We’ve partnered with our friends at First Financial Bank to bring you this easy-to-follow Recipe for a Well-Rounded Business Plan. With the help of First Financial Bank’s financial guidance and our corresponding Marketing ViziTips, this guide is sure to set you up for success!
Want to know more? Click here for a free copy of First Financial’s e-Book that provides a detailed explanation of how to put together a business plan!
A well-designed website is essential to any veterinarian in today’s competitive market, but having an online presence is just the first step in building a strong base of clientele. You’ll want to increase traffic to your site by ranking high on Google and other search engines. Then, you need that traffic to become paying clients. By employing the following secrets to veterinary search engine optimization, you’ll stay ahead of the game.
To keep your ranking high on search engines, your website needs to add new content on a regular basis. Websites will lose ranking if their content remains static. To avoid this – update as often as possible! You can update your site in many ways:
Blogs on pet care and pet-related subjects are an excellent way to engage pet owners and add new content. Blogs can also offer the opportunity to market products and services offered at your veterinary practice. Continuously creating new blog articles with fresh ideas can be both time consuming and difficult. Don’t let that stop you! You might consider hiring a guest blogger, especially if they have a gift for writing unique and engaging articles related to the veterinary industry. This can alleviate some of the stress from you while ensuring that your content stays fresh and your site stays up to date.
Videos are a great way to add content. Pet lovers are drawn to animal videos, especially of cute or comedic subject matter. You may also come up with concepts for videos that uniquely reflect the community where your veterinary practice is based. The more interesting your content is to viewers, whether they’re local or not, the longer they will stay on your site. Traffic retention is critical to SEO rankings.
When creating content for your website, always remember to keep your content original. Search engines scan their database regularly to detect plagiarized articles and content. Rankings can drop dramatically if search engines such as Google determine that material on your site has been used elsewhere.
Takeaway: Keep your website content as original, interesting, and informative as possible.
Doing so can cause your search engine rankings to drop, and it can be difficult to bring them back up. If you do have to change a phone number, location, or business name, be sure that you update the information in all online profiles so that your online presence is consistent. This includes your website, directories, social media, review sources, and any other forum your business may be listed on.
Remember that just because you’ve added great content and built up your SEO rankings over time doesn’t mean you can kick back and relax. SEO is an ongoing effort. Keep in mind, as long as you remain diligent in adding content, the rewards will be well worth the effort! The more you increase your online presence and recognition, the more exposure you’ll have to prospective clients, which translates to increased income.
In today’s high tech world, website marketing and online client interactions are essential. Few people use phone books to search for services anymore, so your online presence is one of the most important ways to bring in new clients. This makes it all the more important to have a website that ranks high on search engines. By using these secrets to successful veterinary SEO, you can develop an even stronger base of clientele.
Keep in mind, as long as you remain diligent in adding content, the rewards will be well worth the effort! The more you increase your online presence and recognition, the more exposure you’ll have to prospective clients, which translates to increased income.
Keep in mind, as long as you remain diligent in adding content, the rewards will be well worth the effort! The more you increase your online presence and recognition, the more exposure you’ll have to prospective clients, which translates to increased income.
Keep in mind, as long as you remain diligent in adding content, the rewards will be well worth the effort! The more you increase your online presence and recognition, the more exposure you’ll have to prospective clients, which translates to increased income.
In today’s high tech world, website marketing and online client interactions are essential. Few people use phone books to search for services anymore, so your online presence is one of the most important ways to bring in new clients. This makes it all the more important to have a website that ranks high on search engines. By using these secrets to successful veterinary SEO, you can develop an even stronger base of clientele.
veterinary seo animal hospital search engine visibility digital marketing trends vet marketing firm vet marketing firm seo strategies
seo strategies veterinary practices veterinary practices search online google search google search local search google search results organic search results organic seo vet seo local business online directories veterinary hospital practice website practice website new clients new clients google maps meta descriptions potential clients create content meta description veterinary industry potential customers free consultation first page content marketing seo page titles results free consultation free consultation free consultation seo results seo results seo results seo results seo seo seo seo seo
seo
seo
seo
seo
seo
google results more clients personalized approach map pack content creation more traffic new business local area local area website website website website website website website website website website website business
business google google clients gmb listing site
site
site
site
Keep in mind, as long as you remain diligent in adding content, the rewards will be well worth the effort! The more you increase your online presence and recognition, the more exposure you’ll have to prospective clients, which translates to increased income.
