The freedom that each individual has to post on the internet has led to a boom in the information available online about dentists and doctors. Because this feedback comes primarily from consumers, it’s easy to lose control of your practice’s online reputation.
Without a counter-narrative from a dental web marketing system, a few dissatisfied or disgruntled clients with grudges can easily create a negative image of your practice for new dental patients browsing the internet for a new practice.
Being proactive about your online presence is a great way to prevent these unpleasant individuals from becoming the de facto face of your business. More and more people are using internet ratings and reviews to find doctors and dentists. If your results are skewed by outdated ratings sites and even name mix-ups, potential patients may just move onto the name with more stars.
There are a few steps you can take to make sure the image of your clinic online matches the image you want to convey:
Build a good website: If new dental patients start to feel dubious after reading a bad review, their first stop might be your website. A polished, easy-to-navigate and responsive dental website is a great way to offset any doubts in your future client’s mind. As long as you look more professional than the unhappy customer who gave you a bad rating, new dental patients will probably put that bad review behind them and give you a chance.
Social media presence: It’s standard practice to keep in touch and follow up with patients over the phone, but social media is becoming the best way to meet clients where they are. Building a personable, approachable and even funny social media presence is a great way to remind people that dentists and doctors are people too. You can even offer promotions through social media channels to gain a following.
Contacting ratings websites: Many ratings websites won’t update information about your practice unless you ask them too. If you’ve changed something about your practice, like its location or facilities, ask them to add the new information. You can also check for name mix-ups. If there’s another practitioner with a similar name, you might be receiving negative feedback that you haven’t even earned. Let websites know about confusing situations to reduce misinformation.
All of these techniques take time and effort, so sometimes the best option for professionals is to hire a professional web service. They can help you build a website, promote yourself on social media, and control your online reputation. Having a dental marketing system in place is the best way to grow your business in a digital world.