The Truth might hurt you before it can help your Dental Practice

It is often uncomfortable to hear the truth when it affects us personally or our dental practice. Often the immediate reaction to unwelcome news, opinions, and even genuine and verifiable facts is denial. 

I have a cast-iron rule, I have followed for decades. I tell my clients how it is and not what I think they want to hear. No matter what.

Let's get started.

The goal of any dentist is to serve his patients to the very best of her or his ability. With that comes the hope and expectation that the income generated from operating a dental practice reflects the hard work and responsibility it requires.

The times are long gone when being a good dentist was all it needed to attract new potential patients. There are quite a lot of reasons why seven out of ten dentists struggle with their dental marketing. I don't expect that any dentist will freely admit that, but that is the reality. 

A sizeable portion of dental practice owners is not even aware that their marketing is not working. So many dentists I have spoken to and worked with have truthfully no clear concept of how marketing for their dental practice should work.

The number one problem for 70% of all dental practices is their website. Why? It has no purpose. Let's take a look at what these sites are like and what they communicate to the potential patient.

They have some content about the dentist or dentists. There is a list of services the practice offers often presented very boringly. Some dental websites might even have a blog that has not seen an update for months in many cases.

Such a website carries the following message to the patient looking at the site. "Hello I am a great dentist, you can find us at my address, you can also phone me if you like, while you are on the site take a look at our services. Now you know everything about us, you can do what you want. Thanks for your visit, Good-by, and have a nice day."

When was the last time you thought about the purpose of your website? 

Whenever I speak with a potential new client, I am always curious to find out why they think they should have a website. The answers I get never fail to surprise me. "I know I have to have a website every dentist needs a website" or "I have one because patients expect you to have one." or "I need to show all of my services."

Some dentists come closer to the truth. They say they need a website hoping that they can attract more patients with a website. 

And that is precisely the point. That is what a site should be doing. The reality is, however, that very few dental websites are fit for that precise purpose. Most dental websites do not connect with their patients, and they certainly do not help to increase patient flow.

If getting new patients is the primary reason for having a website, then adding a bit of information about the dentists, the services contact detail, or a message us button does not cut it. 

Instead, the website should motivate potential new patients to pick up the phone and call you. Not in 3 days or next week, but NOW, TODAY.  

Please think about whether you like your site and think it's outstanding; your existing and potential patients don't care. 

Your site's only job is to motivate people to take action, which takes them through your front door into your practice.

 In case you are interested in having a chat with me, get in touch, [email protected]. I can and will improve your marketing results regardless of who works on your marketing right now.

https://thedentalmarketinginstitute.com