Is your practice set up to withstand national economic slowdown? Nervous? In this month’s Dental Economics, Amy Morgan, CEO and lead trainer of Pride Institute, a company that consults on practice management in dentistry, reveals seven mistakes to avoid. It’s a great article, and you should definitely read it. I’ve interpreted and added my $.02 to her suggestions, then taken the liberty of adding just one more…
Mistake #1: Bad Location – Isn’t it supposed to be everything?
Mistake #2: Bad Conversion of Phone Shoppers – Fish in a barrel, folks.
Mistake #3: Bad or No Internal Marketing – More fish in a barrel.
Mistake #4: Poor Marketing Choices – Throwing dollars down the drain.
Mistake #5: Not Putting Your Name at the Top of Your Ads – Silly, costly mistake.
Mistake #6: Referrals from Specialists – It should be a two-way street!
Mistake #7: Not Tracking Objectives – Got goals? Achieving them?
Mistake #8: (This is my addition.) Neglecting Internet Opportunities – In 2007, survivors need a website. This one little thing can actually take care of many of the other mistakes. Here’s what I mean…
Solution #1 – On your site, an interactive map will help anyone find your location.
Solution #2 – Send phone shoppers to a spectacular website, then guide them to new patient forms. Boom. Converted.
Solution #3 – Send current patients to your site to learn about cosmetics and other services and see for themselves your amazing patient transformations in a before-and-after photo gallery. You can even set up a computer in the waiting room for patients to explore your website. Have you considered an e-newsletter?
Solution #4 – Marketing on the Internet is the wave of…now. A good SEO (search engine optimization) strategy can actually bring new patients to you. Advertise specials. Promote new technology. Announce new services.
Solution #5 – A good site will feature your name boldly and artistically on every page, along with contact information and a clickable email link.
Solution #6 – Many dentists opt for a separate page for dentists/specialists. When you market your practice to specialists by phone, networking, or email, send them to the "For Dentists" page of your site. Feature a personal letter directed to specialists; list why you’re a great referral partner for them; mention that your team can send all necessary files electronically (if it’s true, of course). If they’re up for it, you can also trade links with them – put their logo and website link on your site for patients, and ask them to reciprocate. It’s a win-win, hands down.
Solution #7 – If you’re serious about tracking your marketing, check into an SEO strategy with reporting features. You will see just how many folks are visiting your site, where they enter, where they leave, and whether they complete a form to contact you.
Solution #8 – Ready for a site that will help you navigate the stormy seas of national economic slowdown? Check out TNT Dental. The folks there will be happy to answer your questions and help you decide on the best features for your custom website.