CUSTOMER STORY

"$25 for a new patient, and none of the management work of Google Ads — HotDoc is a no-brainer!"

HotDoc has become the patient bookings platform of choice for AK Physiotherapy — a game-changing physiotherapist and personal trainer partnership in Brisbane. AK had relied heavily on referrals from physio to PT and back again, as well as a resource-intensive digital marketing strategy that was doing a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of acquisitions. They needed something different, something that could deliver a smooth booking process and low touch patient growth — they needed HotDoc. Let's take a look at how it all went down.

PTs and Physios, Together — How Two Practices United to Improve Patient Outcomes

As a personal trainer and footballer, Michael Hewitt knew a thing or two about performance, fitness, and, unfortunately, injury. Physiotherapist April King was an expert in this too, and her services kept Michael playing footy on a regular basis while staying fit enough to run his PT business at the same time. Michael soon began referring his own clients to April, and the rest is history. To this day, AK Physiotherapy remains one of Brisbane’s leading physio practices.

A Different Approach to the Field

Part of AK’s success is down to their approach — they set out to do something a little different than their competitors in the market. While operating as a PT, Michael noticed something: Personal trainers will often refer their clients to physios and physical therapists. Referrals coming back the other way are a little less frequent.

Working together, April and Michael began to create something that would facilitate better collaboration between personal trainers and physios — improving the situation for both parties, not to mention for patients. After buying April’s practice, Michael relocated AK Physiotherapy to a location close to his own PT practice, with the goal of achieving a better situation for patients. When referred from a physio to a personal trainer, patients are receiving not just a quick fix but also a program of sustainable lifestyle improvement. It’s also a win for complementary healthcare providers, who can deliver a more comprehensive set of treatments and benefits to their patients.

AK Physiotherapy and HotDoc

Today, AK Physiotherapy provides a one-stop shop for clients and patients in need of treatment and support, balancing senior and junior personnel to provide the right environment for development and care. The two sides of the operation — physiotherapy and personal training — are designed to complement one another, while the joint team adopts a personalised approach for all clients.

Personal trainer referrals still account for 65% of new leads, but the acquisition strategy is much broader and more wide-ranging. Working with business partners with a background in Google Ads and digital marketing, the team is expanding their digital reach, but the approach for PT marketing vs physio marketing is wildly different.

This left AK with a couple of conundrums:

– How to drive leads to both the personal trainer and the physio sides of the business?

– How to achieve these leads without sacrificing the personal touches that have made AK such a hit with patients?

This is where HotDoc comes in.

With HotDoc, patients can connect with AK, learn more about the practice, and book an appointment in just a few clicks. From here, the AK Physiotherapy team can prescribe a combination of PT and physio services that directly support patient health. Under HotDoc’s flight pricing model, AK pays $25 for every new patient sign-up.

The HotDoc platform also supports clear, friendly, and direct communication. This is critical to an organisation like AK Physiotherapy, which has cultivated great personal relationships with clients over the years, thanks to personal touches like handwritten birthday cards and a patient-focused service.

Straight from the Client — What Michael Has to Say About HotDoc

"If you consider the work that goes into optimising and managing Google Ads, $25 for a new patient is a no-brainer."

HotDoc has proved to be a great way for AK Physiotherapy to get leads. It’s far cheaper and more effective than Google Ads, with none of the optimisation work associated with PPC ads.

"We'd be happy to pay for the booking widget alone."

HotDoc is designed for easy and intuitive booking, with an interface that patients love.

“It’s great that you don’t pay an ongoing fee.”

Michael remarks that he loves the pricing structure of HotDoc, as HotDoc is incentivised to keep on providing those great leads.

The Future of AK Physiotherapy and HotDoc

Thanks to a foundation of honest communication, the AK/HotDoc partnership is already a fruitful one, and this looks set to continue as AK Physiotherapy targets further growth and development across the Brisbane area.

For the future, Michael says he would like to see more analytical capabilities from HotDoc so he and his team can gain even more insight into where those leads are coming from. This will help AK Physiotherapy and other organisations in this field understand the direct advantages of HotDoc over other acquisition channels like Google Ads.