Those numbers are impressive and all, but how do you get more clients on the books and paws through the doors? Luckily, opportunity is everywhere!

1. Get Social 

This is something you can start today! If you don’t have any social media accounts set up, get it done right now—it only takes a few minutes to get a Facebook or Instagram profile up and running. 

We’re lucky to work in one of the easiest industries to market to the public. Who doesn’t love looking at photos of cute animals? Pet photos and videos go viral every day. 

Have a particularly cute puppy, bunny or cat in for a check–up? Get their owner’s permission and take some well–lit photos of them enjoying the first-class service you provide. Pop your logo as a watermark on the photo, then post them on your Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter with a few sentences about them. 

People love sharing cute (or funny) animal photos and videos online. There’s a huge audience for more ‘exotic’ pets too. So if you get a visit from a particularly friendly snake, turtle or capybara, take a video and share, share, share. 

Not only will the owners love all the attention their beloved pets are getting, you’ll get a serious amount of free advertising for your clinic. 

2. Update Your Website

In the modern world, having a stylish, responsive and regularly updated website is pretty much non–negotiable.

Your website is your 24/7 salesperson. If you take online bookings, it’s your 24/7 receptionist, too. It’s where people learn about your services and why you’re the best choice for their pet.

When someone’s searching for vet clinics in their area at 3 a.m. in an emergency, they need to have your contact details and address at a moment’s notice.

Your website shows the world how you approach your job, how you view your own services and how seriously you take your customers’ needs. An outdated website says you don’t care. If your website isn’t mobile–responsive, you’re not accessible to the majority of people who now use their phones and tablets to browse the internet.

Not only does it show potential customers you don’t care, a neglected website also performs badly on Google. Google actively penalizes websites that aren’t updated regularly and aren’t mobile–responsive. Why does that matter? People looking for your services on Google won’t be able to find you.

Depending on when you last updated your site, a simple refresh might do the job—or you might need a complete overhaul. If your website has been updated recently, you can keep on top of new additions by adding an event calendar or creating a blog…which brings us nicely onto our next point.

3. Start a Blog

Blogs are a great addition to your website for two reasons: 

1. They show you off as the expert you are.
2. They help Google realize how awesome your website is and you’ll rank higher on their search results.

Good blogs aren’t sales pieces. They aren’t written to sell appointments. They should be focused on sharing your expertise, telling entertaining stories about your experiences and providing practical information.   

Nowadays, when someone has a problem, what’s the first thing they do? They Google it. When you blog regularly with helpful, original content, Google will recommend you to people that are searching for the subjects you’re writing about.  

Good blog posts offer helpful information that people enjoy reading. When someone enjoys reading your content, they’ll think of you the next time their pet needs medical care. 

If you don’t have a blog section on your website already, you should get one as soon as possible. 

4. Treats All ARound

Going to the vet is a scary experience for a lot of pets (and plenty of owners too), so why not give them a reward at the end of the visit? Branded promotional products aren’t just for big corporations!

A cost–effective option is a small branded bag of healthy treats with a thank you message attached. There are so many products out there that can be branded with your clinic’s logo— stickers are always a popular choice with kids, and pens are a staple of the branded merch world. You could even make some cloth bandannas for your animal patients to wear!

A simple, small gift can mean the world to a customer and help to make them (and their pets) feel taken care of. If you’re attending a local event, bring some of your branded gifts to hand out—and make sure they all have a business card attached with your number and website address included.

5. Highlight Happy Customers

Word of mouth is everything in this industry. The great thing about being online is being able to promote your business with great reviews to a wider audience. 

When you get a good review, promote it everywhere. Use it on your website. Publish it on your social media profiles. One of the most effective ways to sway a potential customer to choose you over your competitor is showcasing glowing reviews from your current customers.

Bonus Tip! Publicly Support an Animal–Related Organization

You started your business because you have a passion for helping animals, so supporting a local (or national) animal care, animal rights or animal-related organization is a great way to show your customers you care. 

You can get as involved as you like—whether it’s volunteering for a day or simply sharing social media posts to help a local groomer or animal shelter. Not only will it help their cause, it might also open new partnership opportunities for you.

