Audiology Plus

03/29/2019

Audiology Plus

Do You Know What Your Patients Need From Your Website? A Guide to Patient Resources

Imagine this scenario: A person searching for professional hearing services finds your practice’s website through a search engine. They land on your homepage, read a little bit about your practice, and decide to look into your services. After browsing through the hearing services you offer and reading your biography, they decide to check out your patient reviews. They see positive reviews praising your high level of care, so they decide to book an appointment. Success! Your practice has a new patient.
However, is this all that your website can offer a new patient? No! Is this person’s interaction with your website over? It doesn’t have to be! With high-quality, useful patient resources, your website can continue to provide value to your patients even after they make the decision to schedule an appointment.
Plus, when patients see that you have invested in offering them useful, relevant resources, they understand your commitment to providing them with valuable information and quality care. Instant downloads are simple to add to your website, yet they speak volumes about the lengths you will go to educate and assist your patients.
Here are some ideas for helpful downloadable resources you can make available to your patients right on your website:

Patient forms – By providing new patient forms on your website, you give patients the option to complete their forms before their appointment and save time at your office. This shows that you value their time and want to make the new patient process as simple and streamlined as possible. Making your patient forms available online can save your office time too, as patients can have the forms already completed when they arrive and your staff can more quickly begin to provide services.
Brochures – If you have a brochure about your hearing practice, about your audiologist’s education, experience, and credentials, or about the services you provide, consider making it available for instant download. Brochures can give patients additional information about your practice, staff, and services. These downloads can also be easily shared online, so a patient can quickly send the brochure to any friends who are seeking hearing care—and you could gain more new patients!
Fliers – Does your office ever create fliers about events or promotions? Put them on your website! Adding these fliers to your website keeps patients updated on the latest news at your office, whether it’s a patient appreciation event, a celebration for a new or retiring staff member, or a promotion on your products and services.
eBooks – Most audiology practice websites include a brief description of the services provided at the office. Some patients, however, want to learn more in-depth about particular services. To educate your patients—and demonstrate your expertise in the field—consider creating eBooks about your services. Patients will perceive the value you are offering by sharing your experience and knowledge, and they can learn more about specific services they may need or might be interested in.

All of these resources demonstrate your dedication to educating your patients and providing them with exceptional care and service. If you would like to learn more about the value of instant downloads and how you can add these resources to your website, please contact AudiologyPlus today.

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03/24/2019

Audiology Plus

Major News in Audiology: Older Adults Do Not Access Professional Help with Hearing Aids

As an audiologist, it is likely that a high percentage of your clientele is made up of older adults with hearing loss. With your professional training and years of study and experience, you understand that many people experience hearing loss as they age. It may surprise you to learn, then, that many older adults do not access professional hearing care services, even if they use hearing aids.
According to a study recently released by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a large portion of older adults has difficulty accessing hearing care services. The study, which used Medicare survey data, included 1,133 adults over the age of 65 with hearing aids. Only 442 of those individuals, or 39 percent, reported accessing hearing care services in the previous year.
The study also took into account the financial status of participants. Researchers found that older adults with low incomes who qualified for Medicaid were even less likely to access professional hearing services. Among the respondents, 27 percent of low-income individuals reported having difficulty hearing with their hearing aid. Contrast that with the higher income level—only 11 percent of respondents in the highest income category reported a lot of trouble hearing with their hearing aid.
In addition, 71 percent of the lowest-income hearing aid users reported that they had not received hearing care services in the prior year. Even among higher income categories, many hearing aid users did not access professional hearing services; only 58 percent of hearing aid users in the highest income category reported accessing hearing care services.
While over-the-counter sales of hearing aids will become available in 2020, researchers doubt that this alone will bring improved hearing care for older adults. This change may lower the cost of hearing devices, but it will do little to remove other barriers faced by those seeking professional hearing services. Because Medicare excludes coverage of hearing services, older adults can still face financial difficulties in accessing hearing care. These difficulties will remain to be felt most keenly among low-income older adults.
Because professional services are crucial in ensuring that hearing aids fit and work properly, it is essential that older adults have greater access to hearing care services. Even with easier access to hearing aids beginning in 2020, users will still require professional services to make certain that their devices are optimized.
Some people are calling on Medicare to remove hearing care exclusions, which would allow greater access to hearing services among older adults. This is especially important for lower-income individuals, who currently have limited access to professional help. With greater access to hearing care services, older adults would be more likely to seek help with their hearing aids, resulting in greater functioning of their devices and improved quality of life for the wearers.
To learn more about the implications of this study and how you can gain more patients who are in need of professional hearing services, we welcome you to contact AudiologyPlus today.

