A patient looking for a practitioner does not really compare: they eliminate. A missing piece of information, a website that is unreadable on a phone, no way to book outside opening hours, and they move on to the next one.
The short answer: what decides is practical before it is qualitative. Being findable, showing accurate opening hours, letting people book without calling. The rest plays out at the first consultation.
A decision made before the first call
The sorting is fast and silent. You will never know how many times it went against you, which makes the subject hard to take seriously until you have looked at it yourself, on your own phone, the way a stranger would.
It is the most instructive and least costly exercise: search for your own specialty in your own town, and look at what comes up.
The three pieces of information that get you eliminated
Opening hours first, and above all their accuracy. Wrong opening hours cost more than no opening hours at all: they lead to a wasted trip.
Then the address, with what surrounds it: the floor, the entrance, parking. And finally the way to book an appointment, which is where the most requests are lost.
Booking without calling
This is what sets practitioners apart the most today. Booking that is reachable straight from search captures patients who would not have phoned: those who search in the evening, on weekends, or between two meetings.
That assumes the booking option is visible, and that it works properly on a phone. Tucked away in a secondary menu, it does not exist.
The business profile and the website do not do the same job
The profile answers practical questions, and it is often viewed before the website. So it must be complete and accurate, which takes little work but regular updates.
The website comes in afterwards, when the patient hesitates. It answers the questions people do not ask on the phone, and that is the purpose of website creation for practitioners.
Reviews, and above all how recent they are
A patient who knows no one relies on what others have written. They look at the rating, but also at the date: old reviews give the impression of a practice nobody talks about anymore.
The rules on asking for reviews differ between professions, and deserve to be checked before doing anything. What needs no checking, on the other hand, is keeping your information up to date.
What to avoid
Assuming proximity is enough. It no longer is as soon as a colleague is easier to reach.
Neglecting how things look on a phone. That is where the decision is made.
Leaving a profile incomplete. It is often viewed more than the website itself.
What it changes, in practice
First appointments from patients you would never have met, and a patient base that renews itself without any particular sales effort.
Looking for software for your practice? RDV360 brings together your calendar, online booking, reminders and your practice website. Discover RDV360 plans.
Frequently asked questions
What does a patient look at first?
Proximity, opening hours, and the ability to book an appointment right away. The rest comes later. A practitioner a little further away but easy to reach regularly wins over the closest one whose information is incomplete.
Do you need a website when you have a business profile?
The profile covers practical questions, not what reassures before a first appointment. The two complement each other: the profile is often the first contact, the website is what decides when the patient hesitates.
How long does this decision take?
A few minutes, often on a phone, and almost always without calling. That is what makes it frustrating: you never know how many times you were passed over, or why.