Retreat

Website Awesomeness

Summary

When one considers the needs of a premier mental health facility, lead generation doesn’t always come to mind. But when The Retreat at Sheppard Pratt in Baltimore found it was losing regional clients to out of state competition, they knew they needed to have a web presence that attracted—and retained—more clients.

That’s when the team at The Retreat turned to the eCommerce experts at Groove Commerce. Not only did Groove Commerce build a fresh and compelling web presence optimized for lead generation, but Groove also implemented a savvy, integrated marketing program that continues to produce results for Sheppard Pratt month after month.

The Challenge

The Retreat at Sheppard Pratt has a long history of putting patients first. Opened in 2002 and backed by Sheppard Pratt’s more than 100 years of experience, The Retreat is a premiere, self-funded psychiatric setting that specializes in treating patients battling depression, substance abuse disorders, anxiety disorders, and other conditions. The Retreat combines the best of the science and art of modern psychiatry and behavioral healthcare.

It might be surprising that a facility like The Retreat needed help attracting patients. However, with those in need of care opting for mental health facilities located on the west coast, The Retreat found it needed to compete better to retain and grow its patient base. On any given month, The Retreat was less than 30 percent filled, and the website was not contributing to its business objectives. In fact, it was in dire need of a new design, one that made it easy for visitors to find the information they needed and get help as quickly as possible. The team at The Retreat turned to Groove Commerce, with its expertise in building websites that attract and convert more visitors into customers.

The Groove Commerce Solution

Key to Groove’s strategy for The Retreat was the understanding, born from years of lead generation experience, that a website doesn’t need to process transactions to benefit from a commerce-focused approach. The tactics and lessons from Groove’s experience building online stores would all play a part in Groove’s plan for The Retreat.

Paramount in Groove’s strategy for The Retreat website was maintaining a delicate balance of sensitivity and call to action. It was important for the website not to come across as an obvious lead generation tool. The site had to delicately encourage users to get in touch, without pressuring people who were likely already under stress.

Groove’s design team implemented a soft color palette, and soothing images of the facility’s beautiful grounds to invoke calm feelings, while the website copy emphasized The Retreat’s renowned treatment techniques. Patient testimonials, strategically placed around the site, emphasized the facility’s successes. A “What To Expect on Your First Day” page helped to familiarize prospective patients with an experience that could otherwise cause fear and uncertainty.

Calls to action encouraging the visitor to get in touch were conveyed in a way that put The Retreat’s experts at the user’s disposal and empowered the user. Visitors were given opportunities to engage online through copy that encouraged them to Meet “Your” Team and “Start the Conversation,” making it clear that The Retreat was there to help. Not sell.

Working collaboratively with The Retreat’s team, Groove Commerce learned that the audience for The Retreat’s website wasn’t only patients, but also family and friends seeking psychological help for the people they love. Therefore, as part of the redesign, Groove implemented an easy-to-use and easy-to-find contact form to make sure that no matter what the need, the prospective client had a frictionless way to contact The Retreat.

Groove also learned there was a seasonality to when people sought help for themselves or their loved ones; the Fall and Winter months were most active, as the stress of school, family and the holidays weighed on prospective patients.

To drive these audiences to The Retreat’s website, Groove Commerce developed a comprehensive Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click program. These strategies adjusted to the seasonality of audience needs while taking into account ongoing changes to leading-edge psychological thinking and the treatments.

The Groove Commerce Result

Groove’s website redesign and online marketing strategy for The Retreat have resulted in a complete reversal of fortune for the facility. With Groove’s continued support, website traffic has more than doubled, and conversions have increased by more than 65 percent. Perhaps most importantly, the website has excelled at converting visitors to patients.

Today, The Retreat’s programs are among the most sought after in the country. Patients who once may have ventured thousands of miles from their friends and families now seek The Retreat’s premier care close to home. Additionally, ~40% of The Retreat’s patients come from outside the region, including some from as far away as California, Alaska, Hawaii, as well as other countries.