In the past, if you were an attorney, doctor, financial advisor, or other professional, you didn’t need to worry about web presence. After all, so much of your business was referral or “word of mouth.” Why bother with the hassle or expense of a website or social media? Any good lawyer or doctor wouldn’t need to advertise in this way, all they needed was their reputation.

This environment has changed. Today, people aren’t given a single referral. You might be among several that they are given. How often do you see someone post on Facebook, “anyone know a good plumber?” How many responses do they get? The same is true with professionals.

So how does the person decide who to call? They Google them. Consumers will search online for more information. Depending on what they find, website, social media, reviews, etc, they will choose who they want to investigate further. If people search for you and find nothing, then likely, nothing is the response you will get.

In my personal experience when our pediatrician moved away, we asked friends on Facebook. We got about 10 recommendations. So the first thing I did was sit down and Google them. Based on what I saw online I narrowed it down to three. From phone calls and visits we finally selected a new pediatrician for our four children. Had that doctor not had a website and web presence, I would have never even considered her.

Just having a website and web presence was good enough once upon a time. Now, the landscape has become much more competitive. The quality of websites is steadily improving. An entire industry is devoted to helping websites come out above their competition in search results (SEO). So once you have your website you must make it stand out from the crowd. It must be more appealing and offer more.

One way of doing that is with the quality of photography on your website. So many businesses think that an orange, deer in the headlight, selfie, taken with a smartphone is just fine. However, put yourself in the shoes of your potential client. Doctor #1 has no photos or their terrible, Doctor # has good quality professional photos. Which one do you have more confidence in? The one who obviously takes shortcuts and isn’t concerned about their appearance, or the one who invests in their business and presence? I know which one I would choose!

This is where I can help. I’ve created a special professionals package. With this I create a Google Maps Business View 360º virtual tour of the office. I embed this tour on Google Maps, Google StreetView, Google Search Results, and the Businesses Google + page. This helps the business stand out on Google by making it more visually appealing in the results. People see it more, click on it, and start to interact with you before the first email or phone call is ever made. The tour can even be embedded on the businesses Facebook and web pages, further enhancing their web presence.

As part of the Google photos I’m also going to create high quality, commercial still images of the office, inside and out. These images can be used on websites, social media, and even print media. This is another way to show off your practice on your website.

Lastly, in this socially connected world, people want to have a personal connection with those with whom they do business. Your personality is becoming a more important part of how you are perceived by potential clients. To be effective in marketing you need to be active in social media. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc all help you connect with clients and expand awareness of your business. One thing all social media sites, as well as many online directories, have in common is a spot for a profile picture. Fair or not, people will make a judgment about you in the blink of an eye based on the picture. A bathroom mirror smart phone selfie does not give the impression of professionalism. Having a high quality professional portrait, or headshot, is critical. As part of the professionals package I will also create that high quality portrait. This can be used on the website, social media, print media, and anywhere else a profile picture is required.

Take a look at the example below of Clyde Riley Attorney at Law. His is a smaller, more personal, law firm. The 360º tour and photos combined with his portraits, combine to give potential clients a better sense of who he is. When they meet Mr Riley for the first time they will be more comfortable because of the feeling of familiarity with both him and his office.

Do you think this could be of benefit to your practice or business? Contact me the specific details of your office and business and we will put together a plan that best works for your needs!