The Power of Testimonials

June 15, 2020
internet dental marketing, Internet Marketing, Online Reviews

Here’s an experiment you might want to try: the next time you have a new patient come in for a checkup, ask what made them schedule the appointment with your practice. It almost certainly was not an arbitrary choice, and probably had something to do with reading your online reviews.

shutterstock_1011918616_edit_01There is no overstating it: online reviews matter. Encouraging your existing patients to share their thoughts about you online should be a big part of your marketing strategy. Study after study bears out how effective online reviews and testimonials are.

A Big Difference

The numbers vary slightly depending on the source, but they all tell the same story: online reviews can make a big difference.

  • 72 percent of patients say positive online reviews and testimonials give them more confidence in a practice
  • 88 percent trust online reviews as much as the recommendations of friends
  • 92 percent of consumers read online reviews and testimonials when looking for goods and services, like dentists

Not only do positive online reviews influence potential new patients, they also influence Google search results. The importance of that, too, cannot be overstated. Google recognizes review sites and gives them great weight. The more positive reviews you have, the higher you will rank.

Encouragement

So how do you get these coveted reviews? Well, it’s a funny thing. Even though most people read online reviews, and value them, most don’t bother to write any themselves. Even the patients who are happy with you are not likely to share their experience online.

shutterstock_100184054_edit_01That means you have to encourage them. Providing great services is an excellent first step.

Beyond that:

  • Always ask how an appointment went. This can invite feedback, and lead a patient to write a review.
  • Ask for a review. The direct approach can work! If it feels funny to ask, send a follow-up text message or email within a day or two of the appointment, inviting the patient’s valued opinion.
  • Make it easy. If you send an email or text, be sure to include a link to your online profile, such as Facebook and Google My Business.

Don’t worry: help is available. ProspectaMarketing is an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices and the tools of Internet search marketing. We help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

Market Your Practice Online

June 1, 2020
internet dental marketing, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Uncategorized

Dental practices need a steady flow of new patients in order to remain profitable. With so much competition out there, and so much business now being conducted online, an effective digital marketing is essential.

shutterstock_527776330_edit_01Whether they are looking for a new dentist or scheduling an appointment with their current one, the Internet is the primary tool people use. That simple fact cuts across all demographics: from Generation-X to Baby Boomers, virtually everyone interacts online.

Digital marketing is the way that dental practices an connect with their patients.

New Patients

Google is far and away the most common Internet search engine, processing more than three billion searches every single day. That includes people looking for a dentist near their homes.

Digital marketing practices include:

  • SEO. Search Engine Optimization is a way of driving new traffic to your dental practice website, and converting site visitors into patients. By optimizing your online presence, you get visitors more likely to become your patients.
  • PPC. Pay per Click is another way to bring new visitors to your site. They arrive there by clicking on advertisements that link back to the site.
  • Content Marketing. The content on your website offers value to site visitors. Embedded videos, blogs, and other content has useful information that helps generate interest in your practice.
  • Social Media. Nearly everyone is on Facebook, and other social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Get the attention of patients and potential patients by publishing interesting and useful content on your social media profiles.

These and other digital marketing strategies can increase your website and social media visitors, leading to new patients and increased revenues. ProspectaMarketing is an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices and the tools of Internet search marketing. We help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

Picture This: Your GMB Listing

May 15, 2020
Dental marketing, internet dental marketing, Internet Marketing

shutterstock_284500400Google My Business is an essential marketing tool for any small business, whether it’s a pizza place, a plumber, or a dental practice. It’s a free service that makes it easy to put relevant information in front of local Internet users. For dentists, it’s where future patients are likely to first encounter you and what you have to offer.

With Google My Business (GMB) you’re able to set up a profile with information like the services you provide, how new patients can reach you, and your location and office hours. This data shows up in search results, and it’s very effective: studies show that about fifty-three percent of people who do local searches on Google visit the places they find within a couple of days.

Trust the Pictures

A famous photographer once said he doesn’t trust words, he trusts pictures. Pictures are an important part of your GMB listing, and the higher the quality of your pictures, the more effective they’ll be.

If you or a staff member is a dedicated shutterbug, take advantage of that. Otherwise, consider hiring a professional to shoot well-framed, well-lit, high resolution pictures. The Google algorithm is more likely to prefer and choose these over amateur photographs.

