Opening a new practice means a hundred decisions at once, and marketing tends to slide to the bottom of the list. Then opening day arrives, the diary is empty and the phone isn’t ringing.
Some of the most valuable marketing tasks take weeks, not days, so the earlier you start the better. Here is a practical order of work.
About twelve weeks before opening
- Settle the name. The website, domain, listings and signage all depend on it. Check it against the advertising rules, since names that imply a specialty or an outcome can be problematic.
- Agree the basics. Who you want to see, which services you will offer at launch and what makes you different.
- Secure the domain and email. Do this early, before someone else does.
About ten weeks before
- Plan the website. Services, practitioners, locations, booking and a clear first-visit page.
- Choose your booking approach. Online, phone or both, and make sure the system is ready.
- Prepare practitioner details. Accurate titles, registration information and photos.
About six weeks before
- Set up your Google Business Profile. Verification can take time, so start early. A verified profile is one of the best things you can have on opening day.
- List the practice in key directories. Keep the name, address and phone number identical everywhere.
- Start the groundwork for local search. Service and location pages, and a plan for reviews once you are open.
Opening and the weeks after
- Switch on advertising. Ads are best turned on last, when the website, tracking and booking are tested.
- Introduce yourself to referrers. GPs and other local practitioners need to know you exist and how to refer.
- Track everything. Calls, forms and bookings from day one.
- Set realistic expectations. A new practice takes time to fill its diary, and that is normal.
A word on opening offers
Be careful with launch promotions. Limited-time offers and discounts on cosmetic procedures are restricted, and offers for other services need clear, accurate terms. A warm welcome and clear information usually does more than a discount.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the name until the last minute, then finding the domain is taken.
- Waiting too long to verify the Google profile.
- Switching on ads before booking and tracking work properly.
- Copying a competitor’s wording, which can also copy their compliance problems.
- Forgetting to show titles and registration details accurately for named practitioners.
- Having no plan for reviews, so the first few months go by without any.
What to have ready on opening day
- A verified Google Business Profile with accurate hours and photos.
- A live website with booking that has been tested on a phone.
- Tracking set up for calls and forms.
- The same name, address and phone number everywhere.
- Complete profiles for every practitioner, with accurate titles.
- A plan for asking for reviews once patients start coming.
- A short introduction ready to send to local referrers.
What a good first month looks like
Be realistic. A good first month is a steady trickle of enquiries, a handful of reviews, referrers who know you exist and enough data to learn from. A full diary usually comes later, and that is normal.
Our new practice launch service covers this whole timeline, and our branding service can help with the name and look.