Chiropractors are usually better at marketing themselves than most healthcare providers, but this article will make you rethink how you get online reviews.
Your instructors probably didn’t spend a whole lot of time talking about online reviews when you were in chiropractic school.
Those years that you spent learning, studying and interning taught you everything you need to know in order to treat joint pain and help people recover from injuries.
But those skills aren’t worth much if you don’t have patients to adjust and treat.
So although getting plenty of online reviews and patient feedback may not be something you’ve thought about before, it’s something you have to think about now if you want your practice to thrive and your patient base to grow.
Why Do Reviews Matter?
It doesn’t matter if you want to be reviewed online or not, or if you look at reviews yourself.
In the age of social media and online review sites, people can review any business or professional they deal with, and that includes medical professionals like chiropractors.
In fact, research tells us that most American consumers pay attention to online reviews. A staggering 91 percent of people read online reviews at least occasionally, according to recent research.
That’s pretty amazing, especially when you compare it to the recent past. In 2010, only 71 percent of people said that they read reviews at least occasionally.
The research also found that 88% percent of people trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations from friends, up from 80 percent in 2015.
Your online reviews don’t even have to be glowing raves in order to make potential patients trust you. In fact, most consumers will use businesses with overall ratings of three out of five stars.
Reviews can also help you increase your name recognition and improve your rankings in search engines.
It comes down to this: people are going to review you online, especially if they have a really good or really bad experience in your office, and other people are definitely going to read what they write and take it seriously.
That can be a bad thing if you’re not taking charge of your online reputation.
Making Adjustments
The key to improving your reputation online basically comes down to the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated.
Give your patients great service and treat them kindly, and they’ll (hopefully) want to do something nice for you in return. In this case, write you a review.
7 out of 10 people are willing to write reviews for businesses when they’re asked to do so. Make that willingness work to your advantage, by simply asking your patients nicely to leave a review.
This is a little trickier for a chiropractor to do than it is for a baker or tailor; after all, you’re asking people to post a review about services related to their own bodies, and some people won’t want to do it.
You also have to consider privacy concerns as a medical professional. Asking patients to leave reviews isn’t generally a violation of HIPAA, PIPEDA or other medical privacy laws, but you do have to be careful of your own behavior when following up on these requests… more on that in a minute.
Where to Get Online Reviews
Consistently getting online reviews is necessary for chiropractic practices to build trust and attract new patients. Here are some essential places to collect online reviews:
Google Business Profile (aka Google My Business): Start by claiming and optimizing your Google My Business listing. Google reviews are highly influential and can significantly boost your reputation. A strong presence on Google not only enhances your visibility but also helps potential patients find and trust your practice.
Facebook Page: Encourage your patients to leave reviews on your Facebook page. Facebook reviews can increase your practice’s visibility and attract new patients. A well-maintained Facebook page with plenty of patient reviews can serve as a powerful endorsement of your services.
Healthgrades: Healthgrades is a popular review site for healthcare businesses. Claiming and optimizing your Healthgrades listing can improve your online reputation and make it easier for new patients to find you. A strong presence on Healthgrades signals to potential patients that you are a trusted and reputable chiropractor.
Yelp: Yelp is a well-known review site that many people turn to when looking for local services. By claiming and optimizing your Yelp listing, you can increase your visibility and attract new patients. Positive Yelp reviews can enhance your credibility and draw more people to your practice.
RateMDs: RateMDs is another popular review site for medical professionals. Claiming and optimizing your RateMDs listing can improve your online reputation and help you stand out to potential patients. A strong presence on RateMDs shows that you are committed to patient wellness and quality care.
By focusing on getting consistently getting more positive reviews on the most important review sites, you’ll continually grow your reputation and attract more patients to your chiropractic practice.
How To Get Reviews
Once you’ve set up your profiles on the sites you need to get reviews on, the next step is to get those reviews.
How? It may sound obvious, but you have to ask your patients to leave reviews.
Make it a habit of looking for opportunities to ask your patients to write a review for you.
You’re helping your patients and many of them are happy to help you back. Just try to do it in a way that doesn’t seem pushy.
For example, at the end of each visit you can verbally ask each patient to write a review.
Or you can place a sign with a QR code at the checkout counter that includes Google Review link, making it easy for patients to scan and submit their reviews quickly.
But let’s be realistic: Very few of your patients are going to take the steps to actually write a review.
The good new is that there are easier and more effective ways to get patient reviews…
How to Get Even More Reviews
Asking your patients for reviews should inspire a few of them to get cracking. Others, however, will get distracted by their busy lives.
An automated reputation management system like ReputationStacker makes it easy to get your patients to review you.
