Like most things in life, when you are opening a new business on the high-street you need more than just a physical presence to attract customers. Whether you are a bakery or a dentist, sending around flyers is not considered the number one way to attract custom and it is awfully wasteful too! And with almost every person on the planet using their smartphone or computer, it seems that advertising online is the obvious way to get potential customers attention. But is advertising online enough?
Research into the success of dental surgeries using advertisement alone suggests not; of course, it is important to put some money aside to invest in advertising, but what else can you do to ensure your newly opened dental surgery attracts those all-important patients?
This is where dental marketing becomes worth its weight in gold and in this article, some tips are provided to help you get the attention of your local community.
Search engine optimization
Google. The search engine that is known and used by everyone and is a great place to start your dental marketing.
Search engine optimization (or SEO) is the quintessential stage 1 of getting your website noticed by potential patients. Of course, as a dentist, your investment is to your patients, so it is best to hire some dental marketing experts to ensure that your surgery appears on the first page of Google searches for dentists in your area.
Google adverts
Stage 2 is Google ads.
Luckily, many online marketing teams who offer SEO can also help in this area. By ensuring that your surgeries advert appears when someone searches for dental surgery in your area, this increases the conversion rate and boosts the chances of you getting more patients by up to 60%!
Website management and design
Unless you are a dentist who has also got an interest in website design, it is unlikely that you will know which website designs are the most likely to attract potential patients to contact your surgery.
Your marketing team can help with this; as almost every marketing team also oversees a set of websites, they will know which information is required to keep people clicking on your homepage and will know the most effective website designs to attract patients. In fact, many marketing teams will also manage your surgeries site to ensure that they are regularly updated, allowing you to focus on your patients.
Social media
Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are no longer just the easiest way to see what your high-school friends are up to, they are also successful advertising platforms with millions going into advert placements.
Your marketing team will be able to create a page about your dental surgery, helping it to reach a wider audience than was possible with SEO and Google ads alone. They will also be able to offer a chat function on your social media page, allowing potential patients to contact your surgery with questions- swift communication is the key to success with dental SEO!
DISCLAIMER
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
