The more I look at veterinary hospital websites, the more I realize there is one thing you can forget to include that upsets me the most.
I’m not crying over the lack of SSL certificates, although having that security measure is going to be vital July 1.
It’s not the daily agony of seeing the same templated sites over and over again that’s got me sobbing.
So what is the one thing that upsets me the most when veterinary clinics forget to include it on their website? 👏THE WHOLE TEAM. 👏
I have all of the respect in the world for the hard-earned title of “veterinarian.” I grew up tagging along with my dad as he attended veterinary school at Tufts. I watched him study. Heck, I totally helped him study. (He’d give me highlighters to color with, and I’m positive this was the key to his educational success).
But the veterinarians aren’t the only people on your clinic’s team who have worked hard. They are not the only ones who matter.
“Aren’t people just trying to research the vets?”
Sure – if I am a pet owner whose dog was just diagnosed with cancer, I might want to research the heck out of all the qualifications your board-certified veterinary oncologist has.
But if I’m a pug owner, it would be great to know you have a veterinary assistant whose claim to fame is “CAN ACTUALLY CUT PUG NAILS WITHOUT CAUSING WW3.”
As an overprotective dog mom, I want to know everyone who could potentially have the honor of taking care of my angelic Brussels Griffon, from squeezing his amazing anal glands to listening to his beautiful heartbeat.
Not only that, but I want to see the face of the person answering my phone calls. That way I can imagine how happy they look when I tell them Archer is coming in.
I know you have to expect turnover from my time as a practice manager. People go back to school, employees decide to put family first, or team members move on to other passions.
But if you have a lot of staff turnover, maybe it is because you are the kind of clinic that doesn’t put your support team on your website.
This sounds harsh, but I have to be direct here: Only highlighting your veterinarians on your website sends a clear message to current and prospective team members: “These are the only employees who matter to us.”
Highlighting all team members on your website makes everyone feel equally valued. Not only is this the right thing to do in a field that requires teamwork, but it is also going to be critical as millennials continue to take over the workforce.
Even Forbes acknowledges that millennial employees thrive on getting credit, and they will leave if they don’t get it. (Source)
“They’re scared of photos.”
Real talk: This is the most valid argument. I remember my management days and how quickly the entire team would vanish when I came through the treatment area wielding an iPhone.
Making a big, fun event of getting team photos with a photographer is one way to get around this. If everyone is doing it together, it can seem less scary.
Don’t have the budget for a photographer? The WhiskerCloud team can help with photo edits. Get your iPhone out, and get snapping.
If your team is still terrified, encourage them to take photos of each other. Removing management/ownership from the equation can help take the pressure off. Your role is just to be positive and remind them why this important. A simple, “We need a picture of you so all the pug owners know you’re the nail trim KWEEN!” goes a long way.
Make it happen.
Whether you have a website or are looking to rebuild, don’t forget to include all of the team members that make your practice possible.
WhiskerCloud websites are fully loaded with everything you need to grow.
We offer cloud hosting, SEO, real-time website tracking, reputation management, social media management, and advertising — and all of it comes with unlimited support from our team.