Keep in mind, as long as you remain diligent in adding content, the rewards will be well worth the effort! The more you increase your online presence and recognition, the more exposure you’ll have to prospective clients, which translates to increased income.
site makes sense searching web web seo strategy seo strategy seo strategy example example websites websites keywords keywords keywords keywords keywords veterinarian veterinarian
services veterinarians veterinarians
services practice practice practice practice practice practice practice
services rank rank rank rank rank rank vet link link link
Keep in mind, as long as you remain diligent in adding content, the rewards will be well worth the effort! The more you increase your online presence and recognition, the more exposure you’ll have to prospective clients, which translates to increased income.
services
services
potential clients
veterinary seo
veterinary seo
veterinary seo
veterinary seo
veterinary clinic
search engine results
search engine results
pet owners pet owners pet owners
search engine optimization
search engine optimization
search engine optimization
link building
link building
link building
local businesses
local seo
local seo local seo local seo
veterinarian marketing agency veterinary websites
veterinary practice
marketing strategy
search engines
veterinary marketing companies
seo experts seo experts seo experts
As part of our continued commitment to education and providing valuable resources to the industry, ViziSites has partnered with First Financial Bank to bring their valuable financial resources & advice to our veterinary practices and small businesses across the country.
Below are just a few of the resources available on First Financial Bank’s website that are beneficial for Veterinary Practices just starting out or re-assessing after many years.
First Financial Bank is an Equal Housing Lender / Member FDIC
Veterinary Business Plan e-Book – Find help learning what elements you need to build into your veterinary business plan to get the funding you need.
Veterinary Startup Quiz – What do you need to know before you start? Assess your readiness for building your veterinary practice or clinic with this quiz.
Veterinary Practices for Sale – 5 questions to ask before you commit to putting your name on the door of that practice.
Buying a Vet Practice Quiz – See how much you already know – and where you might need some additional guidance.
Veterinary Remodel Assessment – This assessment will help you consider the appropriate factors before you make a decision about remodeling.
Prepare to Sell Your Practice – This assessment helps you prepare the appropriate information and answers for selling your veterinary practice.
Veterinary Loan Calculator – Estimate your payments while you plan with this easy-to-use veterinary business loan calculator!
Loan Application Preparation – Make sure you have all the proper documents ready to make your veterinary loan application process a breeze!
Looking for more resources? You can find a variety of tools including calculators, customized quizzes, downloadables, podcasts, and webinars on the FFB website.
We are so excited to announce our partnership with VerticalVet! Like ViziSites, VerticalVet is focused on bringing a superior option to veterinary practices across the country.
More than a run-of-the-mill GPO, VerticalVet is a Group Resource Community (GRC). What’s that? We’ll let VerticalVet’s Team explain:
“We provide independent veterinarians and their practice managers access to customized best practices and education and alongside unique, real-time data insights proven to build trust with clients. Our community is stronger together, allowing you to focus on what matters most: providing excellent patient care.”
With VerticalVet, you receive more than a virtual book of discounts. You receive education and collaboration in a community that understands the struggles, priorities, and wins that you face every day. Megan, Member Resource Advisor at VerticalVet, said it best:
“Instead of saving their way to prosperity, we want to help practices grow their way to prosperity.”
We love this idea. Our founding principle was to bring custom website design to veterinarians at a fraction of the cost. Thus, helping them save money and grow their business at the same time. Innovation in the veterinary industry and collaboration with veterinary practices is at the core of what we do. So much, that it’s even a part of our Mission Statement:
To lead the internet marketing industry through innovation and collaboration, which results in marketing solutions that help our clients to increase revenue, retention, and efficiency for their businesses.
So then – how will ViziSites and VerticalVet work together to innovate, collaborate, and ultimately elevate veterinary practices nationwide?
We’re glad you asked!
