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Winning at Relationship Marketing:
Online Strategies
Marcia PetersonVerus Inc.
Bellevue, WA
How innovators feel sometimes…
Who We Are. What We Do
Verus providesEnd-to-End web solutions exclusively to healthcare organizations– Strategic web planning– Design & development– Content– Pre-built applications– Custom applications– Maintenance & hosting– Web marketing
Out of adversity comes innovation
Many hospitals are in a serious “margin squeeze”
Cost cutting is reducing “face-time” with caregivers and depersonalizing the healthcare experience
Consumerare increasingly dissatisfied with both level & quality of service
Healthcare providers and consumers alike are turning to the web for information and efficiency solutions
The Power of Relationship Marketing on the Web
Use the Web to create personalized,one-on-one relationships with thousands of people at a time.
A Medium for Creating or Reinforcing Relationships
The Internet is not about technology. It’s about managing knowledge and relationships
It’s a cost effective means of delivering “moment of need” information and services that can be personalized
Customization, personalization & data mining is not a requirement to building effective online relationships
Faster and cheaper than other marketing efforts– Tailor your messages on the flyTailor your messages on the fly– Cost of creating and managing relationships is lowCost of creating and managing relationships is low
A New Delivery System?
More people go online for health information than for sports scores, investing information or to make purchases
Population of online health information seekers is growing at two times the rate of the overall online population.
1 in 3 Internet users utilize the Internet as a first source of medical advice Sources: Pew Foundation, Sources: Pew Foundation, Cyber
Dialogue Health Practice Study, PCData
It’s a Woman’s World OnlineIt’s a Woman’s World Online
Women outnumber Women outnumber men in the use of men in the use of the Internetthe Internet
Ratio of women to Ratio of women to men who are online men who are online will climb to 3:2 by will climb to 3:2 by 20032003
Women use the web Women use the web to make practical & to make practical & informed decisions informed decisions about healthcare for about healthcare for themselves and themselves and their familiestheir families
Sources: Media Metrix, Jupiter Media Metrix, Jupiter Communications, Netsmart AmericaCommunications, Netsmart America
When it Comes to Online Seniors:
Two thirds who Two thirds who search for online search for online health information health information talk about their talk about their findings with their findings with their doctors. doctors.
Half are more Half are more satisfied with their satisfied with their treatment as a treatment as a result of their result of their searches.searches.
Source: National Institute of Health
Ten lessons for creating sustainable relations with online health consumers
Lesson # 1
Create sustainable relationships by providing information & services that consumers consider valuable.
A Scene in Healthcare Organizations A Across America
What’s Valuable???
For Consumers– Useful knowledge– Convenience– Saving time– Saving $$$– Intrinsic value
For Organizations– Better processes– Reduced costs– Better
understanding of customers– Increased
utilization & loyalty
Example: Triaging Common Pediatric Issues
Place for parents to turn for practical information
Focuses on “moment of need”
Addresses three key needs:– Main Symptom Main Symptom
InformationInformation– Decision Chart Decision Chart – Home Care AdviceHome Care Advice
Value to the User
Saved calling the doctor 52%
Saved a visit to the doctor or ED 10%
Saved time in other ways 24%
Yes
Was it clear when to call the doctor? 96.4%
Would you use service again? 99.4%
Source: User survey with 659 responses
Value to Providers
Relationship Benefits– Creates an affinity with primary Creates an affinity with primary
household decision makerhousehold decision maker
Physician Relations Benefits– Reduces office and after-hours calls by Reduces office and after-hours calls by
directing patients to self-care directing patients to self-care informationinformation
Call Center Benefits– Off-loads a percentage of community Off-loads a percentage of community
access calls and calls that aren’t access calls and calls that aren’t covering costscovering costs
Lesson # 2
Define and pursue the online customers your organization values most
It’s About Supporting Your True Goals
– All service lines are not created equal
– Criteria to consider• Revenue &
margins• Growth targets• Competitive
position• Commitment by
internal “advocates”
Lesson # 3
Don’t talk about services …Provide them
