Interactive | The Main Artery

Six Tips for Building a Great Cardiovascular Marketing Landing Page

June 20, 2012

Top-performing landing pages convert from three to 20 times more visitors than a generic Contact Us page on your website.

If you’re like our clients, you’re constantly trying to generate better returns with e-mail, direct mail and online ads. We spend a lot of time developing compelling offers that will generate leads. But it seems we’ve been having a lot of discussions lately about just what constitutes a great landing page that will drive more conversions.

This post from Target Marketing has some good tips:

Simplicity — In general, experts agree that less is more when it comes to landing pages. Keep it simple and eliminate details, e.g., links to other pages and extra content that is not directly related to the campaign at hand.

Headline — When visitors arrive on your landing page, you’ve got at most 15 seconds (and probably less) to grab their attention. Headlines should be customer-focused with an emphasis on benefits.

Call-to-action — Make sure your landing page contains a clear, concise and effective call-to-action that encourages the prospect to follow through and close the loop.

Form — Prospect information gathered on Web forms can be a key campaign performance measurement. Shorter is better. Use technology such as Personalized URLs (PURLs) that pre-fills as many of the form fields as possible. The less there is to do, the greater the chance it gets filled out in the first place.

Security — If your page is secure and encrypted (SSL), make sure the security certificate is displayed prominently on the landing page. People are increasingly worried about online security. Make sure it’s not an issue that will decrease your campaign performance

Credibility— Prospects only fill out forms on landing pages of organizations they trust. It’s imperative to tell your brand’s story in a clear, concise and compelling manner. But, remember you can’t devote too much space to this part of your content because you don’t want to distract from your offer.

I think this is good checklist. What else is working for you?

Leave a Comment » | Interactive | Tagged: Heart and cardiovascular marketing, Julie Robinson, Kuhn & Wittenborn, landing pages | Permalink
Posted by Julie Robinson

Five Steps for Improving Your Cardiovascular Marketing Landing Pages

October 4, 2011

Landing page design is critical in maximizing conversions

Matt Bartlett, Kuhn & Wittenborn Account Coordinator, contributed this guest post.

I recently attended a webinar presented by Target Marketing and hosted by Closed Loop Marketing on website landing pages and came away with five good tips to ensure the design of a landing page delivers great results:

1. Make a good first impression. A Stanford University study in 2003 discovered that 75 percent of web users admit to judging the credibility of an organization based on the design of its website.* Additional studies have shown an individual can judge a website in around 1/20^th of a second. If you don’t make a good first impression, potential clients are going to move on – really quickly.

This judging can occur before someone actually visits the site. For example, search for something on Google and hover over one of the results. You’ll see two arrows at the right side of the link. When you hover over these arrows, Google shows a screenshot of the page. If you make a bad impression here, it’s possible an individual will never visit your page.

2. Be clear and obvious. Someone visiting a site should be able to identify the subject of the page in two seconds or less. Immediate concept clarity can be achieved through multiple visual clues.

Relevant images are extremely important, as the brain comprehends images faster than words. It’s also important to have a clear “next step” for the visitor. If you have to, outline steps with numbers and walk the visitor through the process.

3. Get relevant. People like to feel unique and be treated with a personal touch. Good landing page design uses this as an advantage. Landing pages can be customized to know a person’s location and how they came to access the page. If a person feels like the page is customized, he or she is more likely to convert. It’s also okay to ask visitors to designate what they are interested in or what industry they are from.

Another key element is to have more than one landing page. It’s a mistake to have one generic landing page for everyone. Have multiple landing pages that make the visitor think your page is a perfect match for what he or she is looking for. Have different page titles paired with different search terms so that your page looks like the most relevant result on the search page.

4. Make small changes. Not everyone has the budget or time to completely redesign a landing page. For those individuals, there are some simple changes that can really make a big difference. The presenters use a process called R.A.R.E.

Remove extraneous text, decorative images and unnecessary form fields.

