What doctors will miss by not creating an online presence

There is more than one reason why doctors decide to go against creating a website or involving in the social media. There are also different reasons why that hesitancy could end up hurting their practices.

If you don’t possess a social media presence or not deeply engaged in it, you could possibly miss out on a great opportunity to expand your practice. Nowadays, it’s not all about letting the patients know that you exist; it is about attracting new and retaining old ones.

It’s a different business altogether for doctors since the advent of social media. Patients too have matured along with the technology. Now, they search Google to find best of practising doctors in their area. They visit the website, if any, to gather clinical information about a particular physician. If everything suits their preferences, they quickly book an online appointment. And that’s the latest trend.

However, if a doctor still thinks that having an online presence and maintaining it is time consuming, there are things to know prior to deciding it is the best decision. 

• Your name and contact information is probably listed in Yellow Pages. But without a website, your name will not appear in Google when patients search for local doctors. Even if it does, they will easily pass by knowing you don’t own an online presence. Naturally, they will prefer one with better presentation.
• Because patients frequently throng on the internet for obtaining healthcare information, doctors who are unwilling to contribute miss out a great deal. As a patient, social media acts as a premier source of medical knowledge, particularly about diseases and symptoms. And we would be willing to contact those doctors who are easily approachable online and clear our queries, if any.
• A website is often a place where patients can give their feedback (either positive or negative) about the doctor’s services. It gives them an opportunity to have a say. But not being online prevents doctors from knowing exactly what patients think about their offerings

There was a time when patients just visited the doctor not knowing much about him/her. But times have changed dramatically. Now, patients look for doctors who can stay in touch with them 24*7. Internet provides doctors that opportunity. Those who are smart enough already have an online presence, but those who don’t are losing out big time.