Dwindling occupancy levels, a decline in government funding and increased running costs have put pressure on many a care home’s bottom line.

Having gained an awareness of the challenges and opportunities many care home owners like yourself face, I remain convinced that in these tough times, an intelligently branded and effectively marketed website is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal, to generate enquiries, reduce costs and ensure that occupancy levels are at their highest.

In this article we’ll take a look at some of the "must have elements" your website should possess, to ensure that it is working effectively to promote your care home and win new business for you.

A FRESH SENSE OF BRANDING- WHY SHOULD THEY CHOOSE YOUR HOME?

A website will often be a prospective client’s first contact with your care home; first impressions are crucial and your website design needs to go beyond simply being "Nice".

It needs to stand out, be memorable and grab attention with a distinctive brand personality that communicates what makes your care home unique.

Say goodbye to bog standard logos, imagery and out-dated layouts and invest in a fresh and unique "branding solution" that conveys your core values effectively.

EFFECTIVE & PERSUASIVE COPYWRITING – TALK TO THE CLIENT, NOT AT THEM.

Content is king and an effective website should be filled with content that is psychologically compelling and which will assure prospective clients of the superior level of care that you can provide.

Write your website copy as if you are having a one to one conversation with them, provide information which will address their questions and concerns.

Communicate effectively and with empathy and you will see a dramatic increase in the number of enquiries that your website generates.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION – HOW ARE THEY GOING TO FIND YOU?

If often surprises me just how many care home websites have been built with no thought given to gaining high search engine rankings, sitting passively on the Internet and awaiting a flood of prospective clients.

Your website must be optimised so it achieves a dominant presence in Google and other search engines, otherwise frankly you have failed to grasp the Internet marketing opportunity for your care home.

SOCIAL PROOF – THE POWER OF TESTIMONIALS

Entrusting the care of a loved one to a care home is not an easy decision. One of the simplest ways to allay a prospective client’s fears and doubts is to give them an abundance of "social proof", feedback from other clients who have benefited from using your services.

These should be highly credible, either in the form of testimonial letters on your website or better still, small video clips from residents and their families, speaking favourably about your home, the staff and level of care provided.