Your website is your often the first point of contact between you and your patients. It’s crucial that your website is doing all that you need it to. It should provide visitors with certain information, help them get to know you and your staff better and inform them about the services you offer. Your website can also be a great way to truly connect with your patients online and then transfer that relationship into the real world
If you are in any doubt as to whether or not your website is functioning as well as it could be there are a few different areas you should be looking at.
1. Communication
Both current and prospective patients visit your website. It acts as a direct line of communication between your dental practice and your patients. Keeping this line of communication open and easy to use is incredibly important in today’s fast-paced technological world. Always reply to emails, if you have comments enabled on your website, make sure you reply to those too. Communicate with your patients through your website and let them get to know you.
2. Information
You should always display your opening hours, address and contact information on your website. A contact page is a great place to display this information but ideally it should be in the header or footer of your website so patients can find it quickly and easily. With people accessing the internet on the go, patients will consult your website when looking for directions to your practice. It’s a good idea to feature an interactive Google Map with your dental practice marked so patients can easily find your location.
3. Personal Connection
Through your website you can easily establish a more personal connection with your patients. Give some history about the practice, where you studied, how long you have been open and why you became a dentist in the first place. Tell them about the vision you have for the practice and what services you offer. This is a great time to mention any community or charitable projects you might be involved in, showing a caring side to your business.
4. FAQ
Patients tend to ask the same questions all the time, so why not include a simple frequently asked questions page on your website. Talk to your staff and find out what questions patients are asking again and again and include the questions and answers on your FAQ page. This will be a great resource for patients when visiting your website.
5. Lead Generation
Use your website to generate more business for your practice. Include a call to action at the end of blog posts and in other key areas of your website. Provide a patient feedback form and ask how they heard of your clinic. By tracking this information, you will quickly learn where the best place is to find new patients.
Keep an eye on each of these five elements and see if there is any room for improvement. Your website should be an integral part of your dental practice be sure to use it to its full potential.