We are all aware that in our competitive world, the internet is the primary way that people now search for goods and services. In 2013 the total number of Google searches was 2.0287 trillion. When looking for a service we will use a search engine, browse a number of sites and read reviews before making informed choices about how to spend our money.
To ensure that dental practices are spending their budget effectively many order equipment or supplies online and compare prices frequently. It has never been easier; we can type a word into a search engine and browse a medley of sites which allow us to easily evaluate prices. So it makes sense to promote and boost business with an online presence to enable potential patients to do the same.
Some dental practices may feel that they do not need to have a website and spend their marketing budgets on other advertisement means which are not nearly so fruitful. Websites are without doubt the most cost effective way of marketing within dentistry. For the best value for money, practices need to find a way of attracting and converting patients as well as keeping them interested. When this is successful these patients then become the greatest promotional asset of all, by recommending the practice by word of mouth.
An informative website provides the initial attraction and interest and a website offer is much better value than printing brochures, hiring a PR agency or placing adverts in a newspaper or magazine. A successful website should ensure that practices are engaging the right people in the right place. They should be designed to deliver high quality content in an eye-catching manner.
There are a number of techniques that can be implemented to transform a website visitor into a potential patient. It is advisable to employ techniques to increase the relevance of the material supplied, by filtering specific areas of interest from potential patients. In order to capture leads and to increase the potential of converting, a patient may be asked to complete an online survey, questionnaire or receive a newsletter. This enables contact details to be collected and identifies specific areas of interest, which can be gathered and transformed using a lead management system. Follow up messages and additional value campaigns can also be utilised to maintain interest and generate further custom. Lifestyle Marketing state that using automation to deliver content and nurture leads can deliver a 45 per cent increase in qualified leads.
Introducing an online giveaway or a special offer is an effective way of attracting patients and building a relationship. The offer of free children’s check ups or a free product sample is a simple but effective methods of gaining interest. This leads to return visits and fuller appointment books. Testimonials, reviews and referrals can be encouraged online, by offering incentives that also increase business growth as well as the reputation of the practice.
Another useful online tool is ‘discoverability marketing’ where a product or service is made easie for potential customers to find when they are actively searching or have demonstrated a need for them. This is less intrusive than interruption marketing, which is often in the form of a pop up advertisement or banner delaying the user’s selected content. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is an effective way of utilising discoverability marketing to rank a practice website higher on search engine results pages than their competitors. It is possible to alter elements of the website and use key words to improve the SEO and become more noticeable when a potential patient is researching dental practices, treatments and services.
Contextual advertising can also be employed to present patients with advertisements based on their recent browsing behaviour. For example, if an individual reads an article about teeth whitening they are presented with a dental practice advertisement on the same page.
Whichever method is chosen it is vital that practices ensure that their website engages with patients productively. To ensure that it is successful the website also must be well managed and maintained meticulously. It is essential that the website is run smoothly to make sure there are no dissatisfied visitors and it is kept updated to remain relevant and correct. More importantly, it is essential to employ a reliable lead management system to take advantage of the data and information collected online. To help dental practices to fully enhance their website experts, such as Dental Focus, can support and advise on all aspects of online marketing.
As each year passes technology moves on and people find more advanced ways to make their lives easier. Phone books no longer provide patients with sufficient information and more and more people automatically use websites
instead. Information about a dental practice such as opening hours, treatments, location and fees can be found quickly on a practice website, but are unavailable in the limited space of a phonebook. Dental practices need to become web wise to take full advantage of the power of the internet and reap the most cost effective rewards from their marketing budget.