By understanding the latest digital marketing trends, your dental practice can leverage new technologies to reach a wider audience and improve patient engagement. This knowledge will give you an online advantage that will retain existing patients, and attract new patients from a wealth of new website visitors. Whether you are a small dental practice or a large clinic, we’re going to give you 11 top tips to boost your online presence and get ahead of the competition, in order to grow your patient base.
1. Free up the phone lines by adding appointment scheduling to your website
Online scheduling is a crucial tool for any dental practice looking to streamline its operations and enhance its patient experience. By allowing your patients to book their own appointments, you can save time, reduce workload, and improve patient satisfaction. Not only will your patients be able to find a convenient day and time using real-time availability, but they’ll also be able to do it from any location!
An online scheduling system will eliminate the need for appointment-booking phone calls, voicemails, or emails, which can be time-consuming and frustrating for both the patient and the dental staff. Then, once an initial appointment has been booked, scheduling software can send automated reminders to patients, reducing the number of no-shows, and allowing your staff to better manage their time. It could eliminate the possibility of your staff overbooking, or double-booking appointments too!
2. Add a ‘patient resources’ page to your website
A patient resources page can help patients feel informed and empowered when it comes to their dental health. They will be able to access PDF educational leaflets and the forms they need to fill in prior to their visit, helping you to make your appointment times shorter.
Plus, this valuable resource depository should attract more website traffic, which will have a knock-on effect on your SEO, pushing your website higher up the search engine rankings. And the consequences of this should be more people finding your website when they put dental treatments and concerns into search.
3. Encourage more online reviews to gain trust and authority
As you already know, a dental practice’s online reputation and credibility are judged by their reviews. Patients rely heavily on reviews to make informed decisions about their healthcare providers, and dentists who have positive reviews, are more likely to attract new patients. Reviews are important! But how do you get more reviews? Patients are more likely to leave a review if the process is quick and easy.
Why not do a performance audit on the review section of your website, to check you’ve done everything possible to make it as easy as possible for patients to leave kind words about your services? These efforts won’t just be rewarded with enhanced patient trust in your dental abilities, but also better SEO. Positive reviews can improve your dental practice’s rankings in the search results, making your website more visible to potential patients.
4. Update your website with a makeover
Your dental practice website is likely to be the first point of contact between potential patients and you. So are you doing all you can to ensure your website encourages enquiries and appointment scheduling? The following features are a must-have of any modern dental website:
- Modern, simple design that is easy to navigate and shows off your USP
- Mobile responsive browser to appeal to the increasing number of people who access websites through their smartphones
- Clear and concise information about the dental services offered, including pricing, hours of operation, and appointment booking options
- Patient testimonials; as these can help build trust and credibility with potential patients
- A blog section that includes informative and engaging content related to dental health, which can help establish your practice as an authority in its field
- A prominent call to action button or form that encourages visitors to make an appointment or contact the dental practice for more information
A new look for your website can help increase the online visibility of your practice and attract new patients.
5. Perform a social media audit
Social media can be an effective way to promote your dental practice, build brand awareness, and attract new patients. But does your social media strategy align with your business goals? Let’s check the efforts you’re putting into your posts aren’t being wasted on the wrong audience, or providing content that’s not relevant.
Firstly, you’ll need to determine whether the social media platforms you post on, are still where you’ll find your target audience. Then, consistency is key. You’ll need to post regularly and respond to comments promptly. This will show you care about your patients.
As for the sort of content you’re sharing – you should ensure it’s engaging and informative, as well as showcasing your expertise. Why not share oral health tips, success stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your practice. Visuals, such as images and videos, can significantly increase engagement and reach.
6. Make better use of video marketing
We know that audiences engage heavily with the video format, but what films should you be sharing? Videos that demonstrate various dental procedures, share patient testimonials, and introduce your trusted dental team, can all get great results. These videos can be embedded on your dental practice’s website and shared on your social media channels.
You could also educate your audience about oral health, hygiene, and care, to position yourself as an expert in your field. There is no better way to demonstrate that you are a thought leader in your industry than to showcase your technical abilities and the patient experience that can be expected from your services.
7. Share team photos on social media
Let your patients see the faces behind the practice and get to know your team on a personal level. This can help to create a sense of trust and loyalty between your patients, and your practice. It’s also a way to showcase your dental practice’s unique culture and values.
We know from experience that sharing photos of your dental team, and meeting the team posts on social media channels can help to increase engagement and reach on social media. This is because these types of posts receive higher levels of engagement, such as likes, comments, and shares. This, in turn, can help increase your practice’s online visibility and attract new patients, who may not have heard of you otherwise.
8. Social media page ads are still relevant
One of the key advantages of using social media paid ads is the ability to target specific demographics and grow your brand awareness. With advanced targeting options, dental practices can reach people who are most likely to become their patients. This allows them to create cost-effective customised ads that speak directly to their target audience, increasing their chances of conversion.
You’ll be able to track and measure the success of each ad in order to tweak it if it’s failing to get the results you want. Social media platforms can track metrics such as impressions, clicks, and conversions, and use this data to optimise their ads for better results.
9. Google ads are still relevant too!
Google Ads is a pay-per-click advertising platform that can help you reach potential patients who are actively searching for dental services in your area online. They are more expensive than social media ads but likely to get you more sales. Google ads also allow you to track your ad performance and adjust as needed.
10. Adopting local SEO best practices
Local SEO helps your practice to be visible online to potential patients who are searching for dental services in your local area. By optimising your website for local SEO, you can improve your search engine ranking and reach out to the right audience nearby. It makes it easier for potential patients to find you.
To make the most of local SEO, dental practices should focus on optimising their websites for local keywords. Then, when your practice appears at the top of the local search engine results page, it sends a message to potential patients that your practice is the most reputable, and trustworthy one in the area.
11. Studying your digital marketing analytics has never been so important!
By analysing your online marketing analytics, you can gain valuable insight into your audience’s behaviour, preferences, and needs. This information can help you tailor your marketing strategies to better reach and engage with your target audience. It could also help you identify areas where your marketing efforts may fall short, and make necessary modifications to improve your results.
Get a little help with your online dental marketing
If implementing and analysing digital marketing trends and results fills you with horror because you would rather be focusing on teeth, improving your dental skills, and building the practical side of your dental business, why not hire a dental marketing professional?
We are a market leader in creating and implementing effective, dental marketing strategies that will help your practice stand out from the competition. We understand the unique challenges that come from promoting dental services, as well as how to create compelling content that will resonate with your target audience.
From creating engaging social media posts to optimising your website for search engines, we can help you reach more potential dental patients and increase your revenue. Get in touch if you’d like a little support with the online side of your business.