Relationship Building: Mammography
Info. gathering online or at the time of physical contact: e-mail address
Secure permission to use info. via “push” e-mail & other activities
Thank you e-mail with links to pertinent Web resources
Online survey
Auto-generated e-mail reminder prior to anniversary of last exam
Online appointment scheduling
Lesson # 4
Creating online relationships should start with the “signal event”
“Congratulations, you're pregnant”
“Bill, you have early stage diabetes”
“Mary,the results have come back positive on your breast lump”
3 out of 4 people seeking online health information only do so when they have specific questions or issues to be addressed
Source: Harris Interactive
Lesson # 5
When building online relationships involve those who bring you patients
Physicians are the Key to Building Qualified Online Relationships
A hospital’s well-funded strategically-focused website will be a hollow victory without the input, awareness and ownership of physicians & other clinicians
Lesson # 6
Go after the “Vertical Slice” of information & services that are needed by a consumer
“Vertical Slice” Means Mapping & Following Consumer Information Needs
From primary care to specialist
From specialist to hospital for diagnostics
From specialist to hospital for intervention
From hospital to consumer following discharge
Lesson # 7
Utilize a “Clicks and Mortar” approach to your Web services
AlwaysAlways Tie Web Services to Hospital Tie Web Services to Hospital and Physician Servicesand Physician Services
Integrate health content with information and follow-up devices for service lines and physicians
Focus design, content & applications on turning information seekers into service users
Lesson # 8
Where possible gather, use and evaluate information obtained from your website
Data & Evaluation
Conversion data– Number of calls– Requests for
appointments– Physician referrals– Registration for
classes– Sign ups for
information– Procedures and
resulting revenue
Website trend and utilization data
Lesson # 9
Recognize and work with the evolutionary stages of your website
Evolution of Successful Healthcare Web Services
Informational
Interactive
Transactional
Ideas for Informational Stage
Focus health content and Focus health content and service line service line “story-telling”“story-telling” on top three services & on top three services & related physiciansrelated physicians
Cross link health content Cross link health content with relevant information with relevant information on service lines and on service lines and specialists specialists
Provide easy options for Provide easy options for contact and follow-upcontact and follow-up
Involve providers relevant Involve providers relevant to featured service linesto featured service lines
Ideas for Interactive StageIdeas for Interactive Stage
Deploy focused strategy to link Deploy focused strategy to link consumers with service line consumers with service line managersmanagers– E-mailE-mail– FormsForms– ForumsForums
Exchange valuable online Exchange valuable online services for consumer-specific services for consumer-specific information and permission to useinformation and permission to use– Mammography reminderMammography reminder– Immunizations reminderImmunizations reminder– In depth content library and tools In depth content library and tools
on specific topic available to on specific topic available to registered usersregistered users
Integration of online consumer Integration of online consumer data with master marketing data with master marketing databasedatabase
Ideas for Transactional StageIdeas for Transactional Stage
Integrate legacy systems with Integrate legacy systems with consumer web initiativesconsumer web initiatives– Involve IT and process owners Involve IT and process owners
earlyearly– Evaluate strategic IT plan for Evaluate strategic IT plan for
future opportunitiesfuture opportunities
Consider use of third party Consider use of third party vendor products that include:vendor products that include:– Secure patient messagingSecure patient messaging– SchedulingScheduling– RegistrationRegistration– Integrated database marketingIntegrated database marketing
Lesson # 10
Even in a “wired world” healthcare is local
Understand and use the online information gathering process to your benefit
Consumers may seek out health information from national health sites, but will receive services from local providers
Two step information gathering process– Information about Information about
conditioncondition– Information about Information about
treatment options and treatment options and who to turn towho to turn to
Questions & Discussion
For more information:
Marcia Peterson, Verus
1.888.600.0800
425.643.7117
