Marketing Basics to Set Up When Starting a Business

Jun 13

Starting a new practice comes with a long to-do list. Here are the online basics worth setting up early, before you get too busy to think about them.

Website

You need a website, even if it's simple to start. A clean, easy-to-navigate site helps potential patients see your practice as credible and gives them somewhere to land when they go looking for you. I recommend Squarespace as a straightforward platform for healthcare providers.

Once it’s live, connect it to Google Search Console and Google Analytics so you can track how people are finding you.

Google Business Profile

Set up a Google Business Profile to get listed on Google Maps and give patients a place to leave reviews. Fill out your listing completely, including logo, photos, contact info, and hours. Once it's live, ask your current patients to leave a review.

Once your Google Business Profile is set up, it's also worth claiming your listing in Bing Places for Business. It takes a few minutes and lets you pull directly from your Google profile.

Apple Business Connect

Apple Maps and Siri pull business information from Apple Business Connect rather than Yelp now. Set up your listing there and complete it the same way you did your Google profile. It's free and worth the 15 minutes.

Yelp

Claim your business listing on Yelp even if you don’t actively use it. It still shows up in searches and feeds into some other platforms.

You can’t directly ask for Yelp reviews, but you can let patients know you're listed there. If you do get reviews, you can use them elsewhere as long as you credit Yelp appropriately.

Social Media

You don't need to be everywhere. Pick one or two platforms where your patients actually spend time and where you can post consistently. Starting small and staying consistent is better than spreading thin across every platform.

Local Publications

If you're opening a new brick-and-mortar practice, check local publications for new business listings. Many run them for free and it's an easy visibility win early on.

Online Directories

Look for directories relevant to your specialty, professional associations, your local chamber of commerce, and any medical provider listings that apply to you. We're not expecting these to drive significant traffic, but they help with local SEO and add credibility. Stick to free listings unless there's a compelling reason to pay.

If getting all of this set up feels like too much on top of everything else, I'm happy to help. Reach out and we'll figure out where to start.

Kayla Holsomback

Kayla Holsomback helps health and wellness providers close the gap between the quality of care they provide and what a potential patient can tell from their website — through branding, design, and Squarespace websites — so the right patients can find them, recognize them, and feel confident reaching out.

https://www.kaylaholsomback.com/