In 2015 technology has been changing faster than ever. It seems like just yesterday Facebook was the online place to be, now it’s being crowded by Pinterest and others. Which technologies are necessary for your optometry office, and which are only a passing fad?
The most important online technology is a website. Websites are where patients get information about your office and compare it to others. Many optometry practices have great websites that are growing their practices. As the CEO you can ignore many technology fads. However, a stellar, easy-to-use website is NOT one of them.
Three essential elements for your website:
- Change – Regularly updating your website will keep it relevant while increasing your rankings in search engines. This also will give your visitors a fresh feel each time they visit. Rotate the home page pictures with the seasons and post updates on the latest eye health issues. For example, in October you could include warnings about decorative contact lenses and during the summer months discuss the dangers of swimming with contacts.
- Current photos of doctors – Many patients are looking for doctors they feel they can relate to, and ones they think their children can relate to as well. You must have current photos and biographies of the doctors. Make sure to include the doctor’s interests for connecting points.
- Make an appointment – Online appointment scheduling has become popular in many areas–healthcare, beauty, or even kitchen remodel consulting. Online allows people to schedule when they are available, not only during business hours. Many times it might be 10 p.m. If your website makes you easy to do business with and allows patients to schedule their appointments on their own time, you will be busy.
The single most important technology that your optometry office must have is a great functional website. The website must be easy to find in search engines and easy to navigate once found. You may be surprised at the number of new patients that are generated when this occurs. Successful optometry practices do not always understand the technology, they just understand they need the technology.
