Diminish Dental Woes

While kids may generally love getting a visit from the Tooth Fairy, some children may not be so excited when it comes to seeing their local dentist. Even some adults (pssst… myself included), are sometimes hesitant about an upcoming visit to their dentist office.  It may have been a while since a patient’s last visit, or they may even be experiencing an uncomfortable dental emergency.

Great dentists know how to provide a comfortable environment for all their patients, but many dentists still underestimate the power of an informative, approachable dental office website for providing clients the reassurance they need.

If you want to find out how to keep your dental patients (new and old!) smiling with the help of a great website, then keep reading.

Sparkling Before-and-After Photos

Most people are visual creatures. You know that good dental care and regular oral hygiene not only has long-lasting positive effects to overall physical health, it can also create individuals who feel comfortable flashing their pearly whites.

Did you know that smiling can actually make you feel happier?

A website is a great place for showcasing sparkling before-and-after photos that will not only bring in new clientele, but inspire existing clientele to brush, floss, and regularly visit their dentist.

From DIY kitchen makeovers to snapshots of before-and-after braces, transformations can be enchanting. They help people to literally see the kind of dental progress that dentists make possible.

With an online gallery of happy patients, story-telling itself transforms into a visual marketing tool.

Clients want to see results – so show them!

Digital Waiting Room

Before patients, their families and other visitors even step foot into a dental office, a dentist’s website can act as a kind of digital waiting room.

Professional dentists keep their waiting rooms tidy and organized. They often supply magazines and brochures containing the kind of relevant information patients might want to know. They do their best to foster a welcoming environment that helps even the most restless patient practise, well, patience.

So why wouldn’t dentists want to ensure that their websites are just as clean, easy to navigate, and informative as their waiting rooms?

The answer is that they do. Whether a space is offline or online, it can speak volumes about a business.

Outdated magazines have become a kind of hallmark of crummy waiting rooms across Canada. Forget the wrinkled pages of irrelevant publications. Say goodbye to pages stamped with the stained rings left behind from long-ago coffee cups. Create your own content instead!

Cineplex Inc. has their own magazine for moviegoers,  and Air Canada has an in-flight travel magazine that makes even the most frequent flyers eager to flip through the pages.

In the digital realm, a blog tailored to your dental clients is a chance to both entertain your patients and keep them informed about the services you offer.

Ensure your digital waiting room is just as comfortable as the real thing and clients will keep coming back.

Great Customer Service – 24/7

Having an effective dental website is like having the world’s most friendly, knowledgeable receptionist be a part of your team – 24/7!
The reality is that real people have questions that can fall outside of traditional 9-5 office hours. They work until late in the evening, have hectic schedules, and crack their teeth on popcorn seeds while binge-watching Netflix episodes in bed.

Ouch.

An efficient website means that if someone is looking for answers to questions about their oral health – whether it’s 2pm on a Saturday, or 2am on a Tuesday night – they can find answers.

Now that’s great customer service!

An FAQ page (frequently asked questions) helps answer questions about everything from payment options to laughing gas, while a Services tab lets patients explore all their options. A consistently updated blog can give clients something to sink their teeth into, aka a reason to keep coming back to your website – which even improves your ranking on Google.

Not a blogger? Don’t worry. Our talented content writers at Siva Creative are.

Word of Mouth

You work hard to keep your clients happy. Testimonials from past and current satisfied clientele are proof of that.

The consensus between successful businesses is clear: when it comes to content marketing, customer testimonials are amongst some of the most powerful marketing strategies.

The story of a prosperous, trust-worthy dental office can be told, in part, by its very own clientele. Let good reviews be the foundation of your business narrative!

Besides promoting your services, testimonials can establish an emotional connection that generates confidence in your business.

For example, considering which of the following sentences is more effective (i.e. conveys an enjoyable experience):

“People trust us! We are great with clients of all ages.”

OR

“My youngest daughter, Sara, was panicked when I reminded her of her upcoming dental appointment – that is, until she got into the dental office and Dr. Smith put on her favourite show on the flat-screen TV. An episode of SpongeBob SquarePants and a neon pink pair of kid-sized sunglasses made all the difference. Her cleaning went well. And the best part? She’s proud of her photo on the Cavity-Free wall – and no longer afraid of the dentist!”

– Pam, 37, from Barrie, ON

It’s the age-old writer’s rule of Show, Don’t Tell. A testimonial page takes readers and potential clients straight into your practice – without them even having to step foot into the office.

Booking Appointments

Making a dental appointment shouldn’t be like pulling teeth.

Phoning in to book any kind of appointment can prove frustrating when available appointment times become a guessing game.

You’ve probably been there: a receptionist offers you a time to come in for an appointment, but you can’t make it that day. Then you suggest a time that works well for you, but the person on the other line tells you that time is completely booked up.

Instead of a cat-and-mouse game of availability, which is frustrating for staff and clients alike, why not have an easily accessible electronic calendar that clearly shows what dates and times are and aren’t available? Anything less is just antiquated.

A reliable online booking system lets clients know that you appreciate that their time is valuable.

Don’t Just Pay Lip Service

In conclusion, utilizing current web technology isn’t just trendy. It actually makes your business function better, and perhaps most importantly, puts a smile back on your client’s face.

With Siva Creative, you don’t need to be a tech expert to reap the benefits of a professional website. From captivating blogs to reliable appointment scheduling software, we’ve got you (and your dental business) covered.