Ready to Say “Aww”

Posted on August 19, 2011 by WebVisible Team

Like many people, I don’t like going to the dentist. Although I have never had a cavity, I still associate the dental office with sharp picks and whining drills. Flashbacks to Steve Martin’s sadistic dentist in Little Shop of Horrors still linger in the forefront of my subconscious. I’m reminded of my dental procrastination every day at lunch, when I drive by the same dentist advertisement on the back of a city bus bench. Featuring the smiling face of a grandfatherly dentist, this ad assures all who pass by that his practice specializes in patients who are usually too afraid to get their teeth examined. But what good does this ad do for me on my lunch break? When I finally break down and start looking to make an appointment, it’s going to be when I’ve got the spare time to find a dentist who is right for me and in my area. The best way to do that is online.

 

Apparently, I’m not alone. According to BostonDentist.com, online searches for “Dentist” have doubled since 2004. People are getting more and more accustomed to going online to find the services they need. Having an online presence is especially useful for dentists, who must constantly grapple with customers who are reluctant to seek them out. Many patients can be too intimidated to take the plunge and call their local dentist straight off. The option of email, texting, form-fills and social networking can help open a line of communication between potential patients and their prospective dentists. Patients who are reluctant to pick up the phone just yet can use these options as transitional steps toward making an appointment. The more information and options you can put at your patients’ fingertips, the more likely they will be to make the choice they know they need to make.

 

So while printed ads might remind me that I’m procrastinating on my dental duties, it’s online searching that will ultimately get me into the chair, ready to say “Aww.”

By: Wade Sands

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Dentists & Content Marketing: How Dental Advice Could Build Relationships and Find New Clients

Posted on July 28, 2011 by WebVisible Team

Do you want an inexpensive way to find new clients? Do you worry about picky, hard-to-please clients who seem to be looking for other dentists? How do you keep them and perhaps have them tell their friends about you? Try Content Marketing.

According to Copyblogger, Content Marketing means “creating and freely sharing informative content as a means of converting prospects into customers and customers into repeat buyers.” Blogging, video tutorials and email newsletters are good examples of these.

Blogging, unlike static websites, can help you market your services and build your reputation. Private practice dentists can benefit from this as it builds credibility and trust, especially when the content is good. Like giving advice to clients, blog posts that offer free dental advice can help sustain and develop client relationships. In addition, customers who find your blog post informative may spread your name through email, Facebook and other social media. Talk about viral referrals!

Email Newsletters do the same thing, but they are more personal, as they go directly through one’s personal inbox. How awesome would it be to get an email from your doctor? (Unless it’s bad news). Clients may welcome dental advice and dental hygiene tips, and getting regular emails from their dentist can show that their dentist does in fact care for them.

If the prospect of writing terrifies you, video blogging (or vlogging, as some say) may be a better option. Videos are easy to upload on YouTube and can be posted on almost any platform: Facebook, emails and even on a blog.

By: Michelle DalPont

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Get Online To Get Noticed, Dentists!

Posted on July 28, 2011 by WebVisible Team

Dentists are often reluctant to add their name to internet directories, as a negative review weighs much heavier for a dental professional than, say, your local fast food joint. However, according to an edition of The Journal of General Internal Medicine released last year, it was reported that 88% of customer reviews were positive.

But, before you consider expanding online, your office needs to have its own dental practice site first.  This is a must, even though, according to The Wealthy Dentist survey, “One dentist in four doesn’t have a dentist website.”

One of the internet-savvy dentists surveyed by The Wealthy Dentist said his website recruits an average of 5-10 new patients each month. The article goes on to suggest that, these days, “Your URL is more important than your phone number.”

Still, this goes beyond just having a web site. This is about having a web presence.

It’s important to be aware of this, as times are changing. It isn’t so much “I heard about you” now as it used to be but more “I read about you” these days.

