THE VEINCARE CENTRE ONLINE ENGAGEMENT
The VeinCare Centre is a private clinic based in North Dorset with a satellite clinic in
Hampshire. Like all medical clinics and hospitals in England, both NHS and private, the VeinCare
centre is registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission. The VeinCare
Centre provides specialist advice and treatment to people suffering from varicose veins, varicose
eczema, phlebitis, leg ulcers, leg spider veins and other vein conditions. Uniquely,
The VeinCare Centre also treats hand veins and as far as we know, we are the only specialist
team that provides sclerotherapy for hand veins which become enlarged during the ageing
process.
Despite the fact that vein conditions are very common and that demand for vein treatment
is high, many people do not have access to NHS treatment through their General Practitioner.
We accept enquiries directly from the public as well as private referrals from General
Practitioners and other healthcare professionals such as podiatrists and practice nurses.
Many people with cosmetic concerns and concerns about the health complications of veins are
increasingly turning to private healthcare. We are not an online service, but the majority
of our business comes via the internet. We offer a person-centred service in a healthcare
clinical setting and we understand the vital importance of online engagement with our potential
customers. The reason for this is that the majority of healthcare consumers start their
journey by finding and comparing providers online, usually through searches. Then, when
they have completed their research, they typically convert by using the telephone.
Here are some statistics that underpin our online engagement strategy:
The Healthcare Patient Journey Often Begins Online
5% of all Google searches are health-related. 88% of healthcare appointments are scheduled
by telephone. Prospective patients who research online prefer to call because healthcare is
personal and private. People booking healthcare appointments for themselves, their children,
or other family members want to speak to a real human being.
Only 2.4% of healthcare appointments are scheduled online. Many patients are reluctant to type
their personal health information or reason for their appointment into an online form.
Telephone calls convert more revenue than web leads. Calls are the most valuable conversions
that healthcare marketers can drive. Callers convert 30% faster than web leads.
Calls provide a more immediate return on healthcare marketing investment
Caller retention rate is 28% higher than web lead retention rate. Driving calls from healthcare
marketing campaigns is also more profitable in the long-term because callers are more
loyal than web leads.
Healthcare Marketers Are Personalising the Caller Experience to Boost Conversions
88% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and
services. Expectations for the customer experience have never been higher, so, to acquire new
customers, healthcare marketers need to meet them. This includes how calls are answered
and made.
32% of consumers say phone calls are the most frustrating customer service channel. Simply
fielding inbound phone calls isn’t enough for healthcare marketers — it’s important
to have data on each caller so you can quickly and efficiently address their needs.
So what is the VeinCare Centre’s strategy for engaging with our potential customers
online?
Our strategy is: to provide authoritative online content which establishes The VeinCare
Centre as a trusted site for professional, accurate and reliable information for people
affected by vein problems.
In this way, when people are ready to request help, they will choose us, not our competitors.
We make it easy to contact us by telephone and our telephone is answered by polite, respectful
and knowledgeable staff who do not put callers on hold, who do not transfer to another department
and who can make bookings quickly and efficiently during the call (including taking payment).
No call is answered by an “automated voice” giving multiple options to press 1 for sales,
2 for accounts etc, etc.
There is no single type of content that will appeal to every internet site visitor. That’s
why we vary our content, which includes: • The VeinCare Centre Website itself
• Blog Posts • Video
• Infographics • Images
• Case Studies • Information packs
• Presentations • Email Newsletters
• Feedback and Testimonials
Our Website - This what one patient said about our website
in an email on 16th August: “Easy to find: I google-searched ‘varicose veins Dorset’
and your website appeared 4th down (the 1st website after the ads which I discounted anyway).
The site is easy to navigate and the information I was looking for was quick and easy to find.
The tone of the site is friendly and I like the photo of the team on the home page.”
Here is what Rachel French said on Google Reviews “The website was fully informative
and gave me a comprehensive understanding of the services offered by the Clinic. Every
member of staff was communicative, warm and helpful.”
In the last 12 months, the VeinCare Centre website has been completely redesigned. It
is now based on WordPress and it is mobile-friendly and responsive throughout including the blog
section. Each page has a “call to action” and our telephone number and our newsletters’
subscribe button are prominent throughout. Graphics are optimised to load quickly and
they have descriptions and alt-text.
