Referral sites are powerful tools for home healthcare marketing. In 2016, 34% of consumers chose their home care provider because it came recommended by family or friends. 

Another 22% made their decision based on other referral sources. This could be a care provider network, referral site, or even Google Business Profile reviews. Out of all the marketing sources you focus on, referrals have the potential for the biggest impact.

When done well, referral marketing connects you with prospective patients and helps you build trust. Patients seeking care can turn to referral sources for greater peace of mind.

However, home health referral marketing can be challenging. Unlike paid ads or SEO strategy, you’re not always in control of how your brand is represented. But you can encourage patient recommendations in the right places — such as popular home health care referral sites.

Understanding the Power of Referral Sites 

Home health referral sites are often the first port of call for families seeking care. These third-party sites have enormous reach. Care.com, for example, boasts over 19 million users seeking care services. 

A home care provider profile on the most popular home care referral sites will give you greater visibility among families and patients seeking care. 

Referral sites don’t just connect you with prospective patients, however. They also help establish you as a reputable home health care agency. For users, positive reviews on these sites are signs of trusted providers. This social proof reassures families that they’re entrusting the care of their loved ones to a company with a track record of positive care. 

Plus, home health referral marketing is a low-effort, high-reward strategy. As such, it deserves to be in any home care agency marketing plan. All you need to do is set up your profile, encourage positive reviews, and wait.

Top Home Care Referral Sites

1. Care.com

Care.com says they are the world’s largest online home care lead referral site, and while we can’t fact-check its data, it’s clear that a home care agency profile on this site will expose your brand to a huge number of potential clients.

Signing up to Care.com is relatively quick and easy, although you’ll have to wait for their background check, CareCheck, to be completed before your profile is public. Once that’s complete, you can apply for listed jobs by messaging families, being reviewed, and receiving service requests. As a freemium subscription service, some features are only available to paying agencies.

2. A Place for Mom

A Place for Mom is better known for its assisted living facilities, but it’s also used by families and patients seeking home and local community care. The company states it helps 300,000+ families connect with care providers each year.

Your free business profile on A Place for Mom will include information about your services, prices, and customer reviews. Visit their Partner Central to learn more about the signup process and get started. 

A Place for Mom can act as a go-between for you and prospective patients. While this might result in less admin work for your team, note that you will have to pay a fee for each client you sign on through them. 

3. Caring.com

Caring.com’s directory features home care agencies, home healthcare agencies, care homes, and senior apartments. Your free profile can include details of your services and reviews that you can respond to. To get listed, fill out their form here.

This site says it has 12,000+ monthly care leads. However, with agencies charged a bid price for leads, you may end up paying for referrals that don’t result in client conversions.

4. Aging Care

Aging Care is a directory and forum dedicated to senior care services. Unlike other options on this list, your profile won’t feature any reviews.

Once you’re listed on the site, Aging Care representatives will connect you with patients and families seeking care. Your profile is free, but you’ll be charged $55 per lead.

5. Care In Homes

Care In Homes is a home care directory with an additional client-agency matching service. They report having 500,000+ unique website visitors and a 5–15% conversion rate on email referrals.

While your publicly visible profile in the directory is free, the matching service has an average client acquisition cost of $250–450 as well as a $365 starting deposit.

6. Accredited Home Health Care 

If you’ve undergone the process of accreditation, then you can register on Accredited Home Health Care’s directory for free. The basic profile includes your home care agency name and phone number. 

For additional details and greater promotion, you’ll need to pay annual rates starting from $900. The website does not provide information about how many users it has or the average number of leads you can expect.

For a more in-depth guide covering all aspects of marketing your home care agency, read this article next: The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Your Home Care Agency.

Growing Your Business with the Power of Positive Referrals

Referral sources increase your brand’s visibility, helping connect you with thousands of prospective patients that might not otherwise come across your home care business. 

Thanks to positive reviews from other clients, they also establish you as a reputable agency that delivers high-quality care services. They create a relationship of trust between you and families seeking care.

Adding your profile to home health care referral sites is a relatively simple process. For maximum reach, utilize various referral sources and encourage satisfied clients to share their opinion.

Of course, patient satisfaction is at the heart of any successful referral marketing strategy. You’ll see better reviews and greater numbers of referrals when your current clients feel valued, listened to, and adequately cared for.

ShiftCare’s home care software helps your agency make patient care quality a priority. With client-caregiver matching, patient documentation management, and scheduling features, it has the tools you need to provide person-centered care. And thanks to the client-facing portal, ShiftCare Connect, your clients will always feel heard. Try ShiftCare for free.