Our industry is steadily growing and it’s a great time to embrace the opportunities ahead to grow your business. By implementing these tips, you’ll be making serious headway in promoting your practice and getting new paws through your door! +

1. https://www.vmdtoday.com/news/united-states-leads-global-veterinary-services-market-growth

The post 5 Simple Ways to Get More Paws Through the Door appeared first on PetVet Magazine.

If a customer is willing to take a moment to sit down and write a review of your practice, then they have either really enjoyed your service or completely hated it. These reviews, regardless of nature, are important for your company’s continuous growth—for a number of different reasons.

What really gets a business going online is positive reviews and feedback from your clients. If somebody searches for your company and a negative review pops up, then you might be in a bit of trouble. 

This article will provide some handy tactics you can implement to help your business get more out of your customers’ satisfaction. 

Google My Business

Before we get our hands dirty with all the ins and outs of feedback, it’s important to note that the way online reviewing systems are used has changed quite a lot over the years. Nowadays, people don’t just book with whoever they see first. They don’t just listen to the advice of others, either. They listen to the only opinion that matters—the opinion of Google.

So, do you have your business listed on Google?

It’s easy to find out, just search your company name. If your listing appears on the right hand side of the screen, you will be able to click ‘Claim this business’ to start. 

You’ll be asked a couple of questions and they’ll send you out a postcard to confirm you’re the owner of the business. Then, you’re all set up to start checking in on those Google reviews.

If your company doesn’t come up, just go to the main Google My Business site (www.google.ie/business) and click ‘Start Now’. You can fill out all the information, add photos and begin to respond to reviews from your clients.

Now that you can promote your business for reviews on Google, it’s time to ask everybody you know and love to send in those five–star reviews. But, what’s the best way to do this?

Get Their Tails Wagging

People are always more likely to do things for you if there is something in it for them. If they benefit from leaving a review and get some sort of reward in return, then they’re definitely going to consider doing what you ask of them. So, try to give a little incentive to your customers when it comes to reviews.

You could send around an email to your clients asking them to submit a review to your website, Google or even Facebook, and perhaps in return they get some free dog treats during their next visit or an entry into a raffle to win some other pet–related prizes.

Make your email as happy and friendly as possible in order to coax your client into taking the bait and sending you a fantastic piece of feedback. Be sure to be specific in your email and provide instructions on how (and links to where) to leave a review. Some of your clients might not be as familiar with online services as others.

Just Ask! 

If you’re struggling with getting reviews from customers, then it may be time to take more of a direct approach. There is no harm in asking your clients, in person, to leave a review on your website or on Google to help boost your numbers. You can ask your clients during their visit if they’d leave a review and then follow up with an email a few days later; something short and sweet to make them feel wanted and appreciated.

Many clinics have signage up in their waiting area, encouraging people to leave reviews on Google, Facebook and Yelp.

Video Reviews

Reviews don’t have to be written in a suggestion box or published on Google. You can also ask your clients to do a short video review. They could talk in front of the camera with their pets and describe how their visit to your business went for them. 

You can display these videos, with permission from your clients of course, on your website to help draw more customers into your practice. Known as video testimonials, they are one of the best (and most persuasive) types of reviews out there.

Nasty Bites 

We’ve all had a nip or two in this line of work, and sooner or later, if you haven’t already, you’ll run into negative feedback. It’s annoying to deal with, and it can even make you unhappy about your own work, but this is a completely normal occurrence when running a vet clinic.

Everybody (in every industry) gets harsh feedback at some point, and the most important thing is knowing how to deal with criticism. You may even be able to learn from these reviews and make something positive from something negative.

If a customer is complaining about your service, always stay calm. Address their issues, apologize (if necessary) and ask them how you can make it better. It’s important to never remove any negative feedback as it may affect the standards of your review system—as well as make you come across as dishonest. 

Responding professionally to an upset or distressed client will benefit you by showing future clients that you’re a calm, kind and helpful person to work with. It will also show clients that if they do have any queries or concerns, they can be addressed proficiently and professionally by you. 

You can’t satisfy everybody. And it’s important to remember that negative feedback is still feedback and that’s how you can grow, improve your services and make your customers happy. +

The post How to Get More Online Reviews for Your Veterinary Practice appeared first on PetVet Magazine.