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8
Reasons to Create a Mini Health Website
by
Kevin P. Richardson, President, MedRocket, Inc.
About the Author - Kevin Richardson is a healthcare marketing consultant, executive coach, and writer who provides fresh perspectives and expertise about online healthcare marketing. Sign up for his FREE "MedRocket Ezine" newsletter and discover how to profitably attract and serve healthcare consumers online. Subscribe at http://www.medrocket.com.
I'm
going to try and convince you to invest in building, promoting, and
using another Web site. "But I already have a site, why would
I need another one," you ask?
Well, because it's good for you, it tastes great, it's less filling, and -- because of the way you'll build it and use it, it can do some pretty substantial things for your health marketing success.
I'm talking about building a mini health Web site.
Such mini sites have worked like a charm for many consumer products ranging from special sites for the latest movie releases, to kids' cereals and action figures.
The health industry can take this powerful Internet marketing concept and run with it also, to create buzz in the marketplace, raise awareness, build highly targeted consumer relationships, add measurability to traditional advertising, generate leads, and much more.
Some Examples of Mini Sites
Let's take a look at a few examples of health-related mini sites.
One that I like is the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day site The Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day is one activity of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which began in 1993 as an initiative of Avon Products, Inc. The site is totally devoted to promoting this worthy cause.
Another mini site example is a drug-specific site sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc. Because my cholesterol tends to run a tad on the high side, I checked out the Zocor.com site. The site does a good job of neatly packaging for patients and providers the necessary information on cholesterol control and, of course, on the benefits of the drug itself. Take a peek.
The 8 Benefits of Mini Sites
As I've said, a health mini site can be a powerful and versatile tool in your marketing toolbox. There are at least eight reasons why I recommend them as a marketing tactic worthy of your further consideration.
1.
Simple
They're simple -- in design, in length, and content. You
don't have to shell out a few hundred grand to produce the site. You
could probably do it in-house if your marketing staff has the capability.
Its size can be 2 pages or 20. The design may be a spin off from the
creative concepts you've chosen for collateral material and advertising
developed for a particular campaign.
2.
Targeted
Unlike your organization's main Web site, a mini site
can't do everything for everybody. It is targeted to specific groups
of people, such as consumers, physicians, or area businesses to achieve
specific marketing objectives. It's also targeted by the way you promote
the site, via print ads, radio, television, and direct mail.
3.
Event, Product, or Service Driven
Use mini sites to market your flagship services and centers
of excellence such as a heart center, weight management services, or
sports medicine program. The focus could also be on an event like the
Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day, mentioned previously. You might also use
it to attract attention for specific health products that you've given
a major marketing emphasis and represent a high potential return on
investment.
4.
Temporary, Permanent, or Seasonal
Your mini site can be used for a single event, for an
annual or quarterly program or service, or left up continuously for
a year-round effort. The site's look and call-to-action can and should
change at the same pace as your print advertising. This can increase
effectiveness because it reinforces the synergy of using different
media.
5.
Content-Rich and Information-Packed
Fill your mini site with all of the necessary information
that a member of your target audience could potentially need. Develop
interactive tools and applications that help drive people to your site
and create a buzz in the marketplace. Use viral marketing techniques
to let visitors refer your mini site to friends and family members
who might also find the site of interest.
6.
Action Driven
Your traditional marketing materials and efforts such
as print advertising and direct mail should use the mini Web site as
a call to action. Better yet, refer them to a particular feature of
the site. Ask them to visit the Web site to "Take a free cardiac
risk assessment online and we'll send you the results by email." Some
people would rather check out a Web site than call a toll-free telephone
number or fill out a business reply card. In your advertising remember
to offer multiple response methods that encourage people to reply as
they prefer.
7.
Relationship Marketing Opportunity
Once a prospect arrives on the site, be sure to include
multiple opportunities for them to initiate a permission marketing
conversation with your organization. Let them request additional information
by email or mail, request a representative to give them a call, sign
up for an email newsletter, or download additional information or free
software by filling out a registration form. Capture information site
visitors voluntarily provide and add it to your marketing database.
Then use it to keep the marketing conversation going.
8.
Measurement Oriented
It's often difficult to measure the effectiveness of traditional
advertising. Put a call to action in the advertising and use the Web
site as one method to track responses. Even a simple Web address on
a billboard can be enough to drive visitors to your site. When people
request more information through an online form on your site, consider
asking them how they were referred to your mini site. You can code
the URLs used to get to your site differently for each advertisement
or advertising medium. Then you can also use your Web site logs to
get a feel for where people saw your mini site Web address.
Give a mini Web site a try and see how hard it can work to support the other media you're using in your marketing mix. Have I convinced you to give it a second look? Let me know how it works for you.
