At the end of each year, our data analyst shares a report with me that outlines the universal stats across all of our Inner Circle members’ websites.
It’s incredibly insightful.
It shares the data from over 50 private practice clinics’ websites across the US and Canada, which gives us the ability to monitor trends, see big-picture insights, and make smarter decisions for our members’ digital marketing efforts.
I’ve recently got my hands on the 2022 report and I have been shocked by some of the findings.
Based on 414,000 website visits, 12,407 goal completions (inquiries/form completions), and over 10m impressions on Google, I’m going to share two key insights that you can use to improve your marketing efforts in 2023.
Let’s jump in.
#1 – Desktop vs. Mobile (The 5-Year Trend) 🖥️📱
Many industries have seen mobile traffic overtake desktop traffic over the past decade (people using their cell phones to find your website rather than computer), yet up until 2020, hearing care still had the majority of its traffic on desktop.
Here is a quick year-on-year breakdown.
Based on our 2018 reporting:
Mobile: 36.52%
Tablet: 8.12%
Desktop: 55.36%
Based on our 2020 reporting:
Mobile: 51.53%
Tablet: 4.95%
Desktop: 43.52%
Based on our 2019 reporting:
Mobile: 44.07%
Tablet: 7.02%
Desktop: 48.90%
Based on our 2021 reporting:
Mobile: 48.01%
Tablet: 4.97%
Desktop: 47.02%
Based on our 2018 reporting:
Mobile: 36.52%
Tablet: 8.12%
Desktop: 55.36%
Based on our 2019 reporting:
Mobile: 44.07%
Tablet: 7.02%
Desktop: 48.90%
Based on our 2020 reporting:
Mobile: 51.53%
Tablet: 4.95%
Desktop: 43.52%
Based on our 2021 reporting:
Mobile: 48.01%
Tablet: 4.97%
Desktop: 47.02%
And to today, here is the split based on our 2022 reporting:
2022 has seen the most traffic from mobile, based on all of our data across the past five years. This trend is only likely to continue with mobile traffic becoming more and more prominent.
My prediction for 2023 is that around 60% of traffic will be on mobile. Based on this, you have to ask yourself whether your website is built correctly for mobile.
If 6 out of every 10 visitors that reach your website are using their cell phone, does your website best demonstrate who you are, and is it built to be friendly, easy to navigate, and helpful toward a cell phone user?
My top tips:
- Consider the information that displays on your homepage on mobile – it shouldn’t just be everything on your desktop homepage squeezed together. Keep it simple.
- Do you have tap-to-call buttons on your mobile website? Is it easy for somebody to find your number and easily call it?
- Is your site even mobile friendly? Google has a great tool to check on your behalf that you can access by clicking here.
If your website is not fit for purpose, then you could be losing 6 out of every 10 opportunities that find your website.
Fixing this may be one of the biggest catalysts to more inquiries in 2023 and beyond.
#2 – Be Prepared to Be Shocked: The Average Age of Website Visitors 🤯
This was the statistic that shocked me the most.
That’s because one of the biggest misconceptions that we’ve made as an industry for far too long is that our websites need to be built and speak to the patients themselves.
We look at our 65+ year old patients and aim to build a website that is tailored toward them.
- We want big fonts.
- We want simplistic usability.
- We want big buttons (because our patients don’t have great eyesight, etc.).
Yet the data tells us a VERY different story.
I’ll get to the point. Check this out…
Out of all 414,000 website visitors spanning the entirety of North America over the course of 2022, only 8.9% of them were over the age of 65.
Yet rather extraordinarily, 68% of all website visitors were under the age of 45. Nearly 7 out of 10 of every website visitor were spring chickens.
Yes, we reran the data over and over again to ensure this was correct. It was.
The question is, WHY?
Well, it’s simply that the patient themselves is NOT the person who is researching/looking for their hearing care provider in most situations. Instead, it’s the loved ones of the patient.
It’s the son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter that is Googling questions about their loved one’s hearing challenges, researching their options, and deciding on the best solution for them.
It’s pretty remarkable.
There are three key lessons here:
- Your website should not be built with the belief that your visitors are your elderly patients. This is likely causing more frustration for your actual visitors than helping them.
- Consider the messaging on your website; is it written toward the patient themselves or the loved ones of patients?
- The “our patients don’t use the internet” narrative may be right, but it doesn’t mean that your website should be disregarded. It’s a big opportunity to win if you build a website focused on the people that are actually visiting it.
Further Observations
There was a bunch of further lessons and observations that we’re using to drive data-led changes to our Inner Circle members’ websites that we’re keeping top secret.
The two statistics above share some of the biggest opportunities if you can action them, as the majority of the industry still has the belief that their websites should be built for their 65+ year old patients, and most of their patients use desktops rather than cell phones.
Remember, if you feel you would benefit from having my eyes on your website and your marketing to share some action points and create your unique marketing plan, then you may benefit from a complimentary strategy session.
More information is available by clicking here.
All the very best for a wonderful 2023.
