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There is a reason we tend to give our house a lick of paint or renovate an older-style bathroom before we try to sell it: first impressions count, and not everyone has the imagination to see past your avocado green bath and visualise how they may recreate the space.
The same is true for your veterinary practice’s online presence when the time comes to let someone else be the custodian of your life’s work.
Now, there is a bit of irony going on here. I recently appraised several vet practices for the purpose of selling them, and none of them had a great online presence. However, they were all very busy and highly profitable, so you may ask, why would marketing matter if a practice is already run off its feet?
Well, it’s all about the overall presentation of your veterinary practice and, most importantly, making sure that all the messages we convey to potential buyers add up.
The financial performance of any business is the primary driver when determining the value of a veterinary practice and who a potential buyer may be. In the case of Ray White Practice Sales, before any details regarding the practice for sale are revealed to a potential buyer, the buyer is vetted and signs a confidentiality agreement.
Once this occurs, the potential buyer is presented with a beautifully crafted Information Memorandum that presents the practice in the best possible light. So far so good, but very often, the next step the buyer will take is a Google search. If what they find does not match the standard of what has been presented to them, we have a ‘mismatch’; suddenly, not all the ducks are in a row.
Like a house for sale, the amount of renovation needed to your veterinary practice’s online presence will depend on its current state. However, a quick review and simple updates are usually all it takes to align our ducks again.
Your website is the most significant component of your practice’s online presence and can be the hardest to fix if it does not accurately represent your practice.
If your website looks good, ensure the information displayed is current. For example, ensure your current team members are displayed and you don’t have a banner with an out-of-date offer. If you have a blog, check the last time you posted something and, if necessary, add a new post to show that you’re using it.
If your website is amazing, then great, but if it is a total disaster and has not been touched in years, then what do you do?
If you are considering selling your practice in a couple of years, it would be worth the expense of creating a brand-new website built using the latest technology. Not only will this help present your practice in the best possible light when it comes time to sell, but you will also benefit from a couple of years of attracting more clients and ample time to get a return on your investment.
However, if you want to sell your practice immediately, then you may wish to consider a very simple one-page website, which can look up-to-date and won’t break the bank in the process; plus, most web designers will have something like this created in a couple of days.
If your social media pages are out of date, it is much simpler to fix them than a website. All you need to do is post a few things to make them look current, such as photos of clients’ animals, a staff member’s birthday, or some tips for your audience. Also, review the top banner of your Facebook page, as again, this can sometimes be out of date, but it is also very quick and easy to update.
If you are reviewing your marketing to sell in the future, consider making a concerted effort to gain more 5-star reviews from your happy clients. This is an excellent protocol to put in place for every business and generally just needs to be made ‘top of mind’ with a bit of staff training.
If you don’t have the luxury of time, check that you have responded to people’s existing reviews, both good and bad, as this shows you care and are engaged with your clients.
Did you know you can remove your Google Map Listing and, therefore, Google Reviews altogether? This is only recommended in extreme cases, as your Google Maps listing is essential to your online footprint. However, if you have been hammered by unfair Google Reviews, then on a very rare occasion, it can be good practice to remove the listing and start from scratch.
We’ve been discussing how to improve your veterinary practice’s online presence to impress potential buyers; however, if you have no intention of selling your practice anytime soon, you may want to consider a marketing plan as opposed to a ‘spruce-up’ plan. Building your practice with solid marketing over the coming years can add significant value for the day you do plan to exit.
In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for businesses across all industries, including veterinary practices. Whether you’re considering selling your veterinary practice or simply looking to attract more clients, sprucing up your online presence can significantly impact your success.
If you have any questions about how best to prepare your vet practice for sale or want to arrange an obligation-free appraisal, simply call 0416 190 000 or email carl.burroughs@raywhite.com.
Carl Burroughs has been at the forefront of professional services business development in Australia since 2001. His marketing company, Integrated Dental Marketing (IDM), has helped hundreds of dental practices achieve their goals through proactive marketing and advertising campaigns. Carl has personally consulted with many of the dental corporations and groups that have emerged within the profession over the past 20 years. More recently, Carl co-founded Ray White Practice Sales, which is a brokerage service dedicated to helping the Veterinarian and Dental sectors. Although still in its first year of operation, Ray White Practice Sales has consulted with dozens of Vet Practices around Australia and helped achieve outstanding outcomes for the Vet Practice owners they represent.
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