If you run a vet clinic and spend money on social media, ads or flyers, one question tells you which of them is wasting it: “How did you find us?” Ask it every time a new client books, write the answer down, and in about two months you will know where your new clients really come from.
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Here is the full version, with the exact wording to use and a tracker you can set up in ten minutes.
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One page. Print it or download it as a spreadsheet.
Why most clinics decide this blind
Money goes to Instagram posts, a Google Ads budget, printed flyers, maybe a sponsored listing. The reports that come back show likes, clicks and reach. None of those tells you how many new clients booked an appointment because of it.
So when money gets tight, the cut falls on whichever channel looks weakest on its own report. That is not the same as the channel that books the fewest appointments.
The real risk is cutting the quiet channel that works. Here is an illustration, not data from any clinic. Say your Instagram account gets plenty of likes, while most of your actual bookings come from people who found your listing on Google Maps and phoned. The Instagram report looks great and nobody is checking the Maps listing. Cut the wrong one and the phone goes quiet, and you will not know why.
The one question
Ask “How did you find us?” at the first contact. That might be the phone call, the online booking form or the front desk. A few rules keep the answers useful.
- Ask early. At booking the client remembers. At the visit they are busy with their pet and will say whatever comes to mind.
- Ask it openly. Do not read out a list. Let them answer in their own words, then tick the closest category yourself.
- Add one follow-up. “Was there anything else that helped you decide?” This catches the friend who recommended you after the client had already seen your reviews.
- Keep it to the source. This is a marketing question. Never use it to collect health details.
A simple way to say it on the phone: “Just so we thank the right people, how did you hear about us?”
The tracker: five columns, ten minutes
You do not need software to start. A shared sheet or a paper log at the front desk is enough. I built the tracker with only five columns so a busy front desk can fill it in without stopping to think.
| Date | New client (first name or booking ID) | How they found you | Anything else that helped | Booked? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov | Example | Google Maps | A friend recommended you | Yes |
For the “how they found you” column, use a short fixed list so the counts add up:
- Google search
- Google Maps or reviews
- Referral from a friend or another vet
- Instagram or Facebook
- Flyer or local print
- Walk-by or sign
- Other
Put one person in charge of it. The tracker only works if every new client gets counted, so make the question a required field in your booking process, not something the team has to remember.
⚡ 2-minute scorecard · instant result
Is your veterinary practice website turning searches into booked visits?
Answer 5 quick questions. Get your score + the top fixes, free.
1. Can a pet owner book an appointment online without phoning?
2. Does each main service, such as wellness exams, dental care and urgent care, have its own page?
3. Is your Google Business Profile complete, with current hours, services and recent photos?
4. Do you ask every client for a Google review after a visit?
5. Do you answer calls and messages within a few minutes in opening hours, with a clear plan for after hours?
Reading it after six to eight weeks
Count the answers in each category, then divide by your total new clients. This is an example: if 20 new clients came in over two months and 6 said Google Maps, that is 30%.
Then set each channel next to what it costs you each month. If a channel brings a small share of your new clients and takes a large share of your budget, you have a decision to make. If it brings a large share for very little, you have found something to protect.
A caution on small numbers. With only 10 new clients, a single answer moves a category by 10 points. Wait until each category has more than a handful of clients, and look at more than one month before you act.
If “Other” is more than about a sixth of your answers, your categories are missing something. Read what people said and add a new row to the list.
You can cross-check the Google Maps answers against Google’s own numbers. Once your profile is verified, its Performance report shows calls (taps on the call button), direction requests and website clicks, and if you link the profile to Google Analytics those figures cover the last 6 months, according to Google’s Business Profile help. Treat them as a cross-check, not a replacement, because a tap on the call button is not the same as a booked client.
Four traps that make the tracker lie
- “Google” is too wide. Google Ads, organic search, your Maps listing and your reviews do different jobs. Keep them apart.
- Referrals are often primed. A friend mentions you, but the client had already seen your Instagram. Use the follow-up column to record both.
- Counting calls instead of booked clients. A phone call that never became an appointment is not a new client.
- The front desk skips it on busy days. Missing answers bias your counts. Make it part of the booking script and check the log weekly.
What to do with what you learn
- Keep what books clients, even if its report looks dull. A listing that quietly fills the schedule beats a post that gets praise.
- Test before you cut. Lower a channel’s budget for a month and watch the tracker. Do not remove it outright on one set of numbers.
- Change one thing at a time. If you change three channels at once, you will not know which change did what.
- Fix the leaks before you buy more traffic. If people find you but calls go unanswered or the booking form is hard to use on a phone, more traffic only fills a leaking bucket. My guide to getting more veterinary clients covers the usual leaks.
Questions clinic owners ask
What if clients say they do not remember? Write “Do not remember” and ask the follow-up question. If that answer is more than a quarter of your entries, move the question earlier in the booking process.
Do I need call tracking software? Not to start. A paper log answers the first question. Call tracking can come later, once the numbers justify it.
How many clients before I can trust it? There is no magic number. Wait until each category has more than a handful of clients, and look across at least two months.
Is this only for paid marketing? No. It covers everything, including word of mouth, which no marketing report will ever show you.
Want the one-page version?
I put the question wording and the tracker on a single sheet you can hand to your front desk. It is free, and you do not need to sign up for anything.
Get the free tracker
One page. Print it or download it as a spreadsheet.
The short scorecard on this page shows where a clinic most often loses new clients before they ever call. It takes about two minutes, and you see your score straight away.
I am Mandeep Singh, founder of Sprout Sage Solutions. I have spent over ten years in digital marketing and built 450 websites. If you want a second opinion on where your marketing money goes, you can book a free 30-minute call.
This is a marketing guide for clinic owners and managers. It is not veterinary or medical advice.
