HOW TO GROW YOUR DENTAL PRACTICE
Read on to discover more about the different ways of growing your dental practice.
Build your web presence
Your customers expect it
There is only one place to begin, and this is with the fact that your customers expect you to have a web presence. This reason alone should be enough to convince you why a professional website and expert online marketing strategy are essential for all. Six out of 10 consumers have revealed that they expect brands to not only have an online presence but to provide online content about their business.
You will learn more about your business and your target market
An online presence enables you to discover what works and what does not work for your business. There are a number of different ways that you can do this. However, it all comes down to tracking your performance and using analytics to get to know your customers and their behaviour while they’re on your website. You can then use this to make informed decisions so that you can improve your business going forward.
You will feature on the Google result pages
Did you know that, according to Adweek, 81 per cent of consumers research a product online before buying it? This highlights the importance of an effective SEO campaign. This may help if you are looking for search engine consultants. They will be able to plot a strategy to ensure your website is more visible on Google.
Build trust
Another reason why you need to have a good online presence today is that this builds trust between your business and the consumer. There are many different ways that you can use your website to create a stronger bond with your customers and to reassure them that you are the best business for them. This not only includes displaying security badges, but it also includes showing reviews that you have received from other clients and including your contact information so that you are easy to get in touch with.
Your business will be available all of the time
By having a website, you never have to put the ‘closed for business’ sign up again. It does not matter whether it is 3 a.m. in the morning or 2 p.m. in the afternoon, your business will be accessible to customers all around the world.
Your competition is doing it
Last but not least, you are only going to get left behind the competition if you do not have a website. It is likely that all of the businesses you are competing with have an online presence, and so they are being put in front of the consumer more than you are.
Content writing for your dental practice
Include quotes and stats from credible sources – One of the best ways to improve your ranking in terms of authority and value is by linking to credible sources and including stats and quotes. This shows the user, and Google in the process, that the information you are providing is accurate and relevant.
Aim to convert – When you are writing content for your business, it needs to be valuable, insightful, and information. However, don’t forget that the whole purpose of your SEO campaign is to increase your conversions. Create content that will build your social following base, strengthen your readership, build relationships with other influencers and publishers, and attract business leads through exemplifying the expertise of your brand.
Format content for featured snippets – When you do a search on Google, there will be one webpage that lands the prize of featuring in the coveted Google Answer Box. To make sure you have the best chance of snapping up this position, your content needs to be formatted correctly. How do you format your content for the Google Answer Box? You need to make sure that search crawlers and users can easily find the section of the page that answers the question. You should also include a section that states the question in the header, for example, and H2 or h3, and you need to provide a direct and concise answer or list of answers to a targeted search query.
If all fails, seek professional assistance – If you are still struggling to make the impression you had hoped for on Gogol and the other major search engines, the best thing to do is invest in a professional service. You can discover more about this online. Nevertheless, it could be that there is something wrong with your website that needs to be rectified or that you are doing something that is hurting your SEO efforts without realising it. Professional marketing experts will be able to get to the bottom of the problem so that you can start seeing improved results.
Cost-efficient growth
Master the art of social media marketing – There is only one place to begin, and this is with social media. Social networks are free to use, and they present an exceptional platform for businesses that are looking to engage with their customers while attracting new ones. However, there are many companies out there today that are not using social media as they should be. Firstly, you need to make sure that you are present on the right social media platforms for your business. How do you determine what these platforms are? Well, you need to find out where your customers are, and you need to establish yourself on these networks. A lot of companies are currently spreading themselves too thin because they have tried to build a presence on every social media network from Tumblr to Pinterest. It is better to master a small number of accounts, rather than trying to tackle them all. Not only do you need to be present on the right social media networks, but you need to make sure you are using them effectively too. Social media is unique because it allows people to get closer to your brand than ever before. If you are simply posting an endless string of promotional tweets or Facebook messages, you are getting it horribly wrong. Instead, you need to post engaging and interesting messages that do not blatantly advertise your products and services. You should also use social media as an active customer service platform, as you can easily reply to questions you receive.
Become a valued member of the community – This is an important tip for small and local businesses especially. Becoming a valued member of the community can benefit your business in many different ways. Firstly, it will give you greater exposure to those in the area. Secondly, by getting involved in community events and causes, you can enhance your brand image. Thirdly, it helps you to stay in the loop regarding what is going on in the local area so that you can capitalise on opportunities before your competition does.
Make sure your employees have a professional and unified appearance – Your employees are an advertisement for your business and, therefore, it is vital that they dress smart and are a good representation of your brand. You do not necessarily need to implement a uniform, but it is a good idea to have a dress code so that all of your staff represents your brand well and they have a unified look. The importance of this is multiplied if your employees are representing your business at an event, like a trade show. It is a good idea to invest in branded ID for your event. This enables people to make a direct connection between your professional workforce and your brand. Not only this, but it acts as another form of advertising for your company and it does not cost a lot of money either.
Master the art of SEO – Another important step for any business owner that is looking to brand their company well without spending a fortune is to master the art of SEO. Nowadays, there are so many search engine optimisation resources available, from web tutorials to textbooks, so you should have no trouble finding the information you need. By embracing SEO, you can ensure that your website is visible on the search engine result pages. However, you need to make sure you use white hat techniques, i.e. you focus on natural and organic SEO that complies with the terms and conditions that Google and other search engine providers have in place. If you violate their terms in an attempt to cheat the system and get to the top of Google quickly, you will find that you fall to the bottom even quicker. Stay away from outdated practices like keyword stuffing and poor quality links. Instead, focus on natural keyword inclusion, quality content, and providing value to the user. After all, Google ranks user experience and relevancy at the top. This highlights why your website needs to be enjoyable and easy to use. If it is slow to load or difficult to navigate, this will have a negative impact on your ranking. Another important element of SEO is guest posting. You should guest posts on websites that are related to your niche and have a good audience. This is a great way to establish yourself as an authority in your industry while also creating premium quality links back to your website. If you haven’t already, creating your own blog is another essential.