https://buff.ly/2FlVRB6

03/23/2019

Audiology Plus

Major News in Audiology: Older Adults Do Not Access Professional Help with Hearing Aids

As an audiologist, it is likely that a high percentage of your clientele is made up of older adults with hearing loss. With your professional training and years of study and experience, you understand that many people experience hearing loss as they age. It may surprise you to learn, then, that many older adults do not access professional hearing care services, even if they use hearing aids.
According to a study recently released by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a large portion of older adults has difficulty accessing hearing care services. The study, which used Medicare survey data, included 1,133 adults over the age of 65 with hearing aids. Only 442 of those individuals, or 39 percent, reported accessing hearing care services in the previous year.
The study also took into account the financial status of participants. Researchers found that older adults with low incomes who qualified for Medicaid were even less likely to access professional hearing services. Among the respondents, 27 percent of low-income individuals reported having difficulty hearing with their hearing aid. Contrast that with the higher income level—only 11 percent of respondents in the highest income category reported a lot of trouble hearing with their hearing aid.
In addition, 71 percent of the lowest-income hearing aid users reported that they had not received hearing care services in the prior year. Even among higher income categories, many hearing aid users did not access professional hearing services; only 58 percent of hearing aid users in the highest income category reported accessing hearing care services.
While over-the-counter sales of hearing aids will become available in 2020, researchers doubt that this alone will bring improved hearing care for older adults. This change may lower the cost of hearing devices, but it will do little to remove other barriers faced by those seeking professional hearing services. Because Medicare excludes coverage of hearing services, older adults can still face financial difficulties in accessing hearing care. These difficulties will remain to be felt most keenly among low-income older adults.
Because professional services are crucial in ensuring that hearing aids fit and work properly, it is essential that older adults have greater access to hearing care services. Even with easier access to hearing aids beginning in 2020, users will still require professional services to make certain that their devices are optimized.
Some people are calling on Medicare to remove hearing care exclusions, which would allow greater access to hearing services among older adults. This is especially important for lower-income individuals, who currently have limited access to professional help. With greater access to hearing care services, older adults would be more likely to seek help with their hearing aids, resulting in greater functioning of their devices and improved quality of life for the wearers.
To learn more about the implications of this study and how you can gain more patients who are in need of professional hearing services, we welcome you to contact AudiologyPlus today.

https://buff.ly/2HLawsD

03/22/2019

Audiology Plus

What You Need to Know About the Google Algorithm Update and E-A-T Ratings

On August 1, 2018, Google confirmed that they had released a broad core algorithm update. According to Google spokespeople, this update means that better content leads to higher rankings and that the goal of the update is to make content more relevant. Google pointed users to their Search Quality Rater’s Guidelines for direction on how to ensure website content is considered “high quality” and will rank well with the new algorithm update.
Among the updates to the algorithm and direction provided by the rater’s guidelines was a strong emphasis on E-A-T, which stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. Websites with high E-A-T ratings are considered to be high quality, and a higher E-A-T score improves your website’s chances of ranking well in Google search results.
So, how can you boost your E-A-T ratings, improve your website’s rankings, and drive more traffic to your site? Here are three ways to score a high E-A-T rating:

Include the content author’s name and information.

According to the rater guidelines, “Understanding who is responsible for a website is a critical part of assessing E-A-T.” Websites that address life topics (such as health and medical care) and money topics (like finances) must be created by trusted experts on the given topic.
Fortunately, if you run a hearing practice, you have an expert right in your office! On pages that discuss hearing services, treatments, or problems, be certain to list the name of your expert (i.e., the audiologist or licensed hearing professional) and their credentials. Adding brief biography information, such as education, experience, and any additional licenses or certifications can also be helpful in proving the author’s expertise.

Remove or edit content with a low E-A-T rating.

If you believe a page would receive a low E-A-T score based on lack of expertise, authority, or trustworthiness, consider removing it from the website. For example, if you have a page about hearing care that was written by someone with no expertise in the field, you probably want to cut that page. While one page with low E-A-T content won’t directly impact the E-A-T ratings of other pages, it will affect the overall rating of the website.
Content that doesn’t necessarily require an expert author, such as a page about your practice’s history or your staff, will not damage your E-A-T ranking. In fact, these pages are likely to receive a high E-A-T score because your practice is the expert on your practice.