Add credibility support, special offers, sectional headings and progress indicators.

Replace old/small buttons, form styles, low-quality images and links that leave the page.

Enlarge page titles, sectional headings and buttons.

5. Persevere. If you redesign a landing page and it starts performing better, great. But don’t stop there. There are always ways to improve performance and what the visitor wants is constantly changing. Keep evaluating the page’s design and keep striving for even better results.

This is by no means a complete list of everything that goes into a well-designed landing page, but it’s a good place to start. Though most of these steps are very simple, it always amazes me how often they are overlooked, and how big an impact they can have on a campaign’s success.

*Fogg, B.J., Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility, Persuasive Technology Lab. Stanford University, 2002 (revised November 2003)

Leave a Comment » | Engagement, Interactive | Tagged: Heart and cardiovascular marketing, Kuhn & Wittenborn, landing pages, Matt Bartlett, website design | Permalink
Posted by Julie Robinson

Six Tips for Making Your Cardiovascular Marketing Website More Boomer Friendly

May 3, 2011

Making the user experience on your website more efficient and convenient in the eyes of Baby Boomers could pay big dividends.

Aging Boomers spending more time on the Internet is hardly a newsworthy headline. We all know that older people, along with the rest of the population, spend a ton of time online.

However, it is somewhat startling to me, at least, that marketing to Boomers and marketing to “Seniors” is becoming somewhat synonymous. I started my career working on a senior living account. At 22, I was pretty sure I would never be as old as the people in my client’s target audience.

Somehow that’s changed over the years. I was born in the last year possible to make me an “official” Boomer, so I’m starting to identify with some of the philosophies that guided our senior living client all those years ago. Oh, well…. I recently came across this post with advice for making your website more Boomer friendly.

Here are some highlights from the post:

1. Increase credibility.

Make the welcome page readable and uncluttered.
Use high-quality graphics and clear writing that reflects empathy with visitors’ needs.

2. Recognize that images are powerful.

Increasing the number and size of images on the site can add to its emotional appeal.

3. Avoid large sections of reverse type when possible.

As we age, reverse type becomes more difficult to read

4. Avoid hyperbole.

Talk with consumers, not to them.
Make better connections with site visitors by using conversational language and avoiding technical, industry jargon.

5. Think about colors used on the site.

Aging eyes can mean a reduced field of vision, loss of focus and difficulty in resolving images or distinguishing colors.
Some experts say it’s easier to see reds, oranges and yellows and harder to see blues, greens and violets.

6. Use outbound hypertext links to other interesting sites.

Linking to other sites can build a sense of community and show category leadership.

I’d say these are actually pretty good tips to boost site effectiveness with all of our audiences, not just the (aging) Boomers.

Leave a Comment » | Engagement, Interactive | Tagged: Baby Boomers, Heart and cardiovascular marketing, Julie Robinson, Kuhn & Wittenborn, website marketing | Permalink
Posted by Julie Robinson

When it Makes Sense to Exclude Social Media From Cardiovascular Marketing Strategy

March 28, 2011

Most patients don’t want to consult with their doctors via social media.

I’ve written extensively about the growth in consumer reliance on social media for health information. I’ve also talked about vast opportunities for building engaged peer communities. In addition, online channels are increasingly popular for administrative tasks like appointment setting and billing. However, a new study shows patients vastly prefer traditional communications when consulting with physicians. From the study:

84 percent of respondents said they would not use social media or instant messaging channels for medical communication if their doctors offered it.

However, they would be open to email and website interactions for specific heath consultations.

The Capstrat Public Policy poll surveyed 843 registered voters and found the following:

Even among younger people, 18 to 29 years of age, only 21 percent said they would take advantage of an online forum if offered.
Respondents were more favorable toward email and online channels when used for appointment setting, medical record access, and nurse consultation.

Another recent poll, Intuit Health’s second-annual Health Care Check-Up Survey, showed similar results. From the poll:

73 percent of respondents said they would use a secure online communication solution to make it easier to get lab results, request appointments, pay medical bills, and communicate with their doctor’s office.