According to Healthy Local Search, consumers are using online search tools instead of references from their social circle to find medical and dental professionals. Popular tools include:

Insider Pages Doctor Finder
UCompareHealthCare
Healthline’s DocSearch

However, it isn’t enough to just be listed. Your name is sitting among hundreds…maybe thousands. Being within walking or driving range won’t be enough to bring in the number of new patients you’re looking for. You need incentives, and that doesn’t just mean discounts.

Sure, “All income groups [like] discounts,” says Greg Sterling, the founding principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, in Consumers Choose Differently By Vertical, but “Video [matters] to all age groups” too. Even “Dental cleanings and checkups have been quite popular” on the daily deal circuit lately, adds Sterling.

So, start finding your way into online directories and patients will follow. Before you do though, make sure you have a URL for those new patients to click!

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Dentists Speak Out on Advertising and Their Reputation

Posted on July 20, 2011 by WebVisible Team

Dentists are in an ethical quandary when it comes to advertising their practice. A poll of dentists nationwide found that just over half of them (54%) feel that marketing of dental services is bad for the profession, diminishing their reputation among the public. The other 46% of respondents believe advertising is a fact of life in our society, so consumers won’t judge a dentist negatively because they advertise.

Much of the concern stems from a time when even modest dental advertising campaigns were ridiculed, criticized and sometimes taken to court. As a result, some dentists continue to believe dental advertising lowers the public’s esteem for the profession. “Heavy advertising reduces dentistry to a commodity rather than a professional service,” said one dentist from North Carolina.

Other dentists are concerned about the ethics involved, noting that there’s a fine line between advertising that’s effective and advertising that’s unethical. “Marketing itself does not necessarily demean the profession, but some of what is going on in dental marketing does,” opined a Texas orthodontist. “We are cheapening our profession,” said a Washington general dentist. “It is all feeding into a cut-throat, unethical atmosphere.”

The American Dental Association (ADA) has taken the lead in addressing the ethics issue, developing strict guidelines against “false or misleading” advertising. For example, ads for dentists must not “contain a material, objective representation, whether express or implied, that the advertised services are superior in quality to those of other dentists, if that representation is not subject to reasonable substantiation.” Additionally, claiming you are better than your competitors is not an option in dental practice marketing.

It has become clear that dentists who want to remain competitive need to have some sort of marketing strategy. The sheer effectiveness of dentist marketing campaigns has convinced many. “It doesn’t matter whether or not we think it negatively affects the public’s opinion; it only matters what they think. And since the marketing is so effective if done right, then they obviously are okay with it,” commented a Pennsylvania dentist/manager.

“Today’s consumers rely on advertising to make their choices,” said a New Hampshire dentist. “People used to rely on neighbors to recommend dentists. Now you are lucky if you meet your neighbor within five years. I have increased my advertising over the past 18 months, and it has been very rewarding financially.”

An effective marketing strategy for dentists should include a variety of tools, methods and technologies, including a robust website, social networking and web advertising, particularly pay-per-click advertising across several search engines. A focused search campaign utilizing proven, effective keywords can help a dental practice stand out among the thousands of results that fill the computer screen following a search engine query.

While a dental practice could manage its own online marketing strategy, most simply don’t have the time or skill necessary – leading to frustration and wasted resources. WebVisible has more than 10 years of experience helping local businesses establish an effective online marketing presence through fully-managed online search advertising programs that generate predictable results.

Contact WebVisible today for more information on how search advertising can help grow your practice.

By: Michael Maxfield

Posted in Marketing Tips for Dental Offices, Online Dental Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

How Dentists Can use Facebook and Yelp

Posted on June 10, 2011 by WebVisible Team

Using social media can be a really tough strategy to figure out. Not everyone can make it work for them, and not all businesses are conducive to Facebook, Yelp, etc. If you are a dentist, you might feel like this is especially true about you.  Not to worry, we at WebVisible are here to give you some tips on how to navigate the world of social media and use it to your advantage.

