You spent years studying the science of dentistry in dental school. Since then, you’ve spent countless hours building your practice, yet your patient load is still not where you want it to be. A steady influx of new patients helps make sure your appointment slots stay filled daily. If you’re not seeing enough new patients, it could be because it’s hard to find information about your dental practice online. In this article, your friendly dental industry experts at Bryant Consultants explore five reasons that you may be struggling to connect with new patients.
Reason 1: Your practice website’s online search results aren’t where they need to be
Here’s a harsh truth about the way people seek out information online. When you search online, there’s a three-out-of-four chance that you never browse past the first page of results. When you make searches relevant to your practice, its geographical area, and the services you provide, what do you find? If your site isn’t popping up on the first page of results, there’s a high probability that prospective patients don’t see it. This makes search engine optimization key to your marketing strategy: using specifically chosen keywords and phrases tailored to common searches and then incorporating those terms and phrases into the copy on your site.
Reason 2: Your practice lacks a social media presence
You understand the importance of a well-designed, functional website for your practice, and you invested in making that happen. Having a quality website is just part of the equation when drawing in new patients. You also need to have a strong social media presence. More than 75 percent of the population of the United States uses social media, according to recent statistics. You can reach new potential patients by connecting with them on platforms they are already using. Just because you’re a highly-skilled dentist doesn’t mean you are a social media maven. That’s why Bryant Consultants offers comprehensive social media management among our range of services.
Reason 3: Your practice lacks enough patient reviews
We live in a digital age. More people than ever are using the Internet to work, go to school, order food, entertain themselves, and do research about needed information, goods, and professional services. One recent survey determined that almost 75% of respondents searched online when needing a doctor, dentist, or other types of medical care. Meanwhile, about 70% of survey participants weighed the online reputation of a medical provider heavily when determining