In the Heat of the Micro-moment

About 80 percent of Internet users use smartphones to search the Web while nine percent (a number that is slowly increasing) use smartwatches to do so.

Mobile makes up 88 percent of all “near me” searches (i.e Botox near me), with those mobile searches growing at 146 percent year over year, according to Google.

Tech-savvy patients are deliberate when searching for information. They search in micro-moments, a.k.a intent-rich moments, when decisions are made and preferences shaped. This is your new strike zone.

“Billions of times per day, consumers turn to Google for I want-to-know, I want-to-go, I want-to-do, and I want-to-buy moments. And at these times, consumers are increasingly picking up their smartphones for answers,” says Jerry Dischler, VP Product Management at AdWords.

Is your practice ready?

It's not enough to just have a mobile version of your site. Your prospective patients expect to easily access your website when and where they want to. They also expect your site to automatically adjust to their devices and provide engaging and relevant content. You don't have long to make an impression, either. If your site takes too long to load, you lose a reader (i.e a patient and a surgery or surgeries). And worse, your loss may well be your competitor's gain.

Where do you stand?

Check out how mobile-friendly your site is with Google's free tool:
www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

Buying decisions happen in micro-moments. Delivering in this exact moment of need is the most effective way to increase brand engagement. Your branding should be eye-catching and displayed in the first few seconds. Any call to action should be prominent whether it's “Schedule a Consultation,” “Ask the Doctor” or “Buy Now”.

If you are able to satisfy their need for quick and relevant information, converting will come easier.

Other ways to improve the user experience and boost conversion ratios on smartphones and tablets include decluttering the pages and the process. Reduce unnecessary steps or user action to access your information or resources, focus on key frames, and be sure to include subtitles for mobile ads since most people view these without sound.

When implemented properly, mobile marketing has the potential to dramatically increase lead generation and conversion.

Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete Internet marketing company which focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education and the online reputations of Dermatologists and Plastic Surgeons in the US, Canada and the UK.

With a team of 130+ full time marketers, www.ekwa.com helps doctors who know where they want to go, get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call Naren direct at 877-249-9666.