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In Australia over 16.7 million people, 79.7% of the population are internet users according to www.internetworldstats.com, 153% growth from the year 2000 to 2008. People today expect Professionals and Businesses to have an online presence.

What are the benefits of being online?

For specialists a website can fulfil a number of very valuable functions.

• 24/7 customer service - patients can access information about the Doctor, services offered and upcoming procedures quickly and easily.
• Instant quote & contact forms are available for clients.
• Appointments can be requested or booked.
• Endorsed products can be sold online e.g. Skin Cancer Clinics selling sunscreens, Cosmetic Surgeons promoting Skin Care products etc
• Cost effective marketing - SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and other internet marketing strategies can effectively build a practice in a specialty that is highly competitive e.g. Cosmetic Surgery.
• Specialists can use their website to build their professional profile by showcasing their expertise.
• Within a practice all Specialists can have their own profile or their own site within a site.

What do you need to know to get started?

1. Understand the main purpose of your site & any other site objectives.
   Is your main purpose to provide prospective clients information about services, upcoming procedures and fees? Would you like to build your practice etc?
2. Make sure the site looks professional and that it is very easy for users to find what they want.
   It needs to be written for potential patients, they need to be able to find all the information they are likely to be looking for quickly and easily.
3. Include your photo and bio & possibly a video.
   Potential patients want to know about the Specialist and connect with them, particularly if they are choosing who they want to be treated by.
4. Automate everything that you can.
   Incorporate ways that you can save your time and that of your staff by using your website. E.g. Process payments online, submit quote requests online etc as this can reduce the number of patient calls and time on the phone collecting information. Answer as many common questions as possible, this will reduce the number of prospective patient phone calls also.
5. Get a quality CMS system (Content Management System).
   This will allow you or your staff to easily update your site when you want to add or change information.

How do you get your site found online?

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
   Search engines like Google rank sites based on their perceived importance to customers that are searching specific terms. The first step to being found is determining what keywords your prospective clients are using and then a campaign to target these is developed. The campaign needs to include improving site content optimisation as well as using the keywords in other internet marketing strategies.
2. Internet Marketing
   Internet Marketing can be exceptionally cost effective as everything can be tested and measured. The results improve over time as your can increasingly improve the targeting of campaigns and therefore the effectiveness of the results. Key statistics that need to be monitored include site ranking, number of unique visitors & number of conversions, a conversion being where a client takes the desired action e.g. filling in a contact form, opening a newsletter etc.