This collaborative effort with VerticalVet involves 2 key elements:
VerticalVet has an incredible collaborative education initiative in place for some of their members. We are excited to jump in the ring to bring much-needed marketing-focused webinars to their member base. To kick things off, we gave a talk to their Platinum Members on the topic of 5 Tools of Website Efficiency. Education and ideation around how to make your website work better at bringing in new business is plentiful online, but we feel websites also provide an incredible opportunity for veterinary practices to automate and optimize their client experience in a way that will save them money while providing a seamless experience for pet parents. Our goal is to give veterinary practices nationwide the tools they need to take advantage of this opportunity.
ViziSites will continue working with VerticalVet to provide marketing education to their entire client base in an accessible format and are available as a resource for all VerticalVet members who are looking for guidance.
Want to learn more about VerticalVet? Contact our friend Megan at 877-883-7883 ext 4 or megans@verticalvet.com and let her know ViziSites sent you. She will take great care of you!
Many of our friends and colleagues have asked about ViziSites’ performance through the COVID-19 crisis. Like most business owners, we ended up furloughing a group of consultants which was extremely painful for me to do. Because of this, I permanently lost one of my highest performing team members.
Here is the upside: we qualified and applied for the Cares Act PPP grant/loan. Securing these funds allowed us to immediately rehire our staff. This was a blessing, however, like most organizations we are still having to endure an exceedingly difficult time.
We are in this together and we must find unique ways to stimulate the economy. It is important that we do not submit to overwhelming feelings of loss and, instead, get creative in how we generate revenue for ourselves and our clients.
Having said that, we are going to keep moving!
As the CEO of ViziSites, I’m signing off on the deepest discounts I’ve ever offered. Think of this as a website and marketing stimulus package. In many cases, I’ll be waiving the ENTIRE investment for the build of the website.
We understand that many businesses need to hunker down, however, if your organization is experiencing growth, please reach out.
And if you aren’t experiencing growth, we may be able to SAVE YOU MONEY.
Let’s talk about the following…
I’m available via the contact page of our corporate site here. If you have my cell, feel free to call me directly.
Respectfully,
Jesse Davis
CEO, Co-Founder
There are many factors to consider in determining whether a website is truly secure. In this article, we focus on Username and Password strength. What is the security standard employed by your website provider? It’s a good idea to ask. Why? Two quick reasons to consider.
Website providers might be tempted to cut corners when it comes to securing your website’s credentials. Usernames and passwords could be repeated across multiple clients for the ease of their own support team and to cut down on the length of build time. This means if one client’s account is compromised (hacked), yours could be, too. Once compromised, this could lead to your website serving questionable content and being flagged by Google, ultimately affecting organic search ranking and the business that comes to you through your site.
What is your website providers standard when it comes to password strength? Who does your website provider use as an authority when it comes to creating strong Usernames and Passwords?
Some website providers might let such decisions rest with their current developers own reasoning on the topic rather than using official Technology standards and guidelines provided by NIST. NIST is the National Institute of Standards and Technology by the U.S Department of Commerce. Standards are provided by NIST for companies to use as guidelines when it comes to the length and complexity of Usernames and Passwords.
Want to know more about such standards that you can use as a reference when asking your provider? Here is a good place to start.
—–
Have more questions about website security standards at ViziSites? Call us at 760-658-9303 opt. 1 or contact a consultant today for a free demo!
Written by Josh Cumpian, Senior Developer
Connect with Josh on LinkedIn
The extra swish at the end, the thickness of the curve, the decision to add a flourish – these are all visual components of the written word. Typography dives into these elements and many more when designers create a new font. But wait, what’s the difference between typography and a font? Simply put, typography is the style and arrangement of words to influence readability and design. Fonts are specifically the set of letters within a designed series.
With thousands of fonts in existence (915 on Google Fonts alone), sifting through so many options seems like a daunting task. What are the differences between a serif and sans serif font? What about using a word based logo instead of an icon? How do you use typography in your brand? Does the font have to match your color palette? We are going to get our heads out of the word cloud and hone in on using typography to your advantage.
While there are several categories of font styles available, there are thankfully only two to really pay attention to. Serif fonts have a decorative element at the end of the letters, such as a straight bar or a swirl. Sans serif fonts remove this extra piece entirely so the focus goes towards the main body of the letter.