Dental Tips for Facebook by WebVisibleFacebook can be hard to utilize as a dentist; people aren’t dying to share details about their latest cleaning with all of their friends.  One strategy a lot of businesses try to do is to share interesting articles and info about their business, but again, hard to do as a dentist.  One tactic that can be useful is to invite all of your patients to be your friends, then offer them exclusive deals and coupons, as long as they reply to a post on your page. This will give your customers an incentive for staying connected and give you a publicity boost when those posts are displayed in news feeds.  You can also encourage customers to request appointments on your wall, again giving you free exposure on news feeds. Just be sure to respond quickly!

Yelp, while still primarily a way to find a great restaurant, can be a good place to practice Social MediaTips for Dentists by WebVisible‘reputation management,’ that is, taking control of how people review your business. Rewarding customers who post positive reviews with a discount or other promotion is a good step, just make sure you are rewarding after unsolicited reviews. That way, you will avoid being accused of buying your rating. You can also check Yelp for negative reviews, and by taking the steps necessary to rectify the angry customer’s problem, you can turn them from a dissatisfied customer into a happy, repeat customer. Hopefully, a customer who requests their appointments on Facebook and writes positive reviews for you online!

For all their good, social media interactions cannot be solely relied upon to bring in new customers. An online advertising campaign, particularly one with WebVisible, can help you promote specific services and reach those customers who want them.  Social media just makes keeping your customers involved and happy that much easier.

– Contributed by WebVisible’s Aaron Schmidt

Posted in Marketing Tips for Dental Offices, Online Dental Marketing, Social Media for Dentists | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Land Dental Patients with Better Landing Pages

Posted on June 10, 2011 by WebVisible Team

A viewer decides whether to stay on, or leave, a landing page in about five seconds. Five seconds.

Snap judgments are an unavoidable part of advertising for all advertisers, dentistry included. Your landing page must stand out from the rest and communicate well, if you wish for your dental practice to succeed. So, what steps can you take for your dental office to make a good first impression on your customers?

Be Aware of Your Online Presence

A searcher can find you through many available networks (landing page, website, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). There is no way to control which channel they will find you through. What you can control is how they will receive you.

Your business message should be clear across all platforms. Maintaining consistency ensures that people will find the same value in your business, no matter which site they visit first. Use clear, concise language and benefit-rich headlines to help readers identify that your dentist office is the right place for their dental needs.

View Your Landing Page as a New Customer Would

Imagine that you are a new customer searching for a dentist. Then, access your practice’s landing page. What is your first impression of it? If you think your landing page is boring or unprofessional, your customers most likely feel the same way about your practice.

Your landing page will directly affect how customers perceive you. Go for a polished and professional design. Content-rich text will provide value to your customers and impact their impression of you. Also, it may improve your search engine rankings.

Use Credibility

Don’t be shy about your achievements. Awards and certifications go a long way in establishing you as a credible business. Even if you have nothing worth mentioning, your own approval can add perceived value to your business. Try adding a digital signature or picture of yourself to your landing page. This helps customers distinguish you from your competitors.

Make It Scan-able

New web visitors won’t read all of the text on your landing page in the five seconds it takes for them to decide whether to stay or leave. They want to scan your site, so make it simple for them. You should make it easy for customers to find:

  1. Services Provided: Specializations, Specific Services Offered and Their Cost, etc.
  2. Value to Customers: Specials, Customer Benefits, etc.
  3. Contact Information: Phone, E-Mail, Address, etc.

Using these tips will help you improve your landing page. Always remember that searchers look for three things when evaluating a business: what’s important, what’s useful and what’s trustworthy. And what’s not. First impressions mean everything in world of search, especially for your landing page. So, create a first impression that lasts!

