I’m extremely “challenged” when it comes to electronics.  If something doesn’t work, I usually turn it off and come back later, hoping it magically fixes itself.  With so many people having surround sound systems in their house, with great speakers and receivers, it is sometimes hard to figure out why no music is coming out of the speakers or no picture is filling the screen.  There is a disconnect someplace.  You either aren’t receiving the signal, the signal is getting lost somewhere in your system or there is a problem with the output device, either your great TV or cool little speakers.   (yep, there are probably 78 others things that could be wrong, involving components that cost thousands of dollars and have cool names, but I’m trying to keep it simple, so I can understand)

Leads and traffic can be like that, too.  The leads and traffic are your input, coming to you from multiple sources, such as print placements, online search companies and other mediums.  The system that converts these leads and traffic is your marketing materials, people and community/business.  When evaluating your marketing campaigns, you need to look at all checkpoints from the input to the output, which is your new independent living/assisted living residents, dementia care patients or home care clients.

Some companies only look at whether the input is turning into the output, not why.  There are no new clients coming from the traffic, so they pass on great traffic volume and put their dollars elsewhere.  While, in actuality, the traffic is coming to them, seeing poor marketing materials, an outdated web site, a poorly maintained property and choosing to move on to look at other options.  Additionally, the traffic and leads may not be being handled in a timely or effective manner by the community or company’s marketing personnel, causing a disconnect at that point in the system.

So, before you pass on some great leads and traffic “input” into your marketing pipeline, make sure that all of the components are working at their peak and quality “input” has a chance to result in new assisted living and nursing residents or home care or hospice clients.