It’s hard to ignore the value of the internet for promoting your dental practice. In the digital world, patients have more resources than ever to find and vet facilities to get help with their health needs. That’s why 84% of patients now use offline and online sources to research medical facilities.
And a dental office is no different. This is why you shouldn’t overlook internet marketing for growing your practice.
Investing in dental internet marketing can be a game changer for growing a dental business. Keep reading to learn how to start your internet marketing strategy correctly.
Create a Website
The first step to internet marketing for your dental business is to create a website for potential visitors. You need a place online that talks about your practice and what you offer. A website is the perfect way to do this and completely control the message you send to visitors.
You can start a website easily by using WordPress. Most website hosts have one-click setups that install the website automatically. There are also WordPress dental marketing website themes that help you create a great design.
If you want to go a step further and create a unique website, you can hire a website designer for the job. It’s more expensive, but you’ll get a unique web experience without a cookie-cutter website theme.
Post Website Content
One of the common things people do when they have dental issues is search on Google to investigate their problems. They will eventually go to the dentist to get a professional’s opinion. But in the meantime, they will look on the internet to see if they can do anything to alleviate the problem.
Your goal is to be the website people find to discover this information. You want your dentist practice to be seen as an authority in the eyes of Google, which in turn will convert more people into patients after they find your website.
Look for the common dental issues people investigate before heading to the dentist and post website content targeting those keywords. You want to capture the local customers looking for that information.
Use Google My Business
Your goal isn’t to only target people looking for dental information on Google. There are also people looking for dentists in the local area.
Most patients find this information on Google Maps. Google offers a list of dentists closest to the patient’s exact location. This information and the patient reviews make the search easier for the user.
But you won’t automatically show up on Google Maps. You must first sign up to Google My Business to input your information. Sign up for an account to have your practice show up on the map results.
Encourage Patient Reviews
One of the most challenging parts of opening a new practice is trust. If you aren’t well-known in your community, you may not have a list of patients willing to visit your location.
That’s why patient feedback is so essential. Many patients looking for dentists look at online reviews to hear what other patients have to say.
You can use this to your advantage by asking your patients to leave honest feedback about your experience. As people discover your practice online, they will see that you’re a trusted dentist and will be willing to give you a shot.
Use Social Media
You don’t only have your website available to reach potential customers. Many people now spend their time on the internet browsing their social media feeds. They find news and local attractions by seeing what happens there.
Set up an account for your dental practice on the relevant social media websites. Since you have the widest reach on Facebook, this will likely be one of the best places to start.
Once complete, you can then set up your business information and post informative content for people. Your goal is to continue posting valuable insights and growing your following. Once you have enough reach, you can encourage people to visit for a dental checkup and increase your patient base.
Invest in Paid Ads
If you don’t want to wait for organic growth for your website, you can get traffic immediately by using PPC advertising. PPC ads allow you to target a local audience and specify the type of demographics you want to see.
The goal for paid ads will be to increase your practice’s presence in your area. You may pay a lot for ads and not see an initial return on your ad budget. But as you gain more exposure and make more patients happy, you’ll be able to keep growing without spending as much on paid advertising.
And if you need help setting up ads, you can turn to an agency like Mint Media to get help.
Create an Email List
Building an email list is one of the best ways to drive appointments to your dental practice. In normal situations, you would likely use the phone to contact patients and remind them of appointments and deals. But doing this takes too much work and limits your reach.
You have many more options when you build an email list. It gives you a way to segment your customers, automatically contact them, and do this without much work.
Ultimately, you get an easy way to engage with your patients and advertise your services. And as you continue building your email list, it will become even more effective.
Start Dental Internet Marketing Today
You may be able to get some customers by opening a dental practice in the right location. But if you don’t have a way to attract customers in other ways, you won’t be able to truly grow your dental business.
That’s why online marketing is so effective. The right dental internet marketing strategy helps you target your ideal customer online and convince them that you are worth using as a dentist. Put the dental marketing tactics above into place today to start growing your dental business.
Are you looking for more growth tips that will help you expand your dental office? Check out the blog for more marketing strategies that will help.
