To be successful, dental practices need a steady number of new patients. But reaching them can be challenging. This is especially true if your practice is in a highly competitive area where your potential patients have other dental options.
The best way to stand out is to focus your efforts where people are already looking: Online.
Keep reading to learn why Internet marketing is important for dentists and a few strategies you can use to reach new patients.
Why does Internet Marketing Matter for Dentists?
Most consumers today turn to the Internet to research their options for just about everything, including dentists.
In most cases, people who are looking for a new dentist will begin by searching “dentists in [city]” on a search engine like Google. They’ll scroll through their options, click through to the sites that appear to meet their needs, and look for additional information to determine which is the best option.
Internet marketing is the best way to make sure that your dental practice is the one they call.
What Internet marketing strategies should dentists use?
Internet marketing is a broad term that describes many different online strategies, all of which can benefit your business. These five strategies are some of the most effective and a great starting point for any dental practice.
Web Design
Your website is your dental practice’s home online, and it’s often your first chance to make an impression on a potential patient. This means that your site needs to accurately reflect the quality of your practice.
If your site doesn’t look professional or if it’s difficult for visitors to find the information they want, those visitors will return to the search results and choose another option – most likely one of your competitors.
There are a few best practices to keep in mind when designing a website for your dental practice, but when it comes down to it, your site serves one primary function: Show visitors that you’re the right dentist for them.
SEO – Search Engine Optimization
Once you have an informative, well-designed site, you need to make sure that your potential patients can find it. The best way to do this is with search engine optimization, or SEO.
As we mentioned above, many people find dentists on search engines like Google. SEO for dentists involves optimizing your website for the words and phrases people search so that your practice’s site appears in the results and ranks higher than your competitors.
SEO also involves boosting your site’s reputation online by building relationships with news sites, industry blogs, and other credible publications. Search engines want to provide their users with the best possible results, and building links from authoritative sites shows that you’re equally dependable.
Content Marketing
Your site needs to provide visitors with basic information, like your address, contact information, and services.
But beyond that, you can also use content marketing to turn your site into a helpful resource for potential patients. Many people have questions about dental care, and as an expert on the topic, you can write articles, blog posts, and other online content to answer those questions and address common concerns.
This shows visitors that you’re a trustworthy source of information. Plus, when you optimize your content for search engines, it can also bring new visitors to your site. And if these visitors need a new dentist, providing them with useful information is a great way to show them that you’re the right dentist for them.
Email Marketing
Not all of your site visitors will be ready to make an appointment the first time they visit. But if you encourage them to sign up for an email newsletter, you can stay in contact with them until they are.
Sending helpful newsletters on a regular basis ensures that your potential patients won’t forget about your practice. Then, when the time comes for them to schedule a checkup, they’ll already know who to call.
Email marketing is also useful for reminding your current patients to schedule appointments. Setting automated reminders is a great way to make sure they don’t forget, and including links to your contact information makes the process quick and easy.
Social Media Marketing
Although many dental practices aren’t active on social media, social media marketing for dentists is extremely effective. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow you to connect with your audience on a more personal level.
You can use them to share helpful tips, company news, and photos of your team. Even better yet, you can interact with your followers and build relationships with them to encourage new and repeat patients.
Want to reach more dental patients with Internet marketing?
Your potential patients turn to the Internet when they want to find a new dentist, and Internet marketing is the best way to make sure they can easily find your practice. If you’re interested in creating an online marketing strategy for your business, ArcPro Media can help.
We’ve worked with several dental industry clients and created successful Internet marketing strategies for all of them – and we’ll do the same for you.
Contact us today to speak with a strategist and learn more about how your practice can reach more patients online.
Find out how ArcPro Media can create an effective Internet marketing strategy for your website. Call 855-927-2776 or contact us online today for a free evaluation.