Serif fonts are known to be traditional, and sometimes dated, as they are more regularly used with official business documents. Current design trends have allowed sans serif fonts to take prominence in everyday life from menus to websites to logos. Now, there is nothing wrong with a serif font as newer fonts have been designed to take on some of the modern elements of the sans serif or to add extra character to avoid that document feel. Balance can also be achieved by using a serif font for headings and sans serif for the paragraph or body text. If the serif style matches your brand, go ahead and use it!
Now that you have a font selected, you are ready to attach it to the icon your designer has created for you, right? What if you rewinded a bit and instead used your business name as your logo? This is where monograms and word marks jump into the game. Monograms, common in the fashion industry, take a few letters, such as the initials of your business name, in a creative way to make a logo. Wordmarks, on the other hand, use the entire word and stylise it in a unique way; just picture the logos of Disney, FedEx, and Google and you have a wordmark!
If there is a lack of imagery or maybe you are tired of seeing the same icons rehashed in your industry a thousand times over, consider using a monogram or wordmark as your logo.
Whether you choose a sans serif font or a wordmark as your logo, typography is an essential element of your brand. Because your name is going to be the clearest identifier of your brand, the font you choose should match the personality you want to represent. At the same time, the font should be legible, flexible so it is readable no matter the size or background it is on, and consistent with the design style you are using.
Finding the balance between a good logo, a unique color palette, and typography can seem difficult to achieve. Maintaining clear communication with your designer is the best way to set yourself on the path to success. Once every checkbox is marked off, your logo will surely stand the test of time.
—–
Want to take your typography beyond Times New Roman and Arial? Explore the ways typography brought our logos together or contact a consultant today for a free demo!
Written by Michael Dea, Designer at ViziSites
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
From the days of crayon scribbles to picking out paint palettes for the living room, color influences every aspect of our lives. Would your living room feel warm and cozy in tan or ivory? Or should there be an accent wall of burnt red to complement your furniture?
Now that we have broken down the components of a good logo, let’s explore the other side of the rainbow to see how color influences your brand. Would movie night be as exciting if the splash screen was missing the red in the Netflix logo? Or would the blue Visa logo still feel trustworthy and dependable in green? Whether it’s considering color associations, understanding your surroundings, and connecting colors to your brand, selecting the right color to represent your business is another important element in establishing your brand.
Typically speaking, blues are calm and cooling while red is passionate and sometimes a little angry. Studies have taken this a step further to classify consumer behavior by color, which can arguably be more restrictive than helpful. You may have been presented with a similar graphic below:
The problem with this kind of classification is that it pressures people to make their color decisions within these rigid boundaries, whether it is a new logo design or a redesign of an existing one. Because color is so dependent on personal experiences, it is difficult for palettes to fall so close in line with these classifications. If you use orange in your logo, are you guaranteed to be more friendly and cheerful than someone who uses a peaceful green? What about logos like Google who use all four of their colors in their products? Take another look at the graphic above and see if your experience with these brands match the emotion of the color.
If you are having trouble deciding on a color palette, consider starting with your surroundings to see what colors match your environment and the culture. If you are on the coast, beachy tones can be a little overdone. Maybe you try colors from other natural elements instead of just the water and sand; consider looking at the colors of plant life that is native to the area or pull earthtones from the rocks along the edge. Finding unique palettes of the same theme allows your brand to stand out from those who may already be using the typical color scheme.
What colors do people associate with your city? Is there a sports team that everyone loves? Or is there a natural landmark nearby that tourists frequently visit? Creating these colorful connections in conjunction with the rest of the logo can help your brand integrate with your community and create more brand recognition.
When choosing a color palette, first take a step back to look at the characteristics of your brand. The type of product, the quality of the service, and your target audience are some of the factors to consider to help select your colors. It is more important for your colors to support your brand and personality that you want to portray instead of aligning with stereotypical color associations. Imagine if any of your favorite brands would have the same characteristics if they used different colors, or even different fonts. Whether it is the iconic red of Netflix or the blues of Visa, neither would be possible without a splash of color.
—–
Ready to add a splash of color to your brand? Take a look at how we used color on our logos and websites or contact a consultant today for a free demo!