The Capstrat survey also found differing attitudes among different demographic groups:

Hispanic respondents said they were more comfortable interacting with their doctors online.
- 89 percent would take advantage of email if their doctors offered it
- 89 percent would set appointments online
- 78 percent would participate in online bill payment
- 89 percent would call a nurse-help line.

The nurse-help line was actually the preferred form of communication across all demographic and age groups, with 72 percent of respondents saying they would take advantage of a nurse-help line if it was offered by their doctor.

To me, this information is not surprising. On one hand, we have more tools at our disposal than ever before when it comes to communicating with patients. However, these results offer a good reminder that choosing appropriate channels for varying types of communication is more important than ever. In many ways, traditional media planners have always heeded this advice. In building a media mix, they would recommend using different vehicles, e.g., print, radio, television, etc. for various types of messages.

The results of these surveys remind us online channels are no different. Social media, websites, email, online forums and all of our great online choices each have a place in the communications mix. However, they’re not interchangeable.

1 Comment | Engagement, Interactive, Social Media, Uncategorized | Tagged: Heart and cardiovascular marketing, Julie Robinson, Kuhn & Wittenborn, patient engagement, social media | Permalink
Posted by Julie Robinson

5 Ways to Integrate QR Codes into Your Cardiovascular Marketing

January 31, 2011

QR Codes can offer a seamless way to engage patients and prospective patients in a meaningful experience with your brand.

QR codes, or “Quick Response” codes are generating a lot of buzz right now. These matrix barcodes can be read by QR scanners, which can be downloaded as an app on most smartphones. A phone’s camera can scan the code and then direct an Internet browser to the webpage the code is linked to.

Are QR codes just a passing fad or are they an important extension of your marketing efforts?

Consider these possible uses and form your own opinion:

Put QR codes on literature in clinic waiting rooms. QR codes allow access to a mobile site even when a patient is already at one of your locations. Imagine the possibilities for pre- and post-procedure education or serving content on chronic disease management that could then be discussed during a physician appointment.
Add QR codes to business cards for physicians, therapists and patient educators. Scanning the code might take a patient to a microsite that has bio and contact information for the person whose card he/she has. From there, the viewer could easily access more information about that person’s specialty area or go to the mobile-optimized site for your entire organization.
Include QR codes for seminars, classes and patient education events on print ads, direct mail pieces, posters, table tents, etc. Including QR-coded hard links to online schedules can eliminate costly printing and provide prospects with updated event information.
Imbed a QR code at the top of the homepage on your website. Visitors can use the code to bookmark the page into their mobile phone so that they can easily visit your site later from their mobile phone when they have time on their hands – standing in a line or waiting for an appointment. You can also use QR hard links to PDF brochures about specific procedures or specialties.
Include QR codes in variable data applications on direct-mail pieces. QR codes can direct recipients to more information about topics that are relevant to their particular situation. They can also link to maps to show facilities that are close to the recipient’s home.

As health care becomes increasingly consumer driven and patients are clamoring for personalized information, it seems like a great time to take advantage of this emerging technology. Please share your ideas and examples.

3 Comments | Apps, Interactive, Mobile | Tagged: Heart and cardiovascular marketing, Julie Robinson, Kuhn & Wittenborn, QR codes | Permalink
Posted by Julie Robinson

Should Your Next Cardiovascular Marketing Hire Be a Robot or Avatar?

January 19, 2011

Harnessing technology to develop new patient education programs may be critical in the move toward Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

With nearly three-fourths of health systems reporting that creating an ACO is a top priority, we marketers are scrambling to unravel what this means for us. While not everyone is a fan, there seems to be a lot of discussion about what ACOs will look like if they are truly patient-centered.

It’s no secret that Medicare is pushing the ACO concept through pilot projects and encouraging the shift from fee-for-service payments to global payments for reimbursement. Because many cardiovascular patients fall into the Medicare category, I found this post about the head of Medicare, Don Berwick, interesting.

