Interview: ‘An online presence is not a luxury anymore’

We hear millions of visitors search online for dentists every month. How important is it for a dentist to have an online presence?
An online presence is not a luxury anymore. It used to be that all people expected to see about you online was your phone number or directions to your office. Now having a website is as important as having a business card.

Why is the look of a website so important?
When a patient is searching the Internet for a dentist, the only piece of information he or she has is the website. Fair or not, that is how your practice is judged. So it is very important that your website reflects a professional image.

How can a website stand out?
These days, in each area there are several websites that compete for patient’s attention. There are many similarities between dental websites, so you want to find something that makes you stand out. For example, you don’t want to use a template based system that generates designs that are exactly the same. You want to make sure your design is exclusive to your area. Also, you want to offer features that are unique, such as patient education videos, spokespersons or a video introduction.

Is it possible to appear on search engines quickly?
Yes, the most reliable form of marketing online is pay-per-click advertisement. There are thousands of SEO companies out there, but you want to work with one that can guarantee results. I personally would avoid any form of obligation or contracts. A company that is confident of results would allow clients to cancel a program that does not work for them.

What is local listing?
All major search engines offer an interactive map. As part of this service, they offer a business listing that connects businesses to their locations on the map. They also allow business such as dental offices to claim these listings and optimize them for their potential patients. This is a tool that should be used by every dentist.

Why are videos and other multimedia features being used more often on websites?
Research has shown that most website visitors do not read content on the website, especially on their initial site visit. This makes the role of multimedia features such as video very important. You can capture the attention of these potential patients with a high-quality production very quickly and help in forming a favorable opinion of your practice in matter of minutes.

Which search engines are the most important?
As most of your readers know, Google has the most prominent presence among online search engines. Yet, that also means other major search engines such as Bing and Yahoo! offer opportunities that may be overlooked by some of your competitors. In other words, because most people focus on Google to attract visitors to their websites, the costs per visitor on Google networks are higher than on other search engines. So while the number of total visitors coming from Google may be higher, the cost-per-lead on other search engine networks may be lower.

Is it important to offer promotions to online visitors?
It depends. If your goal is to convert the maximum number of visitors to patients of record, you do want to offer as much as you can in terms of promotions. If your goal is a more long-term image-building plan, then the focus should be on the quality services you offer as opposed to quick conversions.

What is the best way of capturing patient information online?
A website contact form is a great tool to capture visitor information that can be used to reach out to a prospective patient. You want to make the form very visible and easy to complete. Require only the minimum amount of information and, if you can, offer an incentive for the potential patient to complete the form.

What is a common mistake dentists make when it comes to website design and marketing?
I would say expecting immediate results. Just like any other marketing method, it takes time to find the necessary exposure online. Prospective patients need to see you more than just once before they are ready to trust their dental health to you. Website design and marketing has to have both long-term and short-term goals and planning to be successful.

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