From Gratitude to Growth: Benefits of Online Reviews
The COVID-19 pandemic may feel like a distant past to some, but it was only three years ago when the world went through a seismic shift in the way we live our lives and conduct business. And, while it ended, the pandemic’s effects are still present with an increasing number of people relying on online resources for information and services.
We turn to online research to find information about every type of business, including customer feedback. In fact, the average consumer reads 10 reviews before they feel they’re able to trust a business, so your ratings carry a lot of weight, especially when it comes to seeking something as personal as healthcare.
Helping you establish trust and credibility with potential patients by showcasing the positive experiences the others had is one of the key benefits of online reviews. That’s why you have to pay special attention to collecting them and ensure that patients see your healthcare organization as a trustworthy provider of quality care.
In addition to this, the pandemic showed us that extraordinary circumstances can happen at any time and disrupt your operations overnight. However, even during times of crisis, your online reputation remains important and not collecting online reviews can leave a gap that may take time to fill.
Stay Competitive and Relevant
Online reviews play a crucial role in shaping patients’ perceptions of healthcare organizations and with so much information available online, it’s necessary to actively manage them. Whether we are in the midst of a pandemic or not, the benefits of online reviews can’t be overstated because they impact your reputation, search rankings, and patient volume.
Capture Your Patients’ Gratitude
The pandemic highlighted the important role you, as a healthcare provider, play in society, and patients took notice of that. One of the benefits of online reviews is capturing this sentiment and showcasing the positive impact you keep making on your patients’ lives.
In addition to this, reviews that show you’re capable of dealing with any type of crisis effectively help you build trust with potential patients, differentiate yourself from competitors, and establish your practice as a leader in patient care.
Timing Is Important
As healthcare practices started reopening and rescheduling elective procedures with the pandemic subsiding, there was a surge in demand for medical services. At the same time, patients started seeking out providers who demonstrated their ability to provide quality care during a challenging time.
However, maintaining a strong online presence is important regardless of the pandemic. Healthcare belongs to top industries where consumers see business reviews as most important. In other words, collecting online reviews regularly helps you stay top of mind for patients searching for healthcare services, and leads to increased visibility and patient appointments, which are crucial for the financial health of your practice. Also, the healthcare industry is constantly evolving and one of the benefits of online reviews is helping your practice stay competitive and adapt to changing patient needs.
Leave No Gaps
Google is one of the primary sources for people to find information about medical practices and services. Google’s local search results show the top three results for a user’s search query based on several factors, including the number and quality of reviews a practice has. If you pause review requests for whatever reason, you may create a gap, negatively impact your search rankings and reduce your visibility to potential patients.
On the other hand, the benefits of online reviews include minimizing this gap and maintaining your dominance in local search results, so you’re better positioned to attract new patients and retain existing ones. This is important not only during extraordinary situations and should be an ongoing consideration for healthcare providers who want to remain competitive and relevant in the saturated healthcare market.
Ask for Reviews on Your Telemedicine
The importance of collecting online reviews on telemedicine visits goes beyond the pandemic. Telemedicine has become a new normal for many patients and is expected to continue to be a popular option in the future, especially for those who prefer the convenience of virtual visits.
Capturing feedback specifically on telemedicine can help establish trust with patients who may be hesitant about trying virtual visits for the first time. One of the most important benefits of online reviews is showing that your practice is capable of providing quality care through this mode of delivery, helping you stand out and attract new patients to your practice.
Take Advantage of Multiple Review Platforms
While Google reviews are the first and the most important starting point in online research, savvy medical consumers will do their due diligence and research across multiple platforms, such as Healthgrades, Vitals, Facebook, and RateMDs, before making a decision.
Reaching a wider audience and demonstrating your commitment to patient satisfaction on different channels are some of the most important benefits of online reviews. In return, you can better position your practice for long-term success and growth.
Maintain a Steady Flow of Online Reviews
The COVID-19 pandemic posed healthcare providers with a unique set of challenges that only added to constant changes in the healthcare industry and the regulations they need to follow. However, as a healthcare provider, you need to be prepared to operate under different types of circumstances while providing quality care to your patients. This may leave you little or no time for maintaining a positive online reputation, attracting new patients, and retaining existing ones.
This is why SocialClimb can always come as a very handy support, allowing you to take advantage of the different benefits of online reviews. With its tools, you can keep monitoring, collecting, and responding to patient feedback, but also gather patient satisfaction data to identify areas for improvement. This way, you take control of your online reputation and ensure increased patient satisfaction and loyalty, as well as improved search engine rankings and online visibility.
In addition, SocialClimb’s platform is user-friendly and easy to navigate, making it accessible to healthcare providers of all levels of technical expertise. With its customizable features, you can find the right fit for your specific needs and get a reliable support system for your growth and success.