Check your website’s technical security.

Trustworthiness is scored not only based on the accuracy of information or the reputation of the author or company; it is also determined by assessing your website’s security. Google Chrome now marks all HTTP pages as “Not Secure.” To have your website marked as secure and gain a high Trustworthiness rating, make sure your site has an SSL certificate and automatically redirects to an HTTPS URL.
With high-quality content created by trusted experts, your site is certain to succeed with Google’s new algorithm. For more information about the Google algorithm update and how to get a high E-A-T score, please contact AudiologyPlus today. We’re eager to help you improve your website and grow your practice.

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03/21/2019

Audiology Plus

The Top 5 Healthcare Marketing Trends for 2019

If you keep up to date with digital marketing, you know that trends and strategies change often. Within a specific niche, like healthcare, digital marketing trends are even more particular. If your practice is not keeping up with the latest trends and strategies, your business can easily fall behind the competition.
Here at AudiologyPlus, we are dedicated to helping you stay on top of your digital marketing plan so you can continue to grow your practice and gain new patients online. To help you achieve this goal, here are five of the top healthcare marketing trends you should be aware of for 2019:
1. Increased popularity of voice-driven SEO – As we have previously discussed on our blog, voice search is becoming more and more common. In fact, researchers project that 50 percent of all searches will be performed with voice search by 2020.
Voice search queries use more natural language than the typical text search query. Rather than stringing together keywords, people use natural language when they submit voice searches. To capitalize on this audience, it’s important that your website targets these natural keyword phrases.
2. Content is still king – Content marketing has played a large role in digital marketing for several years, and this will continue in 2019. In the healthcare field, content marketing is especially important because a huge number of people search for health information on the Internet. According to studies, healthcare is the second most-searched-for service
Make your content relevant and useful for people who are searching for healthcare information. As an audiologist practice, you can answer people’s most common questions about hearing care, hearing aids, and hearing loss. Don’t forget to include clear calls to action for website visitors to also contact your office and schedule an appointment!
3. Improved patient portals – According to recent trends, patient portals will likely become more user-friendly and useful in the coming year. These improvements to patient portals are expected to come in response to increasing demand from patients for useful, easy-to-use portals. According to a study by the CDW, 89 percent of patients want easier access to their patient portal.
Whether you decide to build your own patient portal or use a software company, start simple. You may consider surveying some of your patients about the features they would most like to see in their patient portal. The key is for the patient portal to be easy to use, to provide useful features and information, and to give the patient more control over their healthcare.
4. Improved user experience – As discussed above, patients want an easy, useful way to interact with their healthcare provider online. This extends to your entire website. You might not be Apple or Amazon, but website visitors still want your website to feel streamlined and easy to use.
If it’s time to revamp or reevaluate your website, keep in mind that users want their online experience to be useful, usable, findable, credible, desirable, accessible, and valuable. As a healthcare provider, patients want to be able to find accurate, valuable information on your website. By providing a user-friendly website with helpful information, you can become a trusted resource.
5. Increased importance of social engagement – On your personal social media pages, have you noticed your friends asking for recommendations? People are increasingly looking to social media for recommendations regarding their healthcare provider choices. In order to compete in this market, your practice should be involved in social media, too.
In 2019, it isn’t enough to simply have a page for your hearing practice. Patients want two-way conversations and engagement, which help to build strong relationships between patients and their healthcare providers. To keep up the latest social engagement trends, you may want to add video posts, and because of the diminished reach of organic social media content, you might consider paying for ads on social networks to give you a broader reach.
To learn how you can incorporate these five trends in your digital marketing plan for 2019, contact us today at AudiologyPlus. We’re ready to help your practice grow online.

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03/21/2019

Audiology Plus WordPress to Buffer Testing Hello, This is a test to share blogs from the website to Facebook through the buffer platform.

Online marketing for the hearing practice of today. Attract more patients, grow your business. Modern websites, SEO, online patient reviews, pay-per- click, and more.

02/04/2019

Mark Kripal Hearing & Audiology Auto Poster Buffer Testing This is a test process to the posts from Audiology Plus website to Facebook through buffer!!

02/04/2019

Mark Kripal Hearing & Audiology Buffer Testing This is a test to buffer