So, you have a website for your dental practice and think “I’m doing great! I have a website for dental marketing, isn’t that all that matters?” The answer is… no. Many clinicians believe their websites are effective if they provide a list of services and showcase their experience, but there’s more to converting patients and building a brand than that. Your website should drive conversion for the high-dollar, specialty procedures you want, give patients an exclusive look into your practice, and show them what life could be like after treatment with you.
If this seems like a lot, IT IS. It’s not enough anymore to have a generic website that matches your logo. In order to attract patients and get them to show real interest by calling, you need a high-performing site that’s developed strategically from the ground up.
So what are the components of an effective website? Take a look at the five fundamental elements.
1) Clean, Modern and Custom Design
The homepage and landing pages of a dental website give the first impression of your practice (depending on which page they land on first) and can either draw patients in or cause them to hit the back button. So what’s the secret to attracting patients right off the bat? A design that is clean, modern and custom. An easy-to-understand layout can also follow a visual hierarchy which guides patients to what YOU want them to see. Many dentists’ websites present all of the information up-front, leading to confused patients without a clear message. With a clean layout, you can present the most appealing information while gently driving them to take action.
Custom design is also imperative to the representation of the practice. The design should be proprietary to you and your practice and should tell your unique story. Progressive Dental Marketing’s web development team designs each custom website based on a number of individualized factors, so the site works only for that dentist or specialist. No two sites will be exactly the same.
2) Custom Copy that CONVERTS
One of the most underrated elements of a successful dental website, and an important element in dental marketing, is custom copy. The importance comes into play when search engines, like Google, scan the content for uniqueness and relevance. If there are duplicate elements, or your copy is also used on another site, it could impact your search engine ranking.
Custom copy doesn’t just mean detailing information about a specific service. It means putting into words the philosophy of your practice and your unique approach to dentistry. By combining the right amount of clinical information with the emotional appeal of a new/healthier/better smile, patients are more likely to convert for procedures like full-arch dental implants, laser dentistry or cosmetic procedures. Copywriting should be for marketing purposes and designed to SELL.
3)Unique Videos, Photos, and Testimonials
One of the most powerful dental marketing tools today is video. Through videos we can tell a story; a story about changing a patient’s life, or a story about the culture of a practice. As important and compelling as copywriting can be, using videos or photos can further capture the emotional side of a story and bring the text to life.
We’ve seen immense success with pairing custom video with patient and doctor testimonials. During these compelling video clips, real patients share their reasons for visiting the practice, how they felt being a patient there and what life is like after treatment. Potential patients can connect with clinicians through doctor testimonials, in which the doctors explain various treatment options or symptoms to patients researching their options. This builds credibility, rapport and eases fears.
4) Proper SEO Optimization
Many clinicians we speak to say they have a great understanding of SEO (search engine optimization). SEO plays a huge role in the success of a dental website and isn’t as simple as many believe. SEO goes far beyond adding keywords to the copy. In order for a site to rank well on search engines and have no coding errors, the front and back-ends must be optimized correctly. This means doing keyword research in your region, adding the right keywords throughout the text and optimizing headers, alt tags, and other elements. Backlinking and interlinking strategies should also be considered.
5) A Responsive Website
Today, mobile traffic accounts for more than half of all internet traffic. This is huge! This means more people today are viewing your site on their smartphone rather than their desktop computer. A responsive design means your site looks and functions as well on a phone as it does on any other device. The same holds true for tablet computers or anything with varying screen sizes. Web developers who stay up-to-date with the latest in best practice design elements know this is imperative in today’s mobile society.
What’s more, responsive websites may have an advantage over older sites. Google may boost the ratings of these sites, making them more visible, which could lead to an increase in organic traffic.
Progressive Dental Knows Websites
Progressive Dental Marketing’s expert web development, copywriting, videography, and SEO teams work together to build dental websites that not only look good but CONVERT! We stay up-to-date with the latest trends in website design and best practices to help clinicians like you grow your practice.
If you are interested in seeing how your dental website can convert new patients, speak to one of our practice growth specialists today by calling 727-286-6211.