You need a content plan for your website.
Because what you write on your website can make or break your home care business.
Your leads are searching the internet to decide which company to work with.
So the older adult, or caregiver, is likely to check your website.
Create a website full of answers that clients and referral sources can visit anytime.
Read on to learn how to make sure your website content has families contacting you after they read it.
Learn How To
Describe Your Website Prospects
Your target market, or target audience, are the people who can benefit from your company.
Plan your website content to focus on solutions to the needs of your target audience. Then watch your admissions grow.
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and the American Assocation of Retired Persons (AARP) complied a report on caregiving. The study shows that 89% of caregivers of adults 50+ are relatives (PDF page 6).
The three main target markets for senior care are:
- Older adults. Average age of care recipient is 74.8.
- Family caregivers. Average age is 50.1, with 48% caring for a parent.
- Professional referral sources.
A home care marketing peer, Brad, gave me the tip to ask referral sources if any familiies need help. This covers the target audiences of older adults and family caregivers in one word.
Within these main target markets are more specific target audiences. Write and market to the segments most profitable for your company.
An example is in-home care for older adults who can benefit from daily care. They are living with dementia or other health conditions and may have been to the emergency room or hospitalized recently.
Read more: 4 Ways to Get Profitable Home Care Clients
Choose Tone of Voice for Business
Your brand tone of voice is how you want your target market to perceive your company.
The online voice of your company is your written content.
A hospice admissions nurse shared with me that she “meets families where they are.”
Write to your prospects in an empathetic tone. They will connect with your content then.
Develop your web content to be professional, informative and caring.
Your business needs to show you value older adults. Because your company does and so does your target audience.
Put families and older adults at ease with the decision they have to make. Provide comfort in your written tone.
Be positive and respectable to older adults.
Stay supportive and educational to caregivers and referral sources.
Your tone of voice builds an emotional connection with your prospects. They feel you care about what they are going through. The result is more clients for your company.
Read more: Define Your Home Care Tone of Voice
Determine Unique Selling Points
A unique selling point (USP), or unique selling proposition, is something you do differently or better than your competition.
Families would often ask me what was different about the company I represented.
I worked for an in-home care company owned and operated by a registered nurse. I also marketed for a hospice agency with a Spanish-speaking team.
These USPs set me apart from other agencies.
Define your unique selling points during your website copy planning.
Increase your business by showing the benefit your services uniquely offer.
Determine what prospects need.
Solve a problem for your target market.
Focus on your ideal type of client so you will be more profitable.
Some companies may have two or three unique selling propositions. But there will always be one USP most important to growing your company.
You can mention unique selling points throughout your website. Include them on your homepage, service pages and your about page.
Read more: Create a Unique Selling Proposition for Home Care in 5 Steps
Write Company Value Proposition
Create a value proposition (VP) that includes your top unique selling points (USPs) during your website content development.
Show your leads why they should choose your home care business.
The value proposition explains how your USPs will fulfill the needs of your target clients better than other businesses. It is a promise to families on how the older adult will benefit from your company’s services.
Your value proposition can lead to a higher admission rate. Prospects already understand how your company can support them when they contact you.
Relieve the fears families have. Then they will emotionally connect with your company.
Caregivers worry about the safety and health of their parent. They need help because they are juggling being a caregiver, spouse, parent and employee.
Older adults are scared to give up their independence and control.
Place your value proposition front and center on the top of your homepage. Because people leave a web page in 10-20 seconds.
Write every website page with your value proposition in mind.
Make sure your value proposition is 10-30 words.
Read more: How to Write a Home Care Value Proposition for Clients
Plan Persuasive Web Copywriting
Convince
Your copy needs to drive older adults and their caregivers to use your home care company.
Motivators for caregivers are keeping their loved one properly cared for and safe.
If you want to entice older adults directly, make sure they identify with your content.
Some key findings in a Harvard Business Review article on how to write to older adults are:
- Priorities are based on perceived time left on earth, not age.
- Older adults focus on positive, not negative, information.
- Many 70 year olds feel 15-20% younger than their actual age.
Connect
Write encouraging content older adults and families want to read.
Start with the most important copy at the top of your pages. Prospects may not read to the end of the page.
Raise and solve problems your target market has in your content. Move them to hire your company because you have the solution.
I learned how to paint pictures of patients who could benefit from home health from my mentor, Joseph. For example, a patient walking to exam room holding onto the walls and chairs with a baggie full of medications.
Explain outcomes of receiving help in terms of benefits to the older adult. Remember, many of them feel younger than their actual age and they do not respond to negative content.
Highlight your company’s expertise through your educational blog articles. This will build confidence with families that you can help their loved one.