Written by Michael Dea, Designer at ViziSites
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
Everyone talks about the need to have a social media presence but some businesses find themselves spinning their wheels while trying to find a formula that works for them. Businesses of any size can benefit from an effective social media marketing plan, but first it is important to tailor any messages to the appropriate audience. Use the following suggestions to improve your social media efforts, increasing engagement and boosting conversions.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and it will take more than a few hours to learn how suitable channels work and how they may best suit your business needs. Invest the time to explore some of the free and paid resources online to create a practical social media marketing strategy. Discuss your unique requirements with a ViziSites Internet Marketing Consultant to make the most out of your social media platforms.
Social media platforms are now being used as an extension of customer service departments. Customers are voicing their complaints and concerns, in addition to writing up candid reviews on platforms. Veterinary practices and hospitals can use the information to improve wait times, find new niches and provide recognition for employees going above and beyond. Taking the time to respond directly to customers online can demonstrate the type of attention to be expected by the business and improve customer relations.
Automation helps make it easier to ensure that communications and offers are sent out as scheduled. Free and paid plans from Hootsuite can get business owners started and make efforts more efficient. Plan posts in advance to allow time for responding and engaging with followers. Avoid coming across as overly promotional and look for ways to interest and educate an audience to grow a following.
Leveraging social media means more than posting a few times a day. Active engagement is key to getting audiences involved and building online relationships. Engagement helps open the lines of communication, allowing businesses to interact with prospects directly. Establishing an authentic sense of empathy is important for both online and offline relationships.
This playful example from CoastView Veterinary Hospital creates a game with pet owners. They are offered a chance to spell their pets’ names using only emojis. Pet names are spelled with emojis ranging from mushrooms, to saxophones and apples.
Light-hearted posts and games can increase engagement and be shared with others in their circle, potentially allowing new visitors to take part in the activity and follow a business. Social media efforts should not only be focused on pushing veterinary services or products in un-spammy ways, but to create authentic connections with leads and customers.
It doesn’t make sense to keep posting on platforms that audiences aren’t on. Spend more time on those channels that show the most engagement from an audience. Some businesses find success with some of the most popular social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. Remember that the type and format of posts may need to be tailored to the selected platform.
6. Analyze ResultsThere are multiple ways to stay informed and improve your social media efforts. Using the analytics provided by a specific social media platform, as well as through HootSuite, can make it easier to track which posts are performing well. Likes, shares and comments are some of the indicators that a post is connecting with an audience. Paying to boost such posts can also increase exposure of a business to new leads. This should be done with posts performing well organically to see the best results. Vet practice owners and small businesses can use regular analysis to hone their strategy and learn which types of posts work best with a target audience.
Small business owners are generally busy with handling the daily operations of an organization. However, time should be set aside daily to understand the opportunities offered with a social media presence and to learn how competitors may be engaging with their customers online. Learning the fundamentals about popular platforms and starting with a basic social media plan can get veterinary managers and owners new customers while retaining the old. Contact a ViziSites Internet Marketing Consultant for more details on which ideas and techniques would best suit your practice as you ramp up your efforts today.
When you see a red target on the side of a building or an apple emblazoned on the back of a smartphone, what are the first things that come to mind? Odds are you will quickly associate these icons with Target and Apple. But why does the brain make that instant connection? Is it the signature red that Target splashes across its stores? Would the Apple icon be as recognizable without the bite taken out of it or the leaf angled to the right? These are only some of the variables that designers keep in mind when creating a logo and establishing a brand.
Recently, we touched on the importance of consistency in relation to branding. Now, let’s zero in on one of, if not the, most important elements of branding: the logo.
What are the components of a good logo? Is it the vibrant colors you selected or is it choosing between serif and sans serif fonts? These elements are important to a well-designed logo, but let’s take an even closer look at five fundamentals of a successful logo that is relevant, simple, versatile, unique, and timeless.
Every component does not need to be checked off in order to create a great logo. As long as you and your designer address these components together, you can be sure to end up with a beautiful logo that achieves your business goals.
—–
Interested in creating a logo with our ViziSites designers that can stand the test of time? Take a look at our logo portfolio or contact a consultant today for a free demo!
Written by Michael Dea, Designer at ViziSites
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
