Chiropractic

Why Chiropractic Websites are Targets of Cyberattacks

Any type of healthcare provider website is susceptible to cyberattacks for several reasons. The top reason involves patient information, including social security numbers, bank accounts, and primary addresses. If a hacker can swipe parts of a patient’s records, it gives them enough knowledge to engage in identity theft and, ultimately, steal money from checking or credit card accounts.

Like other health providers, chiropractors focus exclusively on their highest priority– their patients. It’s easy for busy chiropractors to overlook exploitable cracks in their websites that they expect chiropractic web design developers to secure for them.

What is a Secure Chiropractic Website?

Let’s take an in-depth look at what a professional chiropractic website design should include in its programming code to prevent unauthorized intrusions:

5 Reasons Why You Need to Secure Your Chiropractic Website

Possible Litigation

Class action lawsuits have been filed by patients who have had their personal data stolen by cybercriminals hacking into unsecured healthcare websites. Whether you are a chiropractor, dermatologist, or surgeon, you could be facing expensive liability lawsuits if your website is not properly secured.

Removal from Google Searches

Medical practice websites infected with malware can be detected by Firefox and Chrome browsers. The website may be blacklisted or removed to avoid visitors from being infected by malware.

Reputational Damage

Even if a hacker manages to steal only a minimal amount of patient data from a chiropractic website, the practice will still have to reveal to all patients that a few other patients’ information has been compromised. This could result in a substantial loss of patients who no longer have the confidence in the practice to keep their personal data secure.

Lower Search Engine Ranking

A secure chiropractic website will consistently rank higher than an unsecured or partially secured chiropractic website. Search engine crawlers are configured to detect whether a website is HTTPS or HTTP (not secured). Blacklisted websites also rank low, if at all, until the malware has been removed from the site.

Work with Professional Chiropractic Web Design Experts at ViziSites

Impress new and existing patients with secure, state-of-the-art web designs that set your practice apart from other chiropractic websites. 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!

When you think of branding, you may think of Fortune 500 companies like McDonald’s, Apple and Coca-Cola. After all, they have logos, color schemes and other branding elements that make them easy to recognize. The truth is that branding is important for businesses of all sizes, whether you’re a solo practitioner or part of a large group of chiropractors.

Branding is simply the process of shaping the way people in your target audience perceive you and your business. It helps you stand out from the crowd, making it easier to attract new customers and generate referrals from satisfied patients. Keep reading to learn more about why branding is such an important part of marketing for chiropractors.

1. Branding builds trust.

Imagine you’re taking a road trip and need to stop for something to eat. As you travel along the highway, you see signs for a no-name diner and a well-known restaurant chain. Assuming both establishments serve foods you enjoy, which one are you more likely to pick? If you’re like many consumers, you’ll pick a known quantity over an unfamiliar option.

When someone needs chiropractic services for the first time, they may take a similar approach. If they don’t know anyone who can give them a referral to a chiropractor, they’re likely to search for a practice online or try to recall the name of a chiropractic clinic from a recent advertisement. This is where your branding efforts start to pay off.

If a prospective patient remembers your name or recognizes your logo, there’s a good chance they’ll call your practice instead of calling a competitor. That translates into more revenue for your practice, highlighting the importance of branding and digital marketing for chiropractors.

2. Branding increases the value of what you offer.

Many consumers view sneakers as nothing more than a comfortable pair of shoes to wear while working out. For a small segment of the market, however, getting a new pair of sneakers is just as exciting as getting a private performance from Lady Gaga or Ed Sheeran. Some Nike enthusiasts even camp out overnight before a new release to ensure they can snag a pair.

If you’re wondering why in the world someone would sleep outdoors just for a chance to buy a new pair of shoes, the answer is branding. Nike’s ads rarely focus on product features or benefits. Instead, they focus on people. When you watch a Nike ad on television or see one of the company’s print ads in a magazine, you can almost imagine yourself playing soccer with David Beckham or running alongside Usain Bolt. This is what makes people willing to pay so much more for a pair of Nikes than a pair of generic running shoes.

The same principle applies to branding and marketing for chiropractors. When you have an established brand, people are willing to pay more for your services, increasing your practice revenue even if you don’t increase the number of patients you serve. Branding also positions you as a premium provider of chiropractic care, making it easier to attract business partners who can help you introduce new product or service lines, generating even more revenue for your practice.

3. Branding makes it easier to generate referrals.

There’s a big difference between buying a pair of shoes and choosing a chiropractor. If you’re buying shoes, all that really matters is that what you buy is comfortable and fits your sense of style. Choosing a chiropractor is a bit different. When a new patient comes to your practice, they’re putting their trust in your ability to conduct a thorough assessment and develop a customized treatment plan. That’s why so many people ask for referrals from friends and family members instead of taking their chances on a random chiropractor they found online.

Because branding helps you deliver a consistent experience, your current patients are more likely to refer their loved ones to your practice, increasing your patient load and bringing in more revenue. If you’re interested in using referral marketing for chiropractors to increase your revenue, here are a few ways to get more referrals:

• Go beyond the bare minimum. If you exceed expectations, your patients are likely to be impressed with your practice, making them feel comfortable enough to give referrals to people they care about.
• Invest in customer relationships. Branding isn’t just about getting new patients through the door. It’s about retaining those patients and achieving a better balance between your revenue and marketing expenses. Follow up with current patients by sending email newsletters or calling once per month to check in and see how they’re doing. They’re likely to be impressed by your efforts, making referrals more likely.
• Make it easy for current patients to give referrals. Consider having a business card printed with a discount offer and giving a few copies to each patient who’s been with your practice for at least six months. Patients can hand out the cards to their friends, driving new customers to your practice and increasing your revenue.
• Publish shareable content. In some cases, referrals happen because one of your patients has a friend or family member who expresses a need for a chiropractor. But what if your patients’ loved ones are tight-lipped about their back pain or stiff necks? You need to make your content shareable so that patients can pass it on even if no one has asked for a referral directly. Consider adding a share button to each page of content on your website or spending more time marketing via social media.

