Did you know there were 201,927 professionally active dentists in the United States in 2021?
That worked out to almost 61 dentists per 100,000 people in the country.
But if you run a dental practice, how do you set yourself apart so people choose you rather than another dentist in and around the area?
Continue reading for tips to gain a competitive advantage in business.
Create Solid Online Presence
Having a website for your dental practice is essential. It can help you establish credibility in the industry, improve search engine rankings, establish a reputation as a thought leader, and gather customer data.
But simply having a website isn’t enough. It has to be a professional-looking website. Consider that 38% of people will stop using a poorly designed website. Gett your site designed by an expert.
People looking for a dentist will want to find your site. Make it easy to find the information they need to make informed decisions.
Get on Social Media
Engaging with your target demographic on social media is also a good idea. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are among the most popular platforms.
You can use organic and paid marketing to specifically target people near your dental practice. Communicate your company’s unique value proposition and how they can contact you.
One report notes that approximately seven in 10 people in the U.S. use social media to connect with others, share information, and engage with content.
Your prospective clients are using social media — so your dental practice needs to do so, too. Marketing for dentists must include social media for maximum impact. If you’re not using social media, you’re missing out.
Develop Patient-Centric Corporate Culture
One way to differentiate your dental practice from others in the area is by developing a patient-centric corporate culture. People want to be treated well and know that their patronage is valued. How can you achieve this?
You need to provide a high level of care, which will involve training your staff members. They need to know what constitutes good customer service.
Between 9% and 20% of Americans don’t visit a dentist due to fear or anxiety. While these concerns are irrational, they are real to those who have them. When people call your dental office for help, they may need reassurance.
So, your staff members — from the receptionists to the dentists — need to be caring, friendly, compassionate, and attentive to client concerns. People need to know that your dental practice is a place where they can feel safe. Staff trained at dental assistant schools in az are well aware of this fact
Another aspect of creating a patient-centric dental practice is offering flexible booking options. For instance, some people might want appointments after they get off work and others might want same-day appointments.
Make Better Use of Technology
You’ll find dental office management easier if you use technology to your advantage. It can make things easier not only for clients, but also for staff.
For instance, you can use texts or emails to get patients to confirm appointments or to notify them if appointments need to be rescheduled. Using technology in this way can make things more convenient.
You can also engage with clients via social media to provide information or direct them to articles they may find helpful. Ensure that you engage with patients when they leave comments or ask questions on social media.
Prioritize Marketing
You need to prioritize marketing if the goal is to grow your dental practice. Focus on dental SEO. Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is about making your website more visible on the world wide web.
Considering that there are around 200 million active websites, you can bet that it’ll take some effort on your part to attract people to your dental practice site. It’s not a matter of “build it and they will come.” You have to find them.
And after you find them, you have to convince them you’re the right dentist.
When you use SEO techniques, you can ensure that people in your area find your business’ website when they look online for a dental practice. What you want is for your business to be on the first page of search engine results.
In fact, the higher up on the first page of results, the better. People rarely look past the first half of the first page. And they almost never search on other pages. The better your SEO strategies, the more likely you’ll be on page one.
When brainstorming dental marketing ideas, do so with SEO in mind. It’ll make any marketing strategies you launch more effective.
You can also use social media advertising, print ads, radio ads, and direct mail to market your dental practice. These are effective ways of marketing dentists.
Provide Flexible Payment Options
Do you offer your clients flexible payment possibilities? If so, consider doing so to widen the appeal of your dental practice.
You can accept more payment methods like cash, credit cards, and checks. Allowing patients to sign up for payment plans might make proper dental care more affordable for low-income people.
Widen Your Range of Services
You can also make your practice more attractive by offering more services. Strive to be a full-service dental practice so people can come to you for all their dental needs. It’ll make things easier and more convenient for them.
Get a Competitive Advantage in Business
Do you want your dental practice to stand out from other businesses in the area? Try the recommendations above to the dental service provider of choice.
You need a competitive advantage in business to get ahead and stay ahead. It’ll take hard work, but the effort will be well worth it.
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