When is it Time for a Website?
You may be wondering if it’s time you stake a claim on the Internet. Maybe you have a website that was created five years ago, but you never use it and you think it looks outdated. The Web has come a long way very fast. Today, a dental practice website can be an extension of the administrative, marketing, and education arms of a practice. For instance, patients can complete interactive registration forms at home and submit them to your office via email. With search engine optimization on your side, a potential patient can Google local dentists and find your website at the top of the results page. As for education, a website provides a wonderful opportunity to post articles, links, and postoperative instructions so that your patients can easily access information any time, day or night. Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you’re considering developing or redeveloping a solid Internet presence for your practice:
What do I want from my website?
A dental website can do many things for your practice, such as:
- Attract new patients
- Give your practice a state-of-the-art image
- Provide an interactive map and contact information
- Present financing options and explain dental insurance
- Inform people about your services and technology
- Promote new services and technology
- Provide forms for easy access at home
Provide postoperative instructions - Present your other ventures, like speaking or training
- House news and press about the practice
- Present the articles you’ve written and post your credentials
- Provide a place for referred patients to check you out
- Display your before-and-after gallery
- Help brand your practice
Will a website fit into my marketing budget?
Websites come in all styles and sizes. A professional dental website design company will match your needs to the right product. If you only need a few pages to establish a presence online, and you aren’t looking for new patients, you need a simple site. If you want to use your website as a marketing tool, you’ll want a photo gallery and search engine optimization. Plan on paying an initial set up fee based on the product you purchase, then a monthly hosting fee that can range from just under one hundred to several hundred dollars, depending upon your needs. An optimized website can pay for itself ten times over, especially if you put your web address in all of your other marketing materials – and even on your sign.
If I know nothing about computers, how can I make sure my new website is good?
The Internet is home to thousands of dental websites. Take a look for yourself and determine which sites you like – which ones you consider good. Ask your patients, staff, and colleagues if they have a favorite dental website. Then call an expert for advice. You’ll want a custom website created by a company that knows dentistry and dental marketing guidelines. After all, your website will be the face of your practice online – and that’s global.
Who is my target audience, and would they look for a dentist online?
If you’re targeting people 60 and younger, odds are they are online. The younger the patient, the more likely he or she is to depend on the Internet. Most cosmetic cases are performed on patients in the 25-50 age group – the same people who use the Internet to find a dentist.
Getting Started
The best way to establish a solid, respectable dental practice website that truly reflects your quality and mission is to contact an expert in dental website design. For custom websites made to order, visit TNT Dental online. TNT Dental has created websites for dentists and dental-related companies for years. The team at TNT will answer your questions and make the experience as hassle-free as possible. After your website launches, TNT will keep your site active an up to date with support and hosting services. The company offers search engine optimization, as well, so online marketing will be a cinch.