Like other forms of marketing for chiropractors, branding isn’t a magic wand that you can wave over your practice to make revenue start flowing. You need to develop a comprehensive branding strategy and stick to it if you want to build trust, increase the value of your services and generate more referrals.

If you know that you need help with branding or digital marketing for chiropractors, contact one of our experienced marketing consultants. We can help you build a profitable practice that delivers the best possible patient care.

A basic chiropractic website could cost thousands of dollars. Some websites soar to tens of thousands of dollars, plus monthly fees, but these websites can have advanced functionality and superior marketing that make them stand out to potential patients. Take these factors into consideration as you plan a budget and start talking to chiropractic marketing companies.

What Factors Affect the Cost?

Domain Name

A domain name is the address that clients type into the URL bar to access your website. Some website builders offer free domains, but they usually have additional words or numbers that make your domain name harder to remember. Free domains can also look unprofessional because they’re tied to the website builder instead of standing on their own.

Domain names can cost anywhere from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars per year. The most basic domain names, such as pets.com, are practically inaccessible to individuals. Domain names become cheaper as they become more unique. For example, you might not be able to afford “chiropractor.com,” but you could buy a domain name like “welleschiropractic.com.”

Top-level domains that end with .com or .org are pricier than uncommon domains, such as .io or .biz. The newer domains are harder to remember, but many simple domain names haven’t been claimed yet. You could buy your chosen domain name for a fraction of the cost of a .com domain.

Website Hosting Company

A web hosting company provides online “real estate” for your website. When you buy a hosting plan, your website goes live on the Internet. Clients can access your website through search engines or by typing in the domain name. If your hosting plan lapses, your website appears to disappear until you renew your subscription.

Some website builders provide free hosting or require you to buy a subscription, which could be $10 or less. You can reach out to a separate hosting company if you build a website on your own. Prices can range from less than $5 for small websites to several hundred dollars for major businesses with high traffic.

SSL Certificate

An SSL certificate encrypts the information that clients send through your website, such as their addresses and credit card numbers, to keep it safe from third parties. Many clients won’t use your website without one because they won’t feel safe sharing their data. You can see if a website is secure by clicking the lock icon in the URL bar left of the domain name.

Some website builders provide a free SSL certificate with a paid subscription. If you buy one separately, an SSL certificate for one domain might cost less than $10 per year. Certificates for multiple domains with specific purposes can cost hundreds of dollars each year.

Design

Website builders offer free design templates, but they can limit your options, especially if you’ve never built a website before. Subscriptions can range from less than $10 to $50 or more per month. Typically, subscribers get more design options, however, premade templates might not have the functionality that you need.

Web design companies can charge anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $10,000 or more for your website. This is a larger up-front cost, but web designers tailor your website exactly to your needs. They’ll design the layout that you want so you don’t have to rely on templates.

Web designers can build multiple pages, such as an “About Us” page, contact sections, and add functionality to your website, too. This could include contact forms, online billing options, social media feeds, videos and live chats. Afterward, chiropractic marketing companies help you promote your new website to your clients.

Web Copy

Web copy is the text that greets the audience when they visit your site. Frontpage web copy often includes branding, contact information, and a short introduction. You’ll need text for virtually every page on your website so patients quickly find the information that they need.

Copywriters can charge anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars for web copy. They can write anything from short doctor biographies to technical data, such as your office hours and contact information. Custom content is clean, grammatically correct, and easy to read, making a strong first impression.

Some writers incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) keywords into their copy. They research common search keywords, such as “chiropractor near me,” then incorporate these keywords into the text to boost your website’s search engine rankings. This reaches more patients in your region.

Online Store

Many chiropractic websites allow patients to book appointments online. You could take it a step further by letting clients pay online or buy other products or services from your site. However, you’ll need a secure online store that patients can trust with their personal data and payment information.

Some website builders charge an extra fee or require you to buy a subscription to access the online store functionality. Web design companies could charge a few thousand or more for a store encoded into your website. A custom-built store is efficient, professional, and designed for your specific needs so patients can place orders within minutes.

Mobile Optimization

Thousands of people search for local chiropractors and book appointments through mobile devices each day. You could have a streamlined desktop website, but if you didn’t optimize your site for mobile use, visitors might have a slow, awkward browsing experience that makes them turn to one of your competitors. Clients don’t want to squint at tiny text and wait for the website to load– they want information in seconds.

Web design companies could charge a few thousand dollars or more for an optimized website. A mobile-friendly site has clean blocks of content that highlight the most important information. Large text and clear buttons make the site easy to navigate. Web designers maintain your business’s color scheme and branding so the mobile and desktop sites complement each other.

Talk to Chiropractic Marketing Companies

Chiropractic marketing companies help you promote your business so you can maximize your reach, earn five-star reviews, gain a loyal client base and market yourself to the right audience. Reach out to ViziSites today to talk about filling the holes in your marketing strategy.