The photos you upload to GMB should include the following:

  • Exterior photos. Exterior shots make it easier for people to find your office. Use several of these, taken from different directions and at different times of day.
  • Interior photos. You see your office every day. Get pictures that show it from a patient’s point of view, with an accent on atmosphere.
  • Team photos. Have plenty of shots of your staff, from those at the front end to the hygienists and dental assistants in examination rooms. A group shot is also recommended. Let everyone’s personality shine through, and remember to say cheese!

As a best practice, your GMB photos should be optimized with keywords in the filename and tagged in  the right category. For example, don’t upload a picture called IMG_001.JPG. Instead, rename it checkup.JPG.

High-quality GMB pictures are important to marketing your practice, but you don’t have to go it alone. ProspectaMarketing is an experienced Internet marketing firm; we understand how to most effectively use Google My Business. We specialize in dental practices and use the tools of Internet search marketing to help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

Can You Remove Bad Online Reviews?

May 1, 2020
internet dental marketing, Local Internet Marketing, Online Reviews

shutterstock_1639352191Online reviews have never been more important to small businesses. Almost everyone reads them, and almost everyone is influenced by them. Healthcare providers, including dental practices, are among the small businesses for which the most reviews are read.

According to one survey, ninety-two percent of consumers read online reviews before deciding whether to part with their hard-earned money. Probably because they are written by ordinary people, these reviews do more to influence a business’s reputation than anything else. Most people trust them as much, if not more, as the recommendations of family and friends.

In terms of global traffic, Google and Yelp are among the Internet’s top review platforms. More than half of all consumers, in fact, visit a business within forty-eight hours of Googling them.

Bad Reviews

You can’t please everyone, and bad reviews are going to happen now and then. It’s important to always keep that in mind. Remember too that, as we have written elsewhere on this blog, there are actually benefits to an occasional negative review.

One bad review isn’t much to worry about, but they are never to be taken lightly. Most negative reviews are driven by financial or billing issues. Sometimes customer reviews cross a line: they are grossly unfair or even untrue, and written by someone with an axe to grind. To make matters worse, there are companies trying to take advantage of that: they’ll offer to remove bad reviews for a fee – in order, they usually say, to protect your online reputation.

If you are approached by a company promising to remove any bad reviews, take a pass. Such offers are at best unreliable and at worst deceitful. Your online reputation does matter, and promoting and protecting it is a subject in and of itself. But it is virtually impossible, in most cases, for a third party to remove – that is, to permanently delete – a regular bad online review from a legitimate patient.

What You Can Do

The platforms that provide customer reviews want to present information you can trust: opinions that are honest and authentic. Google and Yelp both have strict policies about review content, and will delete any that deviate from them, such as:

  • Abusive reviews
  • Reviews from current or past employees
  • Fake reviews
  • Unsolicited commercial content (spam)

Removing a review can be an uphill battle, but it can be done – especially when the facts are on your side.

ProspectaMarketing is an experienced Internet marketing firm; we understand Google and Yelp review policies, and know when it’s worthwhile to fight to remove negative reviews. We specialize in dental practices and use the tools of Internet search marketing to help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

Online Video: A Must For Your Practice

April 15, 2020
internet dental marketing, Local Internet Marketing, Video

Lights, camera, action!

You may not associate those words with your dental practice, but you probably should. Video is becoming more critcial to online marketing every day, and potential new patients visiting your website expect it. If you don’t take advantage of that, you’re going to start looking outdated.

shutterstock_311825123_resizedIf you’re skeptical, consider this: eighty percent of all content consumed on the Internet is in the form of video! That doesn’t mean you have to create a summer blockbuster for your site. It does mean that video is a golden opportunity for your practice to strut its stuff.

For example: you can create a video library on your site with half a dozen or so short videos. Engage site visitors by presenting your office as a friendly, welcoming place. Explain procedures and answer common questions. Make the videos short and easy to understand, and customized to your practice.

The benefits to this include establishing you as an authority, which in turn boosts your online reputation. It also improves your ranking in search engine results. You’ll gain new patients and retain current ones.

This is not an expensive or time-consuming strategy, either. None of it needs to be fancy. You probably already have most of what you need: a smartphone that shoots video, and has simple editing software on it. Enlist someone in your office to shoot and edit the footage. As you all get more comfortrable with making them, improve your videos by watching production tutorials on YouTube.