The system will text or email patients a one-question survey, directing them to the review sites of your choice to post a review.
ReputationStacker’s Professional Plan was specifically built with healthcare providers in mind, meeting all HIPAA and PIPEDA standards so your patients’ privacy is always protected.
Managing Your Online Reputation
So we’ve established that getting more reviews is important for chiropractors.
But review generation is only one part of online reputation management.
Reputation management is essential for chiropractors to build trust and get the attention of potential patients. Here are some tips to manage your online reputation effectively:
Monitor Online Reviews: Good job getting reviews, but you also need to keep track of what people are saying about you. Keep a close eye on the reviews being posted about your practice on various review sites, including Google, Facebook, Healthgrades, Yelp, and RateMDs. Regularly monitoring these platforms allows you to stay informed about what patients are saying and address any issues promptly.
Respond to All Reviews: Patients expect you to respond to their reviews.Take the time to respond to both positive and negative reviews. Acknowledging positive reviews shows appreciation for your patients’ feedback, while addressing negative reviews demonstrates your commitment to resolving issues and improving the patient experience. Responding to reviews can build trust with potential patients and show that you value their opinions. It also provides an extra boost to search engine rankings, particularly when you respond to Google reviews.
Use Review Management Tools: Utilize tools like ReputationStacker to streamline the review collection process. These tools can help you manage your online reputation more efficiently by automating the collection and monitoring of reviews, making it easy to respond to reviews and get deep business insights all from a single dashboard.
By following these tips, you can effectively manage your online reputation, build trust with potential patients, and ensure that your chiropractic practice stands out in a competitive market.
Dealing with Negative Reviews
Dealing with negative reviews for your practice is an essential part of managing your online reputation. Here are some tips to handle bad reviews constructively:
Respond Promptly: Address a negative review as soon as possible to show patients that you value their feedback. A timely response is an easy way to show that you really care about the patient experience. Promptly addressing concerns can also prevent further bad reviews.
Apologize and Empathize: Start your response by apologizing for any inconvenience caused and empathizing with the patient’s concerns. Showing empathy can help diffuse the situation and make the patient feel heard and understood. A sincere apology can go a long way in rebuilding trust.
Offer a Solution: Provide a clear and actionable solution to the patient’s concerns. Whether it’s offering a follow-up appointment or addressing a specific issue, showing that you are willing to make things right can improve patient satisfaction and demonstrate your commitment to quality care.
Take It Offline: Whenever possible, take the conversation offline to resolve the issue. Provide a phone number or email address where the patient can reach you directly. Handling the matter privately can deescalate things and show that you are dedicated to resolving the issue.
By following these tips, you can manage your online reputation, deal with negative reviews effectively, and attract more patients to your chiropractic practice. Remember, patient satisfaction is key to building a successful practice, and addressing negative feedback constructively can turn a dissatisfied patient into a loyal one.
One Last Checkup
You’re busy making your patients’ lives better, so you’re probably not thinking much about online reviews.
But even in the medical field, online reviews can make or break your business.
Ask patients to review you, and go a step further to make sure they do.
With an automated system like ReputationStacker, you can focus on the work of treating your patients, with the confidence of knowing that the positive reviews you’ve earned from satisfied patients will keep rolling in.
FAQs About How To Get Patient Reviews For Chiropractors
How can chiropractors encourage more reviews from their patients?
Chiropractors can encourage more reviews by directly asking satisfied patients to leave a review. After a treatment, follow up with an email or text message containing a direct link to your Google business page. Personalize the request to make it more engaging, and emphasize how their feedback helps improve your practice and assists others seeking quality care.
Why is it important for chiropractors to focus on getting more reviews?
Focusing on getting more reviews is incredibly important for growing a chiropractic practice. A higher number of reviews, particularly positive ones, can improve your visibility in Google search results and attract more patients. Consumers trust online reviews, so a strong collection of reviews that reflect a positive patient experience can significantly impact your practice’s success.
What are some effective ways to ask patients to leave a review?
Effective ways to ask patients to leave a review include sending follow-up emails or text messages with a direct link to your review page. You can also request reviews in person after a successful visit, making sure to emphasize how their feedback benefits the practice and future patients, and how easy it is to leave reviews. Reputation management software like ReputationStacker automate sending review requests to make sure that you get as many reviews as possible. review page
How can chiropractors track and manage their patient reviews?
Chiropractors can track and manage patient reviews by setting up alerts for new reviews. Regularly check review sites and Google reviews to monitor feedback and address any concerns. Implement a system for tracking review metrics and responding to reviews to maintain a positive online presence and improve patient satisfaction. You can use review management tools like ReputationStacker to automate the entire review management process.
