Finding new clients and keeping them can be a daunting task. In marketing your practice, you want your information to be fresh, accessible to potential clients, and cost effective. Networking, newsletters, and direct mailings are a few of the strategies that will be needed to keep your name in the publics’ mind. Maintaining a listing in the yellow pages/phone book should also be a part of your advertising strategy. However, this medium has several drawbacks. For example, your information is entered only one time and remains static for the entire publishing cycle. You are not able to advertise seasonal specials or any changes to your offering or environment. While a basic listing is free or inexpensive, it does not offer much in terms of visibility and content. Placing a bigger add is rather expensive and still quite restrictive in regard to the information you can feature. Therefore, in order to accumulate a sufficient amount of information, a potential customer needs to make a phone call. Hopefully that call is made during your regular business hours and reaches you at a time when you are able to take the call and not in session with a client.

The Internet offers a unique, powerful and inexpensive way to enhance your ability to reach potential customers. Not only is a large amount of your information available to potential clients at a time when it is convenient for them, it is also as current as you want it to be. As much as the Internet is a global media, it works very well on a local level. There are an ever-increasing number of people surfing the Web in search of products and services. In Feb. 2002, the Commerce Department noted that "More than half of all Americans use the Internet and more than 2 million people are going online for the first time every month."

Nielsen/NetRatings published a study showing that “165.2 Million users were online in North America during July 2001”. This goes to show that your next customer is probably online while you are reading this article. Having a great Web presence however is only half the battle. There is an estimated 2.2 million documents available online which contain the word massage. How can you increase your chances of being found in this sea of information? For one you should include your Web address everywhere you can – letters, business cards, advertisements, phone books, etc. Have your Web presence established by an experienced, professional developer who knows the ins and outs of search engines and will handle the process of submitting your site to all major engines. Shop around, there is a vast spectrum of prices and services Consider one time and ongoing maintenance costs in your budget. Placing the right message at strategic places in your website is important and needs careful consideration. List your website in reputable online industry portals and directories that offer you enhanced listings at reasonable cost. Only list with directory sites that portray a clean, professional image and offer solid functionality and value to the visitor. Remember, the visitor’s experience on the directory site has a direct reflection on you. Verify that the directory of your choice is placed well with the major search engines and find out what they are doing to advertise themselves. You will be able to obtain all of the services previously described at very reasonable rates at www.MassageRegister.com.
 

The author, Debbie Kilyk, LMT NCTMB is a partner with www.MassageRegister.com