This checklist helps you see your clinic the way a new client would. So grab your phone and work through the list.
Google yourself
Start where most clients start. Search your clinic's name, then try something broader like “vet + your suburb”.
Whatever comes up is what they see first. Check that your Google Business Profile is claimed, accurate and up to date including opening hours, address, phone number and website. They should also match everywhere else they appear online.
Plus, add real photos of your clinic, team and reception area. These tell a prospective client far more than a stock photo of an impossibly photogenic golden retriever ever could.
Some people will decide whether to call before they even make it to the website.
Read your reviews like a new client
Scroll through them. What would they tell a stranger?
Are they recent? Do people mention the team positively? Are there recurring frustrations? And, importantly, has anyone from the clinic replied?
A warm thank-you goes a long way on a positive review. For a tougher one, a calm, constructive response shows future readers that concerns are taken seriously.
And don’t wait for reviews to appear by magic. Ask happy clients while the experience is still fresh. Your clinic’s own app, powered by Vetdesk, can automatically send a feedback survey after an appointment, which is a handy moment to ask for a review too.
Open your website on your phone
Tap through it the way a client would.
Can you quickly find the clinic’s opening hours? Services? Contact details? Pricing, where relevant? Do the photos actually show the people and place they’ll meet?
And then there’s the big one: booking.
When someone taps “Book”, can they choose an appointment and confirm it there and then? Or are they filling in a form and waiting for someone to come back to them?
Every extra step creates another chance to give up.
If opening hours take three taps to find, a new client may not stick around for the fourth.
We build veterinary websites too, either from scratch or by upgrading an existing site with online booking and shop tools that connect with your practice management system.
Scroll your socials
Is the latest post from this week, this month… or sometime during the last Olympics?
You don’t have to post every day, but an active social feed can reassure people that the clinic is current, approachable and part of the local community.
Look at the bigger picture too.
Does the tone feel like the clinic? Do the photos match what clients will see when they arrive? Are comments and messages getting a response?
And there’s no need to be everywhere. One or two platforms where your clients spend time are a good start.
Luckily for you, pets make for great social content. A photo contest in your clinic's own app has clients upload their pets' photos and others vote, while you set the themes and prizes. It gives you something fun to share, and it's good for your social reach.
Put your email list to work
Social posts come and go; an algorithm decides who sees them.
Email is different. Your clinic already has a direct line to your clients, making newsletters one of the simplest ways to stay useful and familiar between visits.
Seasonal pet-care advice, reminders, clinic news and useful health information all give clients a reason to keep opening them.
Short on time? Vetdesk can help there too.
You can send client newsletters through the platform, with email addresses pulled from the practice management system. That means messages can reach the whole database or a specific segment, whether they have downloaded your clinic’s own app or not.
You can write these emails yourself. Or, when the to-do list is already long enough, the Vetdesk team can put them together at no extra cost. Yes, it’s all included in your Vetdesk monthly fee (goodbye, Mailchimp bill!).
Don’t forget what happens offline
A clinic’s reputation isn’t built entirely through screens.
The groomer around the corner, the local trainer, the boarding facility down the road and the neighbourhood pet shop may all speak to the same pet owners.
And those are relationships worth building.
Cross-referrals, local events, sponsorships and partnerships with shelters or rescue groups can put the clinic in front of exactly the right people. And offline activity tends to shop up online too, in photos, posts and reviews.
Your online presence at a glance
☐ Google Business Profile claimed, accurate and complete
☐ Hours, address and phone number consistent everywhere
☐ Recent reviews, with thoughtful replies
☐ Website quick and easy to use on mobile
☐ Key information simple to find
☐ Online booking that lets clients actually book
☐ Social accounts active, recognisable and responsive
☐ Regular emails reaching the client database
☐ A clinic app clients can carry in their pocket
See Vetdesk in action. Request a demo.
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