A New Website Can’t Fix Your Veterinary Hospital’s Problems

If there’s one thing I know from 5+ years of managing my family’s veterinary practice it’s this: Running an animal hospital definitely includes a wide array of dynamic, challenging and bizarre problems.

In my second month of WhiskerCloud demo calls, I noticed a trend in the issues hospitals were facing. What was it? Well, frankly, they are problems a new website can’t magically fix on its own.

I guess this shouldn’t surprise me. When I was managing, I’d sit in my office like a mad scientist trying to solve whatever issue we had that week. No matter what I was facing, I’d come to the same conclusion: The solution has to be holistic.

Let’s take a look at the common struggles I’ve heard on demo calls and some potential well-rounded solutions.

Common problem #1: “We need to hire an associate veterinarian.”

This seems to be an issue for a lot of practices right now, not just those who are looking for a new website.

Associate veterinarians are a hot commodity, and your average practice can’t exactly compete with the financial sign-on bonuses a certain big box hospital is offering.

Sure, the WhiskerCloud team can put the job listing on your website. We can even make sure people can upload their resume right to the page, and we could help you with social media ads to push the listing out. Check out the Careers page on the Happy Tails Veterinary Emergency Clinic website – applicants can submit a cover letter and resume right on the website!
 
However, none of those functionalities are going to attract your ideal associate if you don’t do the offline legwork of figuring out WHY someone would want to work with your team.

My favorite resource for making this a reality is Seth Godin’s book, The Purple Cow. Snag it, read it, and start establishing what makes you stand out as business and as an employer.

Once you’ve discovered your “purple cow” – the thing that makes you extraordinary – then the WhiskerCloud team can help you convey your unique message on your website. (But don’t forget: The reality of the culture in your hospital must match for any of this to work!)

Common problem #2: “Our new client numbers are low.”

I’m a big fan of client retention and increasing compliance vs. just focusing on those shiny new client numbers. However, they can be an indicator of a veterinary practice’s overall health.

Depending on who you ask, you should be getting around 25-30 new clients a month per full-time DVM. If you aren’t hitting those numbers, a new website is only part of the solution.

What are you offering to new clients and how are you communicating it? What sort of experience can they expect when they come in for the first time? Check out “If Disney Ran Your Hospital” by Fred Lee, and start contemplating how you can deliver client experience vs. customer service.

When you have a game plan for delivering stellar service, then the WhiskerCloud team can discuss how to push that out in social media videos, ads, and dynamic website landing pages.

We can even take it up to another level and talk about how to implement referral programs and promote them in the clinic and online.

Sure – this is going to involve more work, more training, and more planning. But trust me – this approach is going to help you attract much better clients than just slapping “FREE FIRST EXAM!” everywhere and waiting.

Common problem #3: “We offer XYZ special service but no one really knows about it.”

If a laser therapy machine falls into your veterinary hospital and no one is there to hear it, is it even there?

Special services, like acupuncture or dog training, can be part of the “purple cow” that makes your animal hospital different. But it isn’t enough to just throw up a list of services on your website. Again, we need to go deeper and put a bigger effort all around.

Educating clients about services in a way that communicates the benefits to their pets and their lives is what helps people see the value. This can and should be done on a website, but it also needs to be done in practice.

Training your team to communicate effectively is a skill that never goes out of style. Again, this is going to require a solution that will involve in-clinic work!

Once you have the messaging about a specific service good to go (and your team ready to convey the message in the hospital), then you can look to your website to support you in getting that information out.

Our friends at Cardiff Animal Hospital do a great job of showcasing their TPLO capabilities!

Let’s work together on holistic solutions for the issues your practice is facing

When you jump on a demo call with me, it’s not just going to be about pretty websites. (Although… this is WhiskerCloud… there will be pretty websites).

Because we build custom websites, I want to help you find custom solutions to help you reach your unique goals.