In a way, dentistry is a unique field. That is so because there is true competition here. There is no such thing as sloppy work. And there is no room for mistakes. Patients will search for someone who can help them without any complications arising. After all, their dental health is at stake. This is where dentist marketing on the internet comes in handy and you should be taking notes.
The importance of having a strategy for internet marketing
There are a number of ways you can improve your online presence. It is out of the question that a well-maintained website could be a huge boost to your business. When you add an active blog to it, the groundwork will be set. Having a strong online presence will surely help out in the long-term and bring more patients to you.
However, while having more leads is always nice, how do you prove you are truly good? So what if your skills are unquestionable? Lacking a strategy for internet marketing will only benefit the competition.
And be sure about it. The competition within the dental field is not only huge but also understands the fundamentals of internet marketing. Not taking any action can only result in a slow decline. But taking action has its risks too. Online marketing is complicated, and making the wrong choices can have negative effects on your business.
Dentist marketing
As a dentist, it is not your job to spend too much time concerning yourself with internet marketing. Instead, you can hire an SEO company or a single expert.
There are many different approaches to this. Perhaps you are just starting out on the online stage and wish to build a website? Or you already have one, but it needs all the search engine optimization (SEO) it can get? Or you have that as well, but the next thing on the list is social media marketing?
If you are an established professional, yet lack a good online presence, but wish to improve it, then this is exactly what you are searching for. Java Logix can offer everything you need.
It was mentioned earlier, that internet marketing is complicated. But that should not stop you. The benefits are huge. So here are 10 examples of what you can do to greatly improve your online presence.
1. Using review websites.
A great way for you to start building an online presence would be to visit Yelp. This website is seen by some as “mandatory” for small and medium businesses. And for good reason – it offers excellent opportunities for business owners around the world to make a name for themselves. Yelp also helps clients, by giving them valuable information.
Another great option would be Google My Business. It might just be the single most effective way for you to set up a healthy online presence. There are also a number of other websites who offer services related to internet marketing or guides such as Manta. You can also do some advertising on Instagram as well.
One thing must always be taken into consideration when using such review websites. Clients can leave reviews. While this can give legitimacy to your business and help build trust with potential patients in the future, it can also stain your reputation.
You must always make sure to act accordingly on the situation. No matter how good you are, and how well you perform, there will always be a bad review. It should be considered as inevitable. When it occurs, never respond with anger. Instead, be constructive and careful because other clients are reading and judging whether to use your services or not.
2. Search engine optimization.
If you go on and hire an internet marketing company, they will recommend you to focus heavily on SEO. And that is a must if you are to achieve success. You must optimize your website towards Google and its search engine.
Google takes many small details into consideration when reviewing your website. Things like activity, uniqueness, keywords, meta descriptions, mobile accessibility and much more are all of great value. Your goals are to make sure everything is adjusted for. If Google views your website as “positive” and “friendly,” you will rank higher in searches and attract more traffic and potential customers.
3. Create a strong local presence.
The next step in the process would be to focus mainly on achieving results within your region. Since most patients are likely to live near you, the website must be concentrated and made easily accessible specifically for them.
Google My Business offers just that. With its help, you can make yourself visible to people within your region. This will draw attention and help your business grow.
Once you have achieved great results in local online presence, the next step would be to expand and cover nearby cities. This will add up and eventually leave you in a powerful position.
4. Maintain an active blog.
Having an active blog is essential. Visitors to your website will consider the activity as a sign of a healthy business. They will often think that since your blog is active that would mean the business is going forward and can be trusted.
Google especially would be happy to list your content if it’s fresh and well-written. Always make sure it is optimized and have the potential to rank high in search results.
5. Promote your blog.
Writing articles simply won’t do. You need something more than that. When online searches occur, one specific thing holds great value. And that would be how many people are actually reading, commenting, or sharing your blog posts.
This is a rough journey that you must pass if you want to improve your online presence. If your website is new, the number of visitors will be very small. Google will take that into consideration and give you a low rank. It will be hard at first. But by slowly growing and attracting more and more visitors, you will notice acceleration.
One more thing you can do in this situation would be to build reliable backlinks. They are basically links from other websites that point to you. If the links are well placed, preferably in well-established blogs, you will gain a lot of traffic. Just make sure they are posted in sites which are related to the dental industry.
6. Make use of Google AdWords.
As a dentist, you will have to try and reach out to potential customers. Google AdWords is a great way to do so. But the risks are many. Since the competition is also using this method, the odds are stacked against you. It is hard to compete against people who spend tens of thousands of dollars per month, but not spending any money yourself won’t do either. It is up to you and the SEO company to find a balance – do not waste any money, but achieve good advertising results.
You need to focus on specific keywords. Your internet marketing plan should focus on the words “dentist” above all. Be sure to check out the full list of tutorials at AdWords:
7. Communicate with your partners.
There won’t be any progress without communications. When you hire a company to lead your internet marketing, always offer detailed requirements. Make sure you work closely and focus on the best possible strategy. Building trust is important for your dental business. You will still need to oversee the activities and make sure they are on par with the agreements.
8. Maintain a positive sales funnel.
What exactly is a “sales funnel”? Well, basically it is the process starting when a customer first engages with you until they make a decision whether to buy your products/services or not. In the dental field, things aren’t as simple as that. A patient can’t just demand a refund and forget what happened. As a dentist, your responsibilities are not only attracting customers but delivering the best possible service you can.
9. When writing blog posts, be short and simple.
But also make sure you are providing the needed information. When it comes to internet marketing, dentists are some of the people with the most unique content out there. Use that to your advantage but always make sure you are not confusing the patients.
10. Keep a track of your website’s traffic.
Observe how your website develops and plan your next steps. The SEO company you hired should be well aware of the important details. Some of them include:
As a dentist who wants to create a healthy online presence, you must focus on internet marketing. You must constantly improve and take advantage of the new trends. Otherwise, you will fall behind. The competition in the dental industry is huge; both on a local and international scale. The decisions you make today could be the difference between success and failure.