In an article last year, Berwick defined patient-centered care as “They give me exactly the help I need and want exactly when and how I need and want it.”

He talked about patient-centered care focusing on operational changes like:

no restrictions on hospital visiting hours;
inpatients choosing the food and clothes they wanted;
patients participating in rounds and the design of medical services;
patients really owning their medical records;
and patients and doctors universally using shared decision-making aids so patients could make wise choices knowing the inevitable trade-offs involved in picking a treatment.

In order to make these practices work, patient education and self-management programs would have to go far beyond traditional wellness curriculums. That’s where technology comes in.

Patients could harness their smart phones’ computing power, audio, video, motion sensors, and GPS modules to explore new ways to self-manage their health and wellness. There are currently smart phone applications for fitness and weight control, diabetes management, sleep hygiene, stress reduction, and heart health, with more showing up all the time.

One physician envisions technology will go even further in the ACO world. Dr. Joseph Kvedar of Harvard’s Center for Connected Health believes that we will need to use robots and avatars to meet the manpower needs of taking care of all the retiring Baby Boomers.

In his keynote address at the 2010 Health Symposium, he talks about a successful walking program in which participants are guided by a virtual coach, an avatar named Karen.

Dr. Kvedar acknowledges his ideas may make caregivers uncomfortable, but his concept of emotional automation is actually an extension of the “trusting relationships with technology” that people are already forming with smartphones and other devices they count on for advice.

Regular readers of this blog know we’re working with clients every day to explore new apps and mobile engagement strategies. We’ve even helped one of our clients create a successful online walking program. (I can’t wait to tell the marketing director that we need to add an avatar coach this year.)

In all seriousness, though, in the real world where physician/staff shortages are colliding with exponential growth in patient-centered needs, Dr. Kvedar, may be onto something. If anyone is exploring these ideas in earnest or already incorporating virtual strategies into your marketing programs, please chime in.

Leave a Comment » | Apps, Engagement, Interactive, Mobile | Tagged: Heart and cardiovascular marketing, Julie Robinson, Kuhn & Wittenborn | Permalink
Posted by Julie Robinson

Tips for Cardiovascular Marketers to Connect with “Social Mom”

January 4, 2011

Marketing success this year will be more dependent than ever on building online relationships.

We talk a lot with our clients about connecting with “Chief Home Officers,” the women who make the vast majority of health care decisions for their spouses, their children, and increasingly, their aging parents. For cardiovascular marketers, Chief Home Officers are a critical target because they research and coordinate care decisions for a wide array of family members.

I came across a post from Holly Pavlika on Digiday Daily that offers twelve tips for connecting with this crucial audience:

1. Prepare for a more sophisticated Social Media Mom.

More moms are concentrating on building their personal online brands.
Depending on their involvement with you, they may look to be fairly compensated.
And she wants a long-term relationship – not a one-off program.

2. Social Media Moms are going to start leveraging their expertise.

Many moms have taken expertise from prior/current careers and are looking to leverage it.
Combining her Mom expertise with a specialty gives her more currency to negotiate bigger relationships with a brand.

3. More focus on the Latina Mom.

Latinas are a very important market that is just starting to be tapped into.
Many Latinas are digital and very family-focused.

4. Rethink your budgets.

Are your current efforts netting the end result you desire?
A recent Café Mom study showed Moms spending a lot of time on multiple communities. Are you covering the bases?

5. Evolve your mobile strategies and tactics.

Moms are mobile and increasing their use of mobile every day because they want information at their fingertips.
There are 8 million Moms in the U.S., 20 million worldwide and 5 billion mobile phones worldwide, even in developing countries.

6. Create a strategy for branded apps.

Moms love apps.
Build her an app that simplifies or enhances her life or saves her time, and your brand will become important to her.

