RESOURCE
The Patient Acquisition Trap
Are you paying for new patients when you don’t need to?
91%
of bookings are made by existing patients booking with their regular doctor*
8x
more new patients come from word-of-mouth than marketplaces^
95%
of patients find a new clinic through a source other than a marketplace^
*HealthEngine data 2019
^HotDoc Patient Survey 2017
The Patient Acquisition Trap
The patient acquisition trap is when a clinic gets caught paying for new patients when these patients had a 95%^ of booking with them anyway using a free source.
Understanding The Patient Acquisition Trap
Quick links to relevant articles
The Marketplace Threat
UberEats is crippling restaurants and Booking.com hotels. Is healthcare next?
We take some lessons from restaurants and hotels being hurt by marketplaces to explore the threat to the future of Australian healthcare.
The New Patient Myth
Why do 9% of patients steal 90% of our attention?
Many practices dedicate 90% of their ‘marketing’ attention and budget to acquiring new patients. Yet new patients make up less than 10% of their patient base.
Related Articles
3 Ways to Find Out Where Your Patients Actually Come From
It’s not enough to look at a bill to find out how your new patients first found you. Most often this is just an indication of the last step a patient took before booking with you.
The 3 Phases of Practice Growth
Despite the fact that every practice is unique, there is a typical path taken by best practices when it comes to the channels they use to grow without jeopardising continuity of care.
Google Ads: How to Defend Against Competitors Bidding On Your Clinic’s Name
Sometimes marketplaces will create Google Ads for your clinic’s name to try and syphon patients away from from your website and to theirs. Here’s how you can fight back.
TIPS FOR GROWING YOUR PATIENT BASE
Tip #1: Get more Google Reviews
Why Google Reviews Matter, And How to Get More of Them
If there was just one piece of ‘marketing advice’ we have for any medical practice, it’s to work as hard as possible to get as many Google reviews as you can. Here’s why.
How Google Reviews Caused a Spike in New Patients at North Brighton Medical
Justin Meyer, Practice Manager at North Brighton Medical, explains how focusing on Google reviews caused a spike in bookings so large that he was able to turn off his Google Ads for good.
Guide: Google Reviews for Medical Practices
Download our FREE how-to guide. We’ll show you why Google Reviews matter, how to encourage more of them, and how to best manage those reviews coming in.
TIPS FOR GROWING YOUR PATIENT BASE
Tip #2: Optimise your Google My Business listing (by following the guide below)
GUIDE
Google My Business for Medical Practices
Download our FREE how-to guide to optimising your practice’s Google My Business listing so you show up more prominently on Google and Google Maps.
TIPS FOR GROWING YOUR PATIENT BASE
Tip #3: Watch this webinar that covers everything you need to know about ranking well on Google
WEBINAR
Demystifying SEO & Google My Business for Medical Professionals
Watch our FREE webinar, hosted by digital marketing expert Maz Hancock. She’ll show you how to grow your practice organically using Google My Business.
TIPS FOR GROWING YOUR PATIENT BASE
Tip #4: Improve your website
(by following the guide below)
GUIDE
Improving Your Website for Medical Practices
Download our FREE guide that shows you how to increase your Google rank and on-site conversion by improving your website.
TIPS FOR GROWING YOUR PATIENT BASE
Tip #5: Try your hand at running some Google Ads or Facebook Ads
GUIDE
Google Ads for Medical Practices
Download our FREE how-to guide to attracting new patients through Google using Google Ads.
GUIDE
Facebook Ads for Medical Practices
Download our FREE how-to guide to attracting new patients through Facebook using Facebook Ads.
Relevant Articles
Further marketing resources
How to Set Up Google Analytics to Track Your Practice’s Website
Note: This article is a little out-of-date. We recommend this guide for more up-to-date instructions. What is Google Analytics? Google
How to Create an Email Newsletter That Keeps Your Practice in Patients’ Minds
Newsletters offer big benefits. Learn why they matter and how to set them up for your medical practice.
10 Free Marketing Tools Every Practice Should Use to Grow
What are the best free marketing tools to suit your goals? We break it down here, so you can expand your medical practice.
