Most dentists have a conspicuous tendency of failing to leverage the power of the internet to attract, convert and retain patients so as to grow their practices. Most of them tend to rely on referrals and associations with hospitals and insurance companies to get more patients. Whereas such strategies worked well in the past and may still give results at the present, it is imperative to consider dental web design for better results in any dental practice.
The following are some of the reasons why this is extremely important:
There is data to back it up
It is startling to note that close to 90% of dentists don’t have websites and the closest they are to medical marketing is the use of Yellow Pages listings or brochures. Funnily enough, there are more than 200 million people using the internet at least once a month in the United States and Canada alone. Close to 80% use the internet when they need health information and over 54% of them use the internet to specifically search for healthcare providers.
Dentists alone get more than 12 million searches each month. It implies that if you are a dentist and you have never thought of using dental web design services, then you are missing out on an incredible opportunity to use the internet to grow your practice.
Opens your practice to the world on a 24/7 basis
Your office will operate from 8am to 5pm, after which you will not be available to receive or attend to clients, including responding to inquiries until the next day. But the internet never sleeps. Your website will be online for prospective patients to communicate with you on a 24/7 basis. You also give them the power to book appointments and submit questions at their convenience and without necessarily having to pick up the phone and make a call.
It is an ingenious marketing tool
Your website will speak volumes about you and your dental practice. It is where the potential patients will have a first impression about you and decide immediately whether or not they would be interested in seeking out your dental services. The good news is that through professional dentist web design services, you have the power to influence the perception the visitors will have.
Additionally, you can use the website to provide more information about your products and services in a greater depth that would not have been possible with the normal marketing brochures or Yellow Pages listings. You are also free to include different kinds of content such as videos, articles, info graphics, and dental tips and tutorials in a more intuitive manner. The website thus becomes a great tool you can use to market your practice and reach more potential clients.
Easy communication with potential, present and past clients
With a dental website, you have a platform you can use to efficiently communicate with your potential, present and past patients. This is more achievable if you pair the website and the social media where you can have real time interactions and engagements with clients. Your clients will be glad to know that you are always reachable and you can attend to their concerns with a lot of efficiency. This will not just increase customer loyalty, but also make potential clients trust you more and increase their chances of trying out your practice.
Lead generation
The other reason why every dentist should consider dental web design is for the purpose of lead generation. You can use the website to collect email addresses or phone contacts of the potential patients who visit the website. This can be done by giving out a free report in exchange of their contact then you can follow them up later on to try and convert them into paying patients.