Blog Posts: Our blog posts on the website are relevant
and informative for people who have vein conditions The website has blog posts dating back to
July 2011 and we regularly post new content that improves our visibility on Google searches.
Video: Our YouTube channel is the largest UK-based
channel devoted exclusively to information about vein conditions.
Our YouTube channel was established 8 years ago and we have over 300 videos on a variety
of vein condition and treatments. The channel has grown organically and it now has over
16,000 subscribers and has had over 3 million views. We provide links to our website in
the YouTube description and we embed our videos onto our website, our blog and our Facebook
page. We receive comments and enquiries via our YouTube Channel. The comments’ section
is answered promptly when appropriate.
Facebook We post regularly on our business Facebook
page and we have 736 likes and 800 followers. We have an easy-to-click link from our website
to our Facebook page and posts on Facebook have links back to YouTube and to our website.
We respond quickly to messages and enquiries often by attaching an e-book (information
pack).
Email Newsletters: Our newsletters contain information and educational
articles and they are not overtly promotional or advertising in content. We make it easy
for the public to subscribe and un-subscribe and we have a strict opt-in policy. We do
not bombard our subscribers with promotions or discounts. Our newsletters are only sent
out when we have news of interest.
Infographics, Images, Case Studies, Information packs (E-book) and Presentations are included
in our online content.
Feedback and Testimonials: Genuine testimonials are available on Google
and iWantGreatCare.They are they next best thing to a personal recommendation.
Many of our patients are so pleased with their treatment that they provide a testimonial
on video
The Results 82% of our patients who have a consultation
or treatment at the VeinCare Centre find us online via our Website, YouTube or Facebook.
11% are referred by a friend, family member or by their GP. 7% find us offline (newspapers
or magazines).
Surveys We continuously survey our patients to find
out how they found us and why they chose us to treat them rather than our competitors.
From these surveys, we know that the design of our website is engaging and informative
with a very personal feel emphasised by the photographs of our staff on the home page.
We also know that our staff are helpful, friendly and knowledgeable on the telephone.
Customers tell us that fact that we specialise in vein conditions and that our healthcare
team only treat veins is often the deciding factor in choosing us i.e. that we are a “niche”
and specialist provider. Many of our customers tell us that they feel
they have already “met us” before scheduling an appointment by watching our YouTube videos.
In this way, they feel comfortable calling us.
So what of our plans for the next 12 months;
We believe that our online presence and the way we engage with internet visitors are effective.
We are not complacent, though, and we have a rolling programme looking at new ways to
interact. In the next 12 months, we intend to integrate Instagram and Twitter into our
online engagement strategy. We believe that Instagram may be particularly helpful in showing
before and after photographs and that Twitter may be helpful in establishing our “authority”
among referring practitioners. We also intend to explore “live video content”
which is increasingly being favoured by social media algorithms.
Here’s An Example of Online Engagement In Action
(YouTube)
July 2019: Mrs L Warner posted a comment on our YouTube Channel under one of our videos.
Mrs Warner then revealed some private information via email and we advised her accordingly.
This then led to a telephone call from Dr Gajraj.
A month later, Mrs Warner left this Google Review
“I cannot speak highly enough of the Vein Care Clinic . Even though I am not a patient
of theirs they were more than happy to help ,we exchanged E mails and I even got a phone
call from the Consultant himself Mr Haroun Gajraj. His advice probably saved my life,
I will forever be in his debt . And all this advice and help was given free of charge . The
Vein care Centre and all that work there are amazing .”
This exchange is just one example of how the VeinCare Centre engages with the public online
via our YouTube channel, our website and via telephone. In healthcare, a lot of our initial
contact is via the internet which results in exchanges over the telephone.
An Example of YouTube and Facebook Synergy
This person (who wishes to be anonymous) first found us on YouTube and then reached out via
Facebook. This person now follows us on Facebook and YouTube.
“I am in the US but just wanted to say how helpful your videos were to me, I couldn’t
figure out why my legs itched so bad after standing a while but I guess I have venous
eczema, I have to get into a doctor here is my reason to get some level of treatment.”
Our online presence leads to many exchanges via email with people all over the world.
We continually look for ways to integrate our online presence with off-line events,
publications and educational meetings. We regularly discuss our strategy with our staff
who have a vital role in promoting our services.