Winning at Relationship Marketing: Online Strategies Marcia Peterson Verus Inc. Bellevue, WA [email protected].

Winning at Relationship Marketing:

Online Strategies

Marcia PetersonVerus Inc.

Bellevue, WA

[email protected]

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

[email protected]

1.888.600.0800

425.643.7117