With a little thought, producing fun and informative videos for your site will engage your patients and yield a positive return. ProspectaMarketing is an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices. We use the tools of Internet search marketing to help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

Social Media and Dentistry

March 16, 2020
internet dental marketing, Social Media

Chances are you are using social media in your dental practice, at least to some degree. Are you using it to its fullest potential? Not all dental practices do – and that amounts to wasted opportunity.

shutterstock_1191153421You may think of social media as a harmless diversion; a way to pass the time on interesting but not very important subjects. The reality is that people enjoy seeing off-topic posts from dentists. Social media can help you find new patients, and retain them for years to come.

“Social media” is, of course, an umbrella term that refers to numerous platforms. But surveys show that Facebook is, by far, the dominant force. Most dental practices have a Facebook presence, and some even allow their patients to use it to request an appointment.

One study says that for some practices, Facebook directs as many new patients their way as does conventional word-of-mouth.

Content

And what sort of content is being posted by dental practices? You might think that another article reminding people to have a checkup twice a year would receive a collective yawn. Yet seventy-eight percent of what dental practices are posting, across the board, is dentistry-related.

That said, it is also true that people – that is, your would-be patients – love to see that it’s mostly ordinary people who work in dental offices. The topics that dental practices post about commonly include:

  • Office news and information (56%)
  • Special offers and coupons (42%)
  • Patient photos (38%)
  • Fun, non-dental posts (34%)

As we have stressed elsewhere on this blog, social media has grown tremendously in recent years. But it is still a fairly new tool – especially where dental practices are concerned. It may seem like a brave new world, but ProspectaMarketing can help. We are an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices. We use the tools of Internet search marketing to help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

Social Media, Social Practice

March 2, 2020
internet dental marketing, Local Internet Marketing, Social Media

Your patients are already using social media: in today’s world, that is a given. If your dental practice is not leveraging the power of social media to communicate with patients, you are overlooking at powerful tool.

shutterstock_1020407980_resizedAlmost everyone spends at least part of their day on social media. Eighty percent of Americans have at least one social profile, and for most people, especially younger ones, social media is baked into their daily routine. Some people reach for their phones to check their feeds as soon as they wake up every morning. Sound familiar?

Furthermore, social media apps are the most-used applications on mobile devices. Social media has tremendous value to your practice. You can use it to:

  • Let patients book appointments
  • Send out reminders
  • Ask questions
  • Ask for help

And that’s just for starters. Social media is already important for marketing your practice, and its importance is only going to increase in the years ahead.

Your practice should have someone whose job description includes monitoring your social media channels every day, looking for any comments and requests.

Being Social

Remember  to keep  the “social” in social media, too. Your practice should be active on the major sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. You can share dental health tips with users, and be active in online community groups.

Ephemeral content remains popular, too, and will continue to do so. Ephemeral content is content has a now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t quality, like what you see on Snapchat and Instagram. It takes advantage of the way people consume content, and a phenomenon called “FOMO.” That stands for Fear of Missing Out. When new content vanishes quickly, users are likely to check in to the app on a regular basis.

It can be a complex strategy, but ProspectaMarketing can help. We are an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices. We use the tools of Internet search marketing to help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

Let’s Watch A Video!

February 3, 2020
Dental marketing, internet dental marketing

For your dental practice to remain competitive in today’s market, it’s essential to stay on top of current marketing trends. Doing so will help you draw in new patients, and thrive.

shutterstock_327361349_resizedOne of the most important is a video strategy: that is, high quality video content on your practice website. That does not mean you’ll need to hire an expensive video crew, or buy a lot of fancy equipment. All you really need is a smartphone and some video editing software.

You may be wondering: Why? It’s a fair question. The short answer is also rather jarring: a whopping eighty percent of the content consumed by Internet users is video. There is no better way to reach potential patients.

And what sort of videos? It can range from basic to informative.  Really basic stuff is useful: employees in your office and scenes of various procdures are a good start. Patient testimonials are extremely effecitve, too. You’ll need the permission of any patients who might appear, of course. Chances are that some will be flattered, and happy to help.

For informative videos, draw on your professional expertise. You can answer common questions about different procedures, tools, and techniques, and offer dental health tips. Ask a hygienist to describe what goes on during a cleaning.

