Apart from a referral, which is the best compliment one can have, look at the number one platform that shapes the core of all your marketing – your practice’s website.
Besides your practice’s phone, your dental website is one of your best portals for patients to connect with you. Many dentists set off with a vague goal of wanting to attract more new patients. Understandable. This can work, but – you are placing yourself at a significant disadvantage and limiting the results you can achieve if you don’t place your website at the top of your list for marketing needs.
Here are four elements you should implement on your website today.
1. Call To Action
A great call to action is vital in generating an easy way for potential patients to contact you.
What exactly does “call to action” mean? It is an instruction you provide that can provoke an immediate response from your user. Examples of a compelling call to action for a practice’s site could include a clear “Find Out More” button, a contact form that is short but asks for enough information so that you can contact the user. Another useful option could be a direct “Schedule an appointment” button or link right on your homepage, as this is the number one source to grab new leads.
One easy source can be a Live Chat feature that will be utilized for potential patient’s questions. You have an opportunity to catch them in the moment when they’re searching for a new provider.
A call to action doesn’t need to be a bunch of bells and whistles. It needs to be simple, eye-catching and take place on your home page. It should not just be an after-thought. Your call to action you end up choosing should fit in with the overall purpose of the site. It should fluidly blend but stand out at the same time. You have to think about being in the patient’s shoes and how easy it is to get in touch with your practice.
2. Online Scheduler
Quick access to schedule in real-time!
Apart from having your call to action to contact your practice to schedule with a team member, we can even go one step further and have your potential patient be able to schedule right then and there. Our society shows a preference for doing many things via the internet or mobile apps these days. It only makes sense that they want to schedule their dentist’s appointments as well. Look at the convenience factor, as well as the popularity of websites, smartphones, and gadgets, which allow us to do so many things with the ease of tapping a screen icon or clicking a button.
3. Video Integration
As we’ve been told, a picture says a thousand words. But a video can do that and more. Now more than ever, having the ability to attract, engage and bring visitors to your website can be critical in generating new patients.
A creative way to get noticed and stand out from your competition is with a custom video. It can provide you with many benefits to your website and your practice. Having a custom video can be a great way to get your message across in a type of format that visitors will quickly and easily digest. We’re not saying video should completely replace all of your written content, but it is an excellent complement to your web copy and will strengthen your message overall. As well as giving your brand a personality.
4. Mobile Responsive
Our handheld device is another organ to us. We continuously have it with us and panic when we don’t. When not having access to a desktop, we reach for our phones or tablets to provide us with information. Fun fact, the end of 2016 was the first time mobile internet use surpassed desktop use, tipping the scales 51.2 percent for mobile to 48.7 percent for desktop.
Just because you have a website doesn’t always mean it’s mobile-friendly. And Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites over those that are not in mobile search results. Remember that the whole algorithm thing that Google does? That tweaks the way Google displays mobile search results. Websites optimized for mobile rank better than those that don’t, so it is an essential factor!
Want to know a cool tool that can help you see if your site is mobile responsive? Google Mobile-Friendly is an awesome site that shows how your site looks when it is received on your mobile device.
You’re also able to reach customers much faster, as customers won’t have to go on a hunt for your site. They can just perform a search to find your practice quickly and easily. Time is valuable these days as everyone is always moving, and people’s minds can change quickly.
Taking The Next Step
The new year is upon us, and we know thinking about your website isn’t always at the top of your to-do list. But if you’re ready to take the new year by storm and gain traction with your marketing, schedule a call with PRACPROS so we can get you going. We take all the heavy lifting and frustration off of your hands. And by starting with a new website, you’ll see some amazing results!