Why Your Dental Practice Needs a Professional Website
Communication in the healthcare industry is of vital importance. Whether it’s in-person or online. As a dentist, you want to connect and empathise with your existing patients as well as create a positive first impression on potential patients. A well-designed, professional website offers you a central location to not only reach your target audience, but also allows you to showcase your expertise, increase leads and achieve overall business growth.
So, how exactly can a professional website take your practice to the next level? Find out now in our Websites for Dentists 101…
Online presence
In today’s digital-savvy world, it’s not enough to simply have a physical dental surgery. Your business has to be present online. Having a website is a necessity if you want to be discovered by your target audience. Which of course, you do! With a website, you have the means to make a lasting impression and generate brand loyalty. As a result, it can become a powerful marketing tool to establish yourself as a great dentist and as a trusted practice. The very best dental websites attract visitors – meaning potential patients can browse your offerings at any time.
Appointment Scheduling and Patient Convenience
The modern UK consumer wants convenience and efficiency. According to a survey, 61% of consumers agreed with the statement, “A long waiting experience would make me less likely to return to a retailer”, and 69% would appreciate appointment booking software. This shows there is a huge demand for online scheduling – which can be integrated into your website. You’ll streamline the booking process so your patients can schedule dental care services at a time that suits them.
Services and Treatments
If your patients are constantly asking to see your range of services, treatments or pricing, your website is the best place to share this information. Furthermore, your specialisation may lie anywhere between cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics, and this can be clearly outlined on a web page dedicated to each specialism. This will assist your existing customers as well as attract other patients that are in need of your particular dental care services.
Patient Education
There are numerous instances of fake news, scams and misleading information on the internet. This can be especially dangerous when it’s related to the medical field. As a dentist, you want to portray yourself as an industry expert who is knowledgeable and capable. A great way to do this is by having a blog page on your website to post relevant, insightful and interesting content for your audience. By providing valuable resources on your professional dentist website, you’ll be empowering patients to make informed decisions about their dental health.
Online Reviews and Testimonials
Nearly every consumer reads online reviews with 98% looking at them “occasionally” and 77% reading reviews “frequently.” While you may already be receiving positive patient reviews, it’s important to have these on an online platform for others to see. By displaying testimonials on your own dental website, you’ll increase your credibility and earn the trust of web visitors – making them more likely to get in touch with you. This in turn becomes social proof of your professionalism and expertise, further boosting the reputation of your practice.
Search Engine Visibility
A professional website that’s optimised for search engines (Google and the like) can drastically improve your online visibility. By including keywords on your website, potential patients will be able to find you easier. For instance, if someone searches for “dentist near me” or “London dental services,” you’d want to be among the top dentist websites so they click through and contact you. A fully optimised website leads to a better chance of ranking higher on Google Search Results Pages (SERPS), thus gaining more leads and sales.
For assistance with Search Engine Optimisation, you can always chat to the folks at Cariad Marketing.
Mobile Responsiveness
It should come as no surprise that the majority of people operate from mobile devices. In fact, 88% of the UK population who have a mobile device use it to access the internet. By 2025, it is predicted that the UK population will reach 68.3 million and that 95% (roughly 65 million people) will be using a smartphone. For this reason, having a mobile-friendly website is key. You’ll want your website to be responsive and adapt to various screens. If your patients click on your site and it’s poorly organised, they’ll click off instantly.
Competitor Differentiation
If you own a business, it goes without saying that you want to stay ahead of the competition. A professionally designed website can set your dental practice apart from competitors by positioning it as modern, forward-thinking and technologically savvy. It might be one of the reasons a potential patient chooses you. The competitive edge doesn’t stop there though. Word-of-mouth is extremely powerful and satisfied patients will share your website link to convince friends and family to visit your practice over another.
Websites for Dental Practices
Our talented web design team are more than happy to sink their teeth into your field of expertise and create a modern dental website. We recommend the Pearl website design for medical practitioners as the aesthetic is clean, inviting and offers the ideal way to showcase your practice.
See our simple process here – we pride ourselves on collaboration and transparency. If you’re ready to get started with your high-quality, affordable dental website design, feel free to contact us.
Eager to know more? Head on over to our dedicated page on affordable dentist website design.
