External events and economic change can affect your practice in many ways. You have a lot of control over the changes you make that lead to better business decisions and strategies for your practice overall. But sometimes it can be hard to even know where to start.

No matter what your practice has already lined up for resolutions and goals to accomplish in this calendar year, we've got three more practice building ideas to help take your practice, and your revenue, to new heights. 

3 Practice Building Ideas for Years to Come

Test Out Email Marketing

Your patients have a lot of options when it comes to healthcare. Staying front of mind is one of the best ways to keep high numbers on patient retention. Email marketing is an easy way to stay in the front of your patients on a consistent basis. You'll be able to use emails to remind patients they haven't been into your practice lately, any new promotions you might have going on, or specific special offers to get missed patients back in your practice.

We've got a few tips and best practices to help your maximize profit from emails:

• Make it easy for people to join your email list: You can do this by having a paper sign-up sheet on your counter, or by adding a link to your webpage or online form.
• Don't over send: If you're sending your contacts too many emails they will start to ignore, delete, and even unsubscribe from your emails. There is no right or wrong for how often is too often, so use your best judgement.
• Make sure your emails are mobile friendly: Most people access email from their phone. If you send emails that aren't mobile friendly, you risk losing out to your mobile audience.
• Write a catchy subject line: The perfect subject line doesn't always have to be overly creative, but standing out in a crowded inbox is key to getting your emails opened. Try using an emoji.

Review Your Claim Processes

Your claim reimbursements make up a significant portion of your practice's revenue. And, if you're the only OD in the practice, you maybe haven't taken a deep look into your claim processes in a while. Is your biller able to stay on top of denials and rejections? Do they have the resources needed to keep the claim lifecycle manageable and efficient?

If you haven't taken the time to review your claims processes from last year, it's time you take a deeper look and see if your practice could be making more money, faster with help from a billing service or clearinghouse solution.

Bonus Read: Definitive Guide to Making More Money on Claim Reimbursements

Switch Up Your Office Look

When was the last time your practice got a makeover? Keeping up with modern style trends is an important part of your practice's appearance. Getting a boost in dispensary sales could come from new frame boards, new lighting, new mirrors, or even new furniture. We're not saying you have to gut your office and start from scratch, but pick one thing that maybe hasn't gotten any love and attention over the last year. A simple change can impact a patient's perception or buying decisions.

If your claims process is where you want to start, download our latest eBook, The Definitive Guide to Making More Money on Claim Reimbursements, to see how your claims process could improve. 

Originally published in Jan 2017. Updated in March 2022.