eHealth Articles & White Papers

Take the Site Out of Your Web Site Strategy

Ben Dillon - Vice President & eHealth Evangelist

Traditionally, "Web strategy", has really meant "website strategy" to many - focusing largely, if not exclusively, on an organization's destination Web presence. Today, the destination website is only one aspect of the overall experience consumers have online, and Web strategy must grow to acknowledge that the "Web" encompasses more than one channel of communication.

The Internet has undergone significant change in recent years. A consumer's online experience formerly revolved around corporate websites, search engines, portals like AOL or CNN that compiled and distributed content, and email. Now this is just the tip of the iceberg.

More channels, more connection, more complexity

Today, the experience is far more complicated. Users spend far less time at corporate websites. Portals are still used, but users are far more likely to create their own experience using widgets and RSS (Real Simple Syndication) to pull content from preferred outlets online. This content not only comes from established sources, but also from peer users who share their thoughts, photos, videos and presentations through blogs, Twitter, and other social media.

Consumers are also increasingly connecting with one another in formal ways through social networks. While search engines still drive active searching for information, social networks are pushing undirected discovery of new information as users share items of interest with one another.

Along with all the new channels of information-sharing, it's important to realize that a growing number of Internet users are constantly connected. Where we might have expected people to only have online access for those times when they are at their desks, an explosion in the number of laptops, cellular broadband-enabled netbooks and Internet-enabled smartphones are keeping consumers connected no matter where they are or what they are doing.

When online consumers do use a destination website, their expectations have increased dramatically. Sure they may still need to get general information at such sites, but for organizations that they have relationships with - such as banks, retailers or airlines - they expect a personalized, secure online interaction that supplements or replaces their in-person interactions.

New horizons

So, as a healthcare organization, if you're still thinking about your online strategy as your website, then you're missing a lot of opportunity.

Now is the time to begin rethinking your overall approach to connecting with health consumers online. Here are some best practices to remember:

• The consumer is in control - You are used to building your brand and writing your messaging and delivering it to the people you want when you want - and it's not that simple anymore. Consumers get the information they want, when and how they want it. They choose who can communicate with them and will talk about you in whatever way they wish. This is the new reality. Fighting it is like fighting against waves in the ocean, it takes a lot of effort and even if you work past one there are more left than you can count.
• Listening is as important as talking - How much would you give to be a fly on the wall during a candid conversation between two patients as they talk about your organization? That's what online listening is all about. Conversations are happening about your organization all of the time and many of them are out there for all to hear. If you're listening, that is.
• Decide if you want to be part of the discussion - You need to listen but you don't necessarily need to participate. When you do participate, set up clear channels with an internal understanding of what you will do with each one. Do you want to participate in conversations on others' sites? Do you want to communicate through blogs or Twitter? What information will be shared through each? Make your purpose for each channel clear and use them consistently.
• Be interesting/have some personality - If you choose to participate in the discussion, go beyond press releases in your interactions. Consumers have the choice to pay attention to you, so make sure that you are interesting and engaging. Let some personality come through, while keeping things generally professional.
• Share and share alike - It's time to think beyond sound bites. If people want information from you, give them something rich! Make it easy for them to keep up with new information using RSS feeds, sharing videos of patients, staff and doctors on YouTube, repurposing presentations on SlideShare, posting pictures on Flickr and so forth.
• Get personal - When consumers come to you, make the interactions meaningful. Offer personalized information and interactions through a patient portal. Individualized, secure interactions and communications are craved by online health consumers today and those organizations that do it well will be rewarded with well-deserved consumer loyalty.
• Audiences, followed by goals and then tools - Too many organizations see a shiny new tool and want to figure out how to use it. If you try to find a problem for your tool, you'll find one, but it may not be a good fit. Better results come from first identifying and understanding the audiences that you want to reach, determining the goals for those communications and then finding the tools that best serve those needs.

Don't see challenges, see opportunities

As the Web has evolved, it is opening exciting opportunities for organizations to engage with consumers. Taking advantage of these opportunities require you to begin rethinking how you approach online communication and interaction.

If you consider all the new channels and higher expectations of your health consumers before you dive into tactics you'll find yourself with a true Web strategy - and impressive results.