Most hospitals measure marketing in clicks and likes, which says little about patients. A better approach is to track six stages: visits to your website and Google Business Profile, enquiries, OP visits, procedures or admissions, and repeat visits. The conversion rate between each stage shows exactly where patients are being lost and which fix will add the most.
The six stages
Each stage is a number you can count every month.
- Website visits: people who reached your site, from Google Analytics.
- Google Business Profile views and actions: how often your profile was seen, and the calls, direction requests and website clicks it produced.
- Enquiries: forms, calls longer than a set duration, and WhatsApp messages from real prospective patients.
- OP visits: enquiries that turned into an outpatient consultation.
- Procedures or admissions: OP visits that led to a procedure or inpatient admission.
- Repeat visits: patients who came back for follow-up or further care.
The conversion rates are the levers
The six numbers matter less than the rates between them. Visits to enquiries shows how persuasive your website and profile are. Enquiries to OP visits shows how well your front desk responds and follows up. OP visits to procedures reflects clinical counselling and trust. Repeat visits reflects your follow-up system.
Improving the weakest rate usually adds more patients than buying more traffic. You can try this with your own numbers in the calculator on our homepage.
How to measure each stage
You do not need expensive software to start.
- Google Analytics 4 for website visits and form submissions.
- Your Google Business Profile performance report for views, calls and direction requests.
- Call tracking numbers on your website and ads, so you know which calls came from marketing.
- A simple shared log, or your hospital information system, for OP visits and procedures linked to the enquiry source.
Cost per enquiry and cost per new patient
Divide your marketing spend by the number of qualified enquiries to get cost per enquiry. Divide it by new OP visits to get cost per new patient. Track both by channel and by specialty. A channel with expensive enquiries can still be the best one if those enquiries convert well.
Common leaks we see
Patterns repeat across hospitals and clinics.
- Calls that go unanswered at lunch, in the evening or on Sundays.
- Slow replies to WhatsApp and form enquiries.
- Doctor pages without credentials, photos or clear booking options.
- No follow-up for patients who enquired but did not book.
- No recall system after procedures or for chronic care.
Start simple
Pick one month, fill in the six numbers as honestly as you can, and calculate the five rates between them. Gaps in the data are themselves a finding. Repeat it monthly and judge every marketing activity by its effect on these numbers.
Questions
What is a good enquiry-to-OP-visit conversion rate?
It varies widely by specialty, city, price point and enquiry source, so published averages can mislead. Compare against your own trend month by month first, then by channel.
Who should own these numbers?
Marketing and the front desk together. Marketing controls the first stages; the front desk and clinical teams control conversion to visits and procedures.
How often should we review them?
Monthly for the full funnel, and weekly for enquiries and response times during active campaigns.
How this guide was written: it was drafted with AI assistance, then edited and fact-checked under our editorial policy. It contains no unverified statistics. Spotted an error? Email hello@medgrowthdigital.in and we will correct it.