or testimonial on your website, go ahead and use it in relevant content. You can also think about little anecdotes or stories from your past experiences that help illustrate a complex or difficult topic. While you can tell people what to expect before and after laser treatment, you’ll make a more memorable impact by telling them the story of someone that actually experienced that before and after for themselves. It helps people see themselves in your care and builds trust that you can also help them toward a positive outcome.
3 Ways to Drive Away Potential Patients With Your Content
We’ve talked about what you should do with your content. So, let’s talk about the three things you never want to do.
1. Wandering off topic.
You do want to tell success stories and use helpful anecdotes. You don’t want to get into long-winded, rambling stories that wander too far away from the point. You also don’t want to get too cute or clever with your content. It’s one of those situations where a little bit is just right, but too much will start to drive people away, bore them, or leave them with their questions unanswered.
2. Using jargon and complicated medical terms without explanation.
You want to educate your website visitors, but be sure you’re not talking over their heads. People will type medical terms into search, especially if they’ve already started doing some research about their condition. However, what they’re looking for when they do that is a layman’s explanation in language they understand. If you get too technical without explaining difficult terms and complex concepts, you’ll lose them.
3. Stuffing it with unnatural keywords and optimization.
Keywords are an important part of getting your content found in search. However, content that is overly optimized for search engines tends to not be very optimized for humans. Google has repeatedly said that it looks for content that is written for people, and it has updated its algorithms multiple times to weed out overly optimized content. So, don’t use a keyword more than once or twice per 250 words, and use natural variations as you go. It should sound natural and make sense. You never want optimization to get in the way of connecting with your reader! (Find out more about what Google really looks for in website content.)
Writing for Your Perfect Patients Is a Blend of Art and Science. We Can Help.
You don’t want to attract generic patients to your podiatry practice; you want to attract your perfect patients. So, write for the people you want to be seeing and working with every day. When they search for answers and find your website, you’ll stand out because it feels like you’re speaking directly to them.
And it’s that sense of connection and understanding that will turn them into new patients for your practice.
Not sure if your content is hitting all the right notes to turn readers into patients? Book an appointment with our team or call us at 888.886.0939 to find out how you can create perfect content for your perfect patients every time.
Are You a Podiatrist Who Wants to Learn How Solid Content Can Earn You More Clients?
If you are seeking a trusted, authoritative partner to help you write content that not only attracts but actually converts visitors into clients, Foster Web Marketing is here to help. Contact us online or call our office directly at 888.886.0939 to schedule your free consultation. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.