Posted in Online Dental Marketing | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gaining New Online Leads for Your Dental Practice

Posted on June 6, 2011 by WebVisible Team

Say you’ve already established your dental practice – you’re listed locally; you have a website and even a Facebook page – but you’re still having trouble reaching new customers. You might be considering expanding your reach online but don’t know how. Here are three steps you can take to gain new online leads:

  1. Integrate What You Have – It helps to have multiple avenues for customers to find you online. But someone who finds your dentist website may not know that you also have a Facebook page, unless you integrate them. Linking your online marketing campaigns to one another makes it easier for customers to learn more about your business. And the more they learn about you, the more they will be influenced to choose your practice for their dental needs.
  2. Introduce a Paid Marketing Campaign – Inbound marketing, or organic search, can take weeks to be indexed by directories, perhaps longer to be found by customers. In contrast, pay-per-click campaigns can be created and listed online within days. While it may cost a little more, this may be one of the fastest approaches to reaching new customers almost instantly.
  3. Advertise Across Multiple Search Engines – Many people mistakenly assume that advertising on one search engine is a safe bet, but consider the following: Only 65.4% of all searches are conducted using Google, which is arguably the most popular search engine. This means that businesses listed on Google alone are missing out on nearly 40% of potential customers. Don’t leave out potential customers who need dental care but do not know about you.

As a rule of thumb, the more your business is advertised online, the greater chance you will have in gaining new customers. Managing all of those separate online campaigns can certainly become challenging, especially while running a dental practice. One good idea is to outsource. Contact an agency about managing your online advertising for you, so you can concentrate solely on your practice.

To Find an Online Advertiser or Learn More about Expanding your Reach Online, Visit www.WebVisible.com

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Social Media for Dentist: Why You Need It.

Posted on April 27, 2011 by WebVisible Team

Social: The Small Piece to the Larger Solution

What is an dental office’s intent?  Service.

What is Facebook’s latest intent?  Data.

What is a searcher’s intent? Value.

What is a search engine’s intent?  Relevance.

What is an advertiser’s intent?  Leads.

What is WebVisible’s intent?  Service with data, value and relevant leads.

The dentist office has to be found everywhichwaypossible when someone needs their service, and especially when they need it right now.  Today more importantly, normal search efforts are simply not enough.  Google, Microhoo, Ask, Search Partners, Partner Search, Sponsored Search, Searching Sponsors—not enough anymore.  You’ve heard that we are diversifying media efforts, but what does social have to do with diversifying dental advertising?

Something, and everything.

The social medium for helping dental patients find credibility and value is all about now. Not last week, not next week, right now. Knowing behaviors is the key to search, but the dynamics of social are a new lock for us.  It’s a crossing of behaviors, intent and mediums which have become mainstream overnight.  Isn’t intent in social different than organic or paid search?  Isn’t search conducted different?  You betcha.

While flighting Knitwit feeds and Spacebook posts now a standard in organic indexing, the landscape has indeed changed to exposing easier findability to relevant searchers.  To open the full potential for dental office to take advantage of every step in the funnel, such as branding, awareness, finding, research, appraising, deepening, deciding, rating, evaluating, converting… whew… diversity into the social medium is now a small, but necessary evil as part of SEM efforts.

We do indeed live in the most exciting time of search marketing, internet advertising and the digital ecosystem.  Diversity is crucial, but balance and understanding every intent is critical.  Social is just a small tiny piece of a larger solution to allow dental services to be found anywhere, today.

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Landing Pages: Why Dentists Can’t Live Without Them

Posted on April 1, 2011 by WebVisible Team

Far too often, WebVisible hears dentists say, “I spent $5,000 to have someone build my Web site, but nothing is happening; new customers are not calling.” Also common is, “I put a lot of time, money and energy into my office’s Web site. Now you tell me that I need a Landing Page. That’s sounds like another headache. What’s the difference? Just use my Web site.”

To help this analysis, let’s agree on a couple of quick definitions. Web sites typically explain many aspects of your office so that potential patients can learn a lot about your services. Most Web sites have brochure-style pages that focus on About Us, Our Products, Our Dentists, Our Patients, and Directions. Visitors could spend 30 minutes or more navigating the site to learn about the office (if they’re VERY interested). In contrast, Landing Pages consist of 1 or 2 pages that are designed specifically to cause visitors to respond immediately. The “call to action” in the Landing Page gives businesses the opportunity to convert visitors into paying customers. Through careful design and analysis, Landing Pages address the harsh reality that the attention span of online visitors often lasts just a few seconds, and they will make a decision about you in a blink. If you doubt this behavior, watch how quickly someone in your family moves from page to page when looking for products or services.