The finished video doesn’t need to look like something you might see on television: just string together a series of interesting shots, add some music, and you’ve got something special. Video editing software is simple to use, and there are plenty of YouTube tutorials to help get you started.

ProspectaMarketing can get you started. We are an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices. We use the tools of Internet search marketing to help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

Mobile or Desktop?

December 16, 2019
internet dental marketing, Local Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization

It has long been an article of faith that consumers turn to their mobile devices first, when they do local online searches. Whether it’s a dental practice or a dry cleaner, we use smart phones and tablets to find them. But a new study is calling this conventional wisdom into question.

Woman Using ComputerThe study by Ignite Visibility, a digital marketing agency, said that fifty-nine percent of their respondents still prefer searching on their desktop computers over a mobile device. Only 17.9 percent would rather tap on their phones.

Those numbers drop even more when it comes to using a voice search, like Siri or Google Assistant. Ignite Visiblity reports that a scant six percent use that feature.

These are surprising numbers, since the use of mobile devices in organic search engine visits has risen steadily since at least 2013. Voice search, too, continues to grow in popularity. Why is the Ignite Visiblity study showing a preference for desktop search? The answer may be in its demographics.

About five hundred people took part their survey. Of those, about ninety percent  were over fifty-five. “Less than 2% of respondents [in the Ignite Visibility study] were under age 35,” reports SearchEngineLand, which reviewed the survey. “It’s safe to say there are material differences between user behaviors of different generations.”

The importance of mobile devices to local search and purchases remains strong. Local businesses, including dental practices, must create websites that are optimized for smartphones and tablets. This should not be considered a luxury.

Voice search, too, continues to improve and has growing influence.

The digital marketplace is complex and ever-changing. ProspectaMarketing is an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices. We use the tools of Internet search marketing to help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

Encouraging Positive Reviews

November 15, 2019
internet dental marketing, Online Reviews, Search Engine Optimization

The online reviews of your dental patients are a critical factor in the profitability of your practice. The more you have, the higher your practice will rank in search engine results, and the higher you rank in search engine results, the more prospective patients will find out about you.

Dentist wearing mask holding medical equipment

Sounds simple enough. So, what can you do to encourage your current patients to leave you an online review?

Many small businesses take the direct approach. Retail outlets, in particular, are known for this. How many times have you been handed a receipt, with a URL highlighted in yellow? The clerk asks you to visit the site and leave your comments.

For a dental practice, it isn’t that simple, due to the nature of daily operations.

Positive Reviews

Survey after survey has  borne out the importance of positive online reviews. The vast majority of people responding to these surveys acknowledge that positive reviews influence their decision on whether to buy a certain product, eat at a certain restaurant – or visit a particular dental practice.

  • Ninety percent read them before visiting a business
  • Eighty-eight percent trust them as much as personal recommendations
  • Seventy-two percent are more likely to trust a business with positive reviews

But you can’t hand a patient a receipt with yellow highlights on it. Or can you?

Well, maybe not a receipt with yellow highlights. But whenever you finish an appointment, especially with one that has gone well, you can ask the patient to go online and leave a review.

If you don’t care for the direct approach (we don’t) then there are alternatives.

  • Followup Email. Send patients a post-apppointment email that asks how their experience was. Include a link to review sites, and ask them for their comments. The key here is to send this email within a day or so of the appointment.
  • Make the process easy. Even if it only takes a few minutes, you’re asking patients to take the time to go online and say nice things about you. Keep your post-appointment email short and to the point, and remember to say thank-you!
  • Choose wisely. There are tons of review sites out there. The inclincation may be to go straight to Yelp, but don’t forget Google My Business, Healthgrades, Zocdoc, or Dentistry.com.

All of this flows, of course, from the exceptional care you provide. That helps give your patients the incentive they need.

Don’t Fret

When you ask your patients for reviews, you always run the risk of a patient writing a negative one. Positive reviews are important, but as we have noted elsewhere on this blog, you can benefit from the occasional negative comment.

Too many positive reviews may not seem right. For one thing, nobody’s perfect. For another, if you see nothing but positive reviews it could suggest the numbers are cooked.

Don’t fret the occasional bad review. They’re inevitable.

Does all this sound complicated? ProspectaMarketing is an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices. We use the tools of Internet search marketing to help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.

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