Why Dentists Should Focus On Their Online Reputation
Ok, let’s face it. Nowadays, the power of the internet is literally in the palm of our hands, with robust smart watches, phones, and tablets more widely used than ever. Virtually gone (ha, see what we did there) are the days of the meet-cute and chance encounters. Yelp and TripAdvisor pioneered the practice of submitting online reviews for everything from restaurants to hotels to even entire cities, helping to normalize the practice of consulting (and leaving) online reviews and turning “Google” into a verb.
Pre-2019, up to 60 percent of people report some degree of fear when visiting a dentist, whether it’s the pain, the sound of the drill, or even concerns about being able to keep their mouth open. Add in concerns during the pandemic and that number has increased to a whopping 75%, so as a dentist, online reputation management is an essential part of your marketing strategy to ease those fears and get patients into your chairs.
Your Digital First Impression
Be proactive about your online reputation and take control of the marketing power of the internet. Within 7 seconds of an in-person meeting, people begin to develop their impression of you, and when you take that interaction online, the time is reduced dramatically.
Maintain a Good Image
Your marketing efforts have not gone unnoticed. Your website is exquisite, you’ve got a following on the top social media channels, and you’re regularly blogging. You’ve done your part online to get patients in your doors. Now what? Online reviews and patient feedback play an important role in completing the marketing puzzle. Studies show that it only takes reading 1-6 reviews before a potential patient forms an opinion about your practice, with 84% of people trusting reviews just as much as a personal recommendation.
It is important to monitor your online reputation to understand what patients are saying about your practice and respond to those whose experience was unfavorable. Take time to also thank those who have responded in a positive light. Let patients know that their feedback, both good and bad, is invaluable to improving the experience for all. Enact a strategy to respond to reviews and establish a reputation as approachable and committed to providing patients with outstanding care.
Online reviews are not only important as patients are researching dental practices, but they also help to put your sites in front of more of these interested patients. We’ve already covered the importance of your Google My Business listing and establishing a Facebook page for your practice, and by unlocking these two platforms, claiming your profiles, and gaining reviews, you can directly influence your organic traffic and rankings in search engine results.
Get Social