17 Mar Your Online Reputation Can Hurt or Help You
Not only has the Internet empowered patients by allowing them to find and choose healthcare practitioners, it has also enabled them to influence other patients’ perceptions and thus the likelihood a practitioner will attract new patients. There are a number of websites from which patients can find practice information and reviews about another person’s experience with a given doctor. The trend of patients sharing information in the healthcare sector is rapidly becoming popular, so monitoring and managing your practice’s online reputation has become a crucial aspect of practice growth.
Before choosing a doctor, patients test the waters by investing in the reviews left by prior patients. A good review can encourage a prospective patient to pick up the phone and make an appointment, but a bad review can steer away prospective patients- and their friends and families. There is no way to prevent a competitor or disgruntled patient from expressing a bad word about your practice, but there is a way to manage your reputation and minimize damage.
If patients concern themselves with your your practice online- for good or for bad- so should you. Having a website is essential to ensuring that patients can rely on a credible source for practice information. Mitigating reviews will help you control your reputation and show that your practice actively engages with the community’s sentiments. Online reputation management is no longer an option; it’s a must.
For more information on how you can protect your online reputation contact Prescription PR (631) 392-4255