Your content should remain positive and helpful to their lifestyle needs.
Older adults who do not require daily living help value new experiences and friends.
Focus on emotionally important topics when older adults can benefit from daily living assistance. Include subjects around family and memories.
Direct prospects to action using verbs such as “call” or “schedule.” In the marketing world, these are “call-to actions.” They are often the buttons you click or tap on websites.
Read More: Persuasive Home Care Copy: Your Key Marketing Strategy
Organize Essential Website Pages
Great content on your website means you include the right pages and cover the right subjects.
Plan you website pages to make sense individually and together.
Search engines have no set word count requirement for website pages.
But is is good to at least write 300 words on most pages. Then Google and Bing can determine what your page content is about for indexing.
Homepage
Pull prospects to your key website pages through introductory content and call-to-action buttons.
Include your value proposition at the top of the page so leads know immediately how your company will benefit them.
About Us
Present the history of your company and leadership along with images.
Display your mission statement.
Include the purpose of your company.
Services
Use your main service page as a gateway to your individual service pages.
Write individual service pages to reach families who are searching by service.
Give service details to limit questions and shorten the admissions process.
Include content on your unique selling propositions.
Service Area Page
List all counties and cities you service.
Show all of your locations if you have more than one.
Include a service area or location map.
Referral Page
Direct content to your professional referral sources.
Provide streamlined way to send a referral through an online intake form.
Get input from key referral sources on what will help them on this page.
Include answers to their usual questions.
Contact Us
Make it easy for caregivers and older adults to contact you.
Attach a contact form.
Include admissions department phone number and email.
Blog
Name your page. Of the senior care websites in my research, 56% use a “Blog” heading, while 44% use a “Resources” heading.
Show families you want to help them.
Include articles and guides that completely cover a subject of importance to your prospects.
Other Pages
There are some pages I do not write. But they may also need to be on your website. They are pages such as News, Careers, Privacy Policy, Accessibility Statement and Terms of Service.
Read more: 7 Home Care Website Pages You Need for Agency Growth
Move Leads Through Your Website
Prospects go through stages in their decision-making journey before they become a client. So prepare your senior care website content accordingly.
Identify what caregivers and older adults need at each stage.
If you do not offer content in each stage, leads will leave your site not finding the information they need. You will lose the possibility of acquiring them as a new client.
Awareness
The first stage is awareness. Prospects are starting to realize they may need help and are seeking information.
Build trust with families.
Use your homepage and educational articles and guides on your blog or resources page to reach leads in this stage.
Consideration
The second stage is consideration. Your prospects know they have a problem. They are looking to see if your company has the solution.
Families are also trying to get to know your company. You need to show them why you are better and different.
Inform leads about the benefits of considering your company.
Website pages for this stage include your about, service area and service pages.
Decision
The third stage is decision. This is where the older adult or caregiver has made the decision to hire your company. They call you or use your website contact form.
Website pages for this stage include your contact and referral pages.
Read more: How to Convert Home Care Leads on Your Website
Develop Web Page Content Briefs
Now is the time to bring your plan together into content briefs.
These outlines keep your content writing on track.
If you hire a copywriter, these briefs are the talking point to start the writing process.
Save time from back and forth questions. Eliminate misunderstandings.
Prepare your content briefs for each website page.
Explain the content:
- Topic (title) and subtopics
- Recommended word count
- Target audience and tone of voice
- Value proposition and unique selling points
- Stage: awareness, consideration or decision
- Purpose summary including call-to-action
Help search engines:
- Keyphrase and related words
- Title tag and meta description
- Internal and external links
Your purpose summary should detail how the content will persuade older adults and caregivers to use your company. Highlight the solutions you are offering them.
State the desired action you want your lead to take after they read the web page.
Determine the call-to-action by what stage your prospect is in. For example, “Keep Reading” for awareness, “Explore Services” for consideration and “Schedule” for decision.
Include search engine optimization (SEO) elements to help Google and Bing determine topic for indexing.
Read more: Home Care Content Briefs That Drive Website Success
Conclusion: Prepare Your Website Copy
A critical step to a successful home care website is preparing your content.
Your website is the most important marketing tool you have that your company controls. It is the foundation to reaching caregivers and older adults who are searching online.
When you know who your prospects are, you can communicate to them in the right way.
Focus on the ideal clients you want to increase your profitability.
Explain who you are and how you are uniquely qualifed to help older adults.
Anticipate and answer questions leads have on each of your website pages.
Move families through the awareness they may need your services to the decision to choose your company.
Remember this: you will gain clients when they connect with your website content and the solutions you offer.
Keep reading: Complete Guide to Home Care Blog Marketing
