As I sit here on a beautiful fall afternoon in New England and write this blog, I can’t help but think about how much I love this season and everything that makes it so special.

The weather is still relatively warm (with a hint of chill in the air), the fall foliage is breathtaking, and pumpkin spice whipped cream on my coffee is my guilty pleasure.

But there’s something else that really jumps out to me about the fall; the charming decorations, especially at the front door of homes.

I enjoy decorating my front door every autumn with hardy mums, pumpkins, and festive colors.

Every time I enter my front door and see these decorations, I get a fuzzy feeling, like a warm hug from a friend or a family member. The fall decor creates a welcoming environment for me and my house guests.

I feel the same way when I visit the homes of friends and family members. Even before I reach the front step, the decor makes me feel at ease and at home!

So, it got me thinking about the feeling of warmth and being welcomed that a decorated front door creates when I enter my home and the homes of friends and family, and how to create that feeling for the front door of skilled nursing businesses: your website. 

Let’s dig in.

If my reference to pumpkin spice drinks made you thirsty, take a few minutes for a Starbucks or Dunkin’ run and jump back in.

I’ll be here to welcome you!

What is Skilled Nursing?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with skilled nursing, I want to give you an overview before we discuss this topic further.

Skilled nursing is a type of long-term care that provides professional medical and nursing services. Unlike assisted living, which focuses on activities of daily living, skilled nursing facilities offer specialized care for individuals with complex medical needs. This can include:

• Rehabilitation: Physical, occupational, and speech therapy to help patients regain their independence. Particularly when you need short-term rehab following a hospital stay.
• Chronic disease management: Managing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disorders.
• Wound care: Treating and monitoring wounds, ulcers, and other skin conditions.
• Medication management: Administering prescribed medications and monitoring their effectiveness.

 Types of Skilled Nursing Facilities

Skilled nursing facilities can vary in their focus and services. Some common types include:

• General skilled nursing facilities: Offer a wide range of services for individuals with various medical needs.
• Specialized facilities: Cater to specific populations, such as those with dementia, traumatic brain injuries, or ventilator dependence.
• Hospice facilities: Provide end-of-life care for individuals with terminal illnesses.

The Consumer Journey for Skilled Nursing Facilities is Changing

Before we discuss specific tactics for welcoming and converting prospects on Skilled Nursing websites, let’s first understand the ever-changing consumer journey. 

Prospects looking for skilled nursing have a high sense of urgency because their decision timeline is very short. We surveyed 75 prospects looking for Skilled Nursing and found that 45% of the respondents needed to decide within a week, including 11.5% that day.

Here is a breakdown of who is looking for Skilled Nursing:

• 86.9% are searching for someone else
• 63.1% of those searching are daughters
• 14.3% of those searching are the spouse/partner
• 13.1% are searching for themselves
• 7.1% of those searching are sons

Most people looking for Skilled Nursing options have never had to search for these services before, so they need extra help and guidance. The hospital or healthcare facility where their loved one is located will provide a list of suggested skilled nursing options, but the law prevents healthcare providers from favoring one option. 

This puts the brunt of the research on the prospects and their families.

Where are they doing their research?

On your website.

You better have a welcoming front door because their sense of urgency is high, and their attention span is short, so a vanilla experience will send them to a competitor in a heartbeat.

 A Consumer Search Journey Filled with Anxiety and Frustration

According to Nexus Insights:

• 80% of research is done online
• 50%+ relate their search experience with feeling worried, fearful, and full of anxiety
• 10% have confidence in the quality of information online

The Changing Environment for Skilled Nursing Operators

Prior to COVID, Skilled Nursing providers employed staff members to visit hospitals, walk the hallways, and interact with people who needed Skilled Nursing care. The business model leaned heavily on referrals, but times have changed.

As mentioned above, it is against the law for hospitals to give a consumer a preferred provider. Instead, hospitals must list at least three Skilled Nursing providers. This leaves prospects and their families in a bit of a quandary because they are forced to make a major decision in a short amount of time with little or no prior knowledge about Skilled Nursing to reference.