The Facts on Converting Customers

For several years, we have been analyzing the performance of Landing Page designs versus Web sites on how well each converts a visitor into a lead. To track the conversion performance of Web sites, we provide a “Proxy” service that tracks when visitors respond in such a way that the business can convert them into paying patients. In contrast, Landing Page conversions are tracked directly. Using data from several hundred campaigns where advertisers have specifically declined the use of a Landing Page (not a “Best Practice”, mind you), we are able to compare conversion results across a variety of industries. Now, let’s look at the startling results. In a study of 3,746 campaigns, Web site visitors converted to leads 6.6% of the time, while Landing Page visitors converted 10.7% of the time. In other words, Web sites were only 62% as effective as Landing Pages in converting visitors into leads. This means that if you are not using a Landing Page, you’re letting a large number of prospective patients get away! More specifically, if your WebVisible Package is $1000 per month, you could get more than 5 additional leads every month using a Landing Page than if you use only your Web site. FIVE leads every month! (Landing Pages are already included in your package, so if you’re not using them, call us now and we’ll make the change.)

Case in Point

If you’re not a numbers person, listen to what Dr. Ngo has to say: “I definitely believe that more business owners should invest in Internet marketing. It works for me, and it works for a lot of my friends. I have friends who don’t use Internet marketing, and they’re struggling a little bit.”Our conversations with Dentists and Small Business Owners tell us, time and time again, that Web sites alone are not the best vehicle for acquiring new customers. A well-designed Landing Page to complement your Web site is critical to generating new leads.

You Decide

You will make important decisions on how to spend your marketing dollars, and the role of your Web site is just one important decision. Our data clearly shows that for the purposes of acquiring new patients, Landing Pages are superior to taking online visitors directly to your Web site. Undoubtedly, there are exceptions and we’ll work with you to test approaches if you feel that your office is the exception. And, please do not feel bad if you’ve put a lot of money into your Web site. Your Web site is an important business asset that helps lower your cost to serve your patients and helps your patients find information for future visits.

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8 Tips for Dentists to Have Success in Online Marketing, Part 2

Posted on March 23, 2011 by WebVisible Team

WebVisible continues its two part series on Dental Marketing Success.

5. Make Your Web Site Compelling.

First impressions are critical, especially on the Web. Ask ten people to provide feedback on your Web site. What is their first impression of your credibility? Does the content instantly convey your practice and the value you provide? Use your Web site to not only to display your qualifications, but also as a way to capture the attention of the visitor. Put yourself in your patients’ shoes. What need are they trying to solve? Think solutions, testimonials, advice, discounts, offers… capture their attention and help them through the purchase cycle. Make contacting you easy – display your phone number, hours of operation, etc. prominently.

6. Believe It – Marketing is an Investment.

Marketing should be an investment, not an expense. An investment means return. When making a decision on how you will market your practice, demand to know how a return on your investment will be determined. Search engine advertising offers a quick, affordable and measurable way to get the tangible returns on investment (ROI) for your dollar. Weigh this in when factoring the allocation percentages of your marketing investment, and put your money where you can measure the value.

7. Do the Math.

What’s a good example? What should the math look like? With search engine marketing, the math should be easy to calculate. For example, let’s assume you ran a search engine marketing campaign over a four month period:

8. Let Experts Help.

Do you know how to create the most effective search engine ads to attract the right clients to your practice? As an attorney, how much free time do you have? If you do have extra time, do you want to spend it learning the complexities of Internet marketing, managing multiple campaigns and constantly fine-tuning to keep with what gets displayed and when? When it comes to acquiring new patients and growing your practice in a tightening economy, don’t let the process become an obstacle! And don’t go it alone. Let the experts help. After all, you hire an architect to design a building or home, so why not hire a search engine marketing expert to design your online marketing and customer acquisition strategy?

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