7. Develop a content strategy.

Moms love entertaining, informative content.
If you want to take advantage of her incredible sharing and relationships, you need engaging content such as video, games, polls, blogs, forums, etc.

8. Develop new content platforms.

Studies show Mom watches TV but usually with her children while on her computer multi-tasking.
That means content needs to be particularly relevant, helpful and engaging. Maybe that’s why so many Mom-directed “TV” sites are popping up and why video content is so popular with Moms.
Many of the Social Media Moms are adding .tv to the end of their personal URLs. Maybe it’s time to consider a webisode series.

9. Reinvent customer service.

Good customer service is important to Mom. When it comes to talking to brands, Moms often use Twitter for solving conflict.
It might be time to rethink the role of Twitter. Even with HIPAA restrictions, health care organizations can use it to develop a two-way dialogue with patients.

10. Integrate social into your web properties.

Are you incorporating social sharing features across the content on your website, as well as adding Twitter and Facebook links?
Moms like to share if the content is relevant and worthy.

11. Think about causes and being eco-friendly.

Moms are extremely aware of our environmental issues. And if it isn’t the environment, she is involved in other causes.
Think local with things that support her community. But make it easy for her to be involved.

12. Develop programs with her.

Moms will smell insincerity. The best way to understand what she needs and is looking for is to partner with Mom.
If you don’t currently have a Mom panel on your team, it may be time.

More than anything, I think these tips recognize that this is the year to move beyond static posting and really involve our audience in a truly collaborative manner.

Leave a Comment » | Apps, Engagement, Interactive, Social Media | Tagged: Heart and cardiovascular marketing, Julie Robinson, Kuhn & Wittenborn | Permalink
Posted by Julie Robinson

Harnessing the power of the iPad for Cardiovascular Marketing

December 29, 2010

iPads could be a critical tool for cardiovascular marketers – especially in the area of physician recruitment.

Medical companies are distributing thousands of iPad tablet computers to salespeople to spice up their pitches to doctors.

According to the Wall Street Journal, companies like Medtronic Inc., Abbot Laboratories and Boston Scientific Corp. say the tablet computers offer new ways to display product information or surgical-implant techniques and eliminate time wasted on issues that don’t drive sales. Their quick start-up times allow sales people to get into their presentations before doctors lose interest.

“[The iPad] enables our sales employees to do a much better job of engaging in a really different way than we’ve done before,” Mike Hedges, chief information officer of Medtronic, said in an interview.

Medtronic, a leading maker of implantable heart devices and other products, recently bought 4,500 iPads for its sales and marketing team, making it one of the iPad’s biggest corporate buyers. Mr. Hedges said the company could buy as many as 6,000 iPads.

Before making the purchases, Mr. Hedges said he had attended a dinner with several cardiologists when one asked about Medtronic’s drug-eluting stent. Normally, the conversation would have shifted to another topic, but one of his salesmen quickly pulled out his iPad with the product information, which kicked off several hours of discussion.

“Try pulling out a PowerPoint from your briefcase or from a piece of paper,” Mr. Hedges said.

Mr. Hedges makes a good point. Our clients are often looking for ways to strengthen physician recruiting and outreach efforts — striving for that perfect balance of relationship building and information sharing. The iPad offers an excellent platform to quickly present data in an engaging way.

Taking a cue from the device companies could be a smart strategy for 2011.

Leave a Comment » | Apps, Engagement, Interactive | Tagged: Heart and cardiovascular marketing, iPad, Julie Robinson, kuhn | Permalink
Posted by Julie Robinson

The Main Artery

Six Tips for Building a Great Cardiovascular Marketing Landing Page

Five Steps for Improving Your Cardiovascular Marketing Landing Pages

Six Tips for Making Your Cardiovascular Marketing Website More Boomer Friendly

5 Ways to Integrate QR Codes into Your Cardiovascular Marketing

Should Your Next Cardiovascular Marketing Hire Be a Robot or Avatar?

Harnessing the power of the iPad for Cardiovascular Marketing

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