According to Warren Buffet, reputation “takes twenty years to build and five minutes to destroy”. What’s your veterinary practice known for? A comfortable, calming waiting room that puts customers and their pets at ease? Speedy in-house diagnostics and results? A warm and welcoming team of veterinary nurses with a dedication to stellar patient care? Today, we’re exploring some techniques, tips and tricks you can implement to bolster your reputation—hopefully building it quicker than Warren Buffet once thought!
1. Is your website reflecting the experience and professionalism that customers are receiving in person?
A slick, modern and professional website is an absolute must today, regardless of practice size. You don’t need to fork out a huge chunk of change on building a website, but you do need to spend some time, money and careful consideration, ensuring your little slice of the internet looks well designed, and is user-friendly. Our resident website genie, Fergus Alexander, advises:
“Having a well maintained and up-to-date website is key to giving your business credibility, and makes you feel established and trustworthy to your current and new customers. In 2020, your customers expect you to have a great website on any device; if they can’t look you up online, you could be losing opportunities and visibility every day to potential customers.”
If budget and technical prowess are issues, there are affordable, user-friendly, monthly options like Squarespace that make creating a website simple.
2. Am I communicating effectively with pet owners?
Whether it’s a letter, phone call or an email, always be succinct. No one likes waffle. But more importantly, we don’t have the time. In today’s quickfire world, we need to know what we need to know. Ensure the basics—grammar and spelling — are correct, maybe even utilising tools like Grammarly. Always ensure your practice info is present and correct on all correspondence you send out: key contacts, name, address, URL (website link) and opening hours. We’ve seen too many websites which do not make it easy to find opening hours or contact info.
3. Can you offer something extra?
This could be something as simple as a free coffee in your waiting room, to free samples of pet food for pet parents to take home. Everyone loves a freebie, right?! They never fail to leave a lasting impression on your clientele. What about offering your knowledge for free?
One of the best ways to build a brand online is through your content. Let your customers learn from you, about you, and get the value that they won’t get in the waiting room. Create a blog on your site, dish out the little details on social, or start pet care podcast. Become a thought leader in your field.
4. Can you invest in promotional products?
Look at your office space? How many items with other brands etched on them do you currently have? Chances are, quite a few. This popular method of offline branding never fails to spread your name. What kind of promotional products can you give to customers?
- Pens/pencils
- Water bottles
- Mugs
- Keychains
5. Can you support your community?
Be a force for good in your community while increasing your brand awareness and authority:
- Give to a local organization
- Host a charity event
- Create a fundraiser
- Sponsor or participate in a charity event
70% of Millennials report spending more with businesses that support causes. Home depot, Build-a-Bear, TOMS and Etsy all are all renowned for their commitment to corporate social responsibility and giving back, while reaping the rewards of some serious brand loyalty.
What works for you? Let us know in the comments, how does your veterinary practice build reputation?