When it comes to veterinary care, pet owners have options. Depending on your location, they might have a lot of options.

Case in point: Within 3 miles of the Chckup office, Google Maps shows over 10 veterinary practices for me to choose from.

How do you plan for your practice to stand out in a crowded marketplace and win the battle for new clients?

Ultimately, it comes down to how well you’re meeting and exceeding pet owner expectations. If you can do that, you’ll be well on your way to becoming the vet clinic of choice in your area.

#1 - Have an informative, modern web presence

If your:

• Website feels outdated

• Content is generic

  • Stock images of smiling veterinarians that aren’t you

  • Bland blog posts stuffed with keywords

• Social media presence is non-existent (or worse, outdated!) 

You are not representing your practice in a way that will attract pet owners to choose you. Your web presence is your practice’s digital billboard - it needs to attract and inform to convert!

A modern, mobile-friendly site design with easy navigation, paired with real photos of your office and a short hello from each of your staff members goes a long way. 

Drop the stiff professionalism and show your practice’s personality through a recorded office tour, a regularly updated blog with relevant and informative topics, and social media that actually engages your followers!

It doesn’t take much to exceed your client’s expectations in the digital realm. Friendly and approachable beats stock photos and fancy welcome letters any day.

https://fash.com/photographers

#2 - Availability is key

If your veterinary practice has hours beyond the traditional 9-5, highlight that in every single avenue you use to market your practice. Pet owners who work similar hours might take off work to come in for an appointment, but others can’t or simply aren’t willing.

If you aren’t highlighting your extended hours in all of your marketing channels (website, social media, print materials, etc.), you’re missing a valuable opportunity to exceed your client's expectations. Don’t let your accessibility and dedication to working clients go unnoticed!

#3 - Be easy to communicate with

For pet owners with questions, provide an email address next to your phone number in your online listings. Many times email is simply an easier channel to fit conversations into your client’s day.

Respond to all emails as soon as humanly possible, and don’t simply use it as a channel where you just direct people to call the office. Actually, answer their questions through email.

For pet owners who do call the office, ensure that the person charged with answering the phone is welcoming, friendly and does their absolute best not to put the client on hold for more than a few seconds.

When you respect your clients’ limited time and heed their communication preferences, you’ll quickly become their veterinary practice of choice.

#4 - Be exceptionally easy to schedule with

It’s 2023 and pet owners can do anything they can possibly imagine online. They absolutely, 100%, do not want to call your office to schedule an appointment. Nor do they want to fill out an online “request form” that no one from the practice ever responds to.

Real-time, online scheduling from Chckup will give your clients the instant results they’re looking for without needing to burden your staff with additional software training. When you implement Chckup, your office will be available to pet owners looking to schedule an appointment, 24/7. It’s a win in your client's book, and I’m betting that effortlessly filling empty rooms is a win in yours, too.