Again, this is why your digital front door must be welcoming, informative, and educational.

 The Impact of Staffing Issues on Skilled Nursing

The reduction of staff across all departments of Skilled Nursing companies puts a greater emphasis on efficiency and quality. How do you deliver a great experience with a limited staff for your prospects?

I’ll dig into specific tactics down below, but here are a couple of key points to keep in mind:

• Prospects are already at the bottom of the funnel, so make sure your strategy and content align accordingly
• Automate wherever possible
• Leverage AI to provide excellent customer service

12 Essential Tips for Optimizing Your Website to Attract Skilled Nursing Prospects

Here are tips to maximize your website and capture the attention of prospects seeking skilled nursing services:

1. Showcase Compassion and Expertise

Families and individuals often feel emotional when making the decision to move into a skilled nursing facility. Your website should communicate empathy and professionalism from the very first glance.

Tip: Create a welcoming home page highlighting your facility’s compassionate care, experienced staff, and personalized services. Use real images of staff interacting with residents and showcase testimonials from current or past residents and families to build credibility.

2. Prioritize Mobile Experience

Many families search for skilled nursing services on their phones. Whether they’re on the go or using their phones as convenient research tools, mobile optimization is crucial.

Tip: Ensure your website is mobile-responsive, adapting seamlessly to all screen sizes. A responsive design makes it easy for users to navigate, access important information, and contact your team.

3. Optimize for Search Engines (SEO)

Prospective residents or their families typically begin their search with terms like “skilled nursing near me” or “best-skilled nursing facilities.” Your website must rank well in search engine results to ensure it’s visible when these searches occur.

Tip: Focus on local SEO strategies to ensure your website ranks for skilled nursing services in your area. Use keywords like “skilled nursing care,” “short-term rehab,” and “long-term care” throughout your website, especially in key places like headlines, meta descriptions, and service pages.

4. Implement a Virtual Sales Assistant for Real-Time Engagement

Incorporating a Virtual Sales Assistant on your website can help convert visitors into leads by offering personalized, real-time assistance. This AI-driven tool engages prospects, answers questions, and guides them through their decision-making process, providing support outside regular business hours.

The Waypoint Navigator offers advanced features and unparalleled capabilities, making it the perfect assistant for your website. It empowers your visitors to interact with ease and efficiency. Don’t limit your website to just one method of capturing leads—provide a seamless, multi-faceted engagement experience. Choose the best solution for your site.

Tip: Deploy a Virtual Sales Assistant on key pages, such as your services, admissions, and contact pages, to answer common questions, schedule tours, or provide more information about your skilled nursing facility. By automating these interactions, you enhance the user experience and ensure that no lead slips through the cracks. Analyze the interactions to see what questions prospects ask most frequently and adjust your website content accordingly to address those concerns upfront. A Virtual Sales Assistant can improve engagement, streamline the admissions process, and increase overall conversions.

5. Provide Clear and Easy-to-Access Information

When visitors arrive on your site, they are often looking for specific information, such as services offered, amenities, pricing, and contact information. Make sure your website is structured to make it easy to find these critical details.

Tip: Develop a clear and simple navigation menu that leads users directly to pages like “Services,” “Admissions,” and “Contact Us.” Offer downloadable brochures or a resource center where families can access additional details about your facility.

 6. Be Strategic with Your Call-to-Action Copy

The words you choose for your calls to action (CTAs) can significantly influence a prospect’s decision to engage with your skilled nursing services. Utilizing data to understand which phrases resonate best with your audience allows you to make informed decisions that can increase conversions.

Our client used the term “Get Started” as a CTA in their Navigator and wasn’t getting significant conversions. The Waypoint team assessed the situation and adjusted the CTA copy to “Get Help Today.” This slight edit in copy resulted in a 50% increase in conversions. 

