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There’s a lot to be learned from reading what people are writing about your practice online. Have you met their dental care needs? Is your staff friendly and efficient? Is the office clean? These are among the things that matter most to your patients and would-be patients; they influence whether they’ll call you to schedule an appointment.

Most people trust Google reviews as much or more than they do the opinions of family and friends. We all look at them before deciding whether to spend our money on anything from a neighborhood dry cleaner to a local dentist.

What Online Reviews Tell Us

A new study shows that there are four basic areas, or topics, that people are concerned with when they write an online review. Conducted by the SEO company Sterling Sky, the topics it identifies are a business’s owner, its staff, its properties, and its services.

  • Owner. This is especially true for dentists, since they work with patients one-on-one. What patients pay most attention to is your chairside manner: whether you listen and respond to their concerns.
  • Staff. Your staff is the first direct interaction patients have with your practice, in particular those who schedule appointments. Hygienists and others also figure in. The analysis of online reviews show that what matters most is that your entire support staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and caring.
  • Property. Office environment really matters. If it’s chilly or messy it’s a big turn-off, especially has health care providers (and everyone else) still copes with COVID-19.
  • Services. Do you deliver on patient expectations? When you meet or exceed them, people will mention it in their reviews. As you might expect, the opposite is also true.

If there is a single takeaway from all this, it’s that you should never underestimate the power of online reviews. ProspectaMarketing can help you manage them. We are an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices and the tools of Internet 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.