Tip: Experiment with different wording for your CTAs, such as “Get Started Today,” “Discover Your Care Options,” or “Schedule Your Personalized Tour.” Analyze the performance of each version using A/B testing to see which phrases lead to more clicks and inquiries. Leverage tools like Google Analytics to track visitor behavior and pivot your strategies based on data-driven insights. This targeted approach enhances user experience and helps you effectively guide prospects toward making informed decisions about their care.

7. Use Live Chat to Capture Leads

In the senior living industry, quick responses can make all the difference. Families are often seeking immediate answers to important questions. A website live chat feature can help you engage with visitors in real time and capture leads while they’re actively searching for care solutions.

Tip: Implement a 24/7 live chat agent on your website to assist families as they explore your services. This feature allows prospects to ask questions instantly, request information, or schedule a tour without waiting for a callback or email response.

8. Highlight Virtual Tour Options

Families often want to tour skilled nursing facilities in person, but sometimes that’s not immediately possible. Offering virtual tours of your facility can help bridge the gap and give prospects an inside look at your offerings from the comfort of their home.

One of our clients using the Waypoint Navigator solution saw tours accounting for 40% of its leads generated. 

Tip: Incorporate a virtual tour feature on your website, allowing potential residents and their families to explore the facility’s rooms, dining areas, and amenities. Make this option easily accessible on your homepage and admissions page.

9. Create Conversion Points Throughout the Site

A beautiful, informative website is great, but it needs to convert visitors into leads. Make sure your calls to action (CTAs) guide prospects toward the next step in their decision-making process.

Tip: Include prominent CTAs like “Schedule a Tour,” “Contact Us,” or “Request More Information” on every page. Make these buttons easy to find, and consider adding a form for visitors to submit inquiries directly through the website.

10. Use Testimonials and Case Studies

Word of mouth and social proof are powerful in the skilled nursing industry. By sharing success stories, testimonials, and case studies on your website, you help to reassure prospects that your facility is trusted and respected in the community.

Tip: Dedicate a section of your site to testimonials or case studies. Incorporate videos or written stories highlighting how your skilled nursing services have positively impacted residents and their families.

11. Leverage AI and Personalization for Enhanced Engagement

With new advancements in AI, it’s now easier than ever to create personalized website experiences. By tailoring the content and recommendations a visitor sees, you can improve their engagement with your site and increase their likelihood of taking action.

Tip: Implement AI tools to offer personalized suggestions based on the visitor’s browsing behavior. For instance, if a visitor is looking at your rehabilitation services, you can automatically recommend blog posts or testimonials related to that service. This kind of personalization can guide the prospect toward a decision faster.

12. Utilize Analytics to Refine Your Marketing Strategy

Making informed decisions is crucial for optimizing your skilled nursing website and capturing the attention of potential residents. Data analytics provides valuable insights into user behavior, enabling you to refine your marketing strategies and improve overall engagement.

Tip: Regularly review website analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to track metrics like page views, bounce rates, and conversion rates. Identify which pages attract the most traffic and where visitors drop off. Use this data to adjust your content, navigation, and CTAs accordingly. For example, if you notice that users are spending time on your services page but not converting, consider adding more engaging content, such as videos or interactive elements, to enhance their experience. By continuously analyzing and adapting your website based on actual user data, you can create a more compelling online presence that meets the needs of your audience.

Your website often gives families the first impression of your skilled nursing facility. By optimizing it to be informative, user-friendly, and engaging, you can turn that first impression into lasting trust—and, ultimately, into more inquiries and admissions.

Start today by ensuring that your website’s digital front door is welcoming, responsive, and ready to help prospective residents find the skilled nursing care they need.

Get Smart About AI for Senior Living Marketing and Sales

Are you interested in learning more about how AI and personalization can boost your website’s performance? Join our upcoming webinar on Thursday, October 24, titled “How AI Can Be Used in Senior Living Marketing and Sales Now and in the Future,” featuring Fahad Aziz, the Founder of PuppyDog.ai, and Terri Sullivan, the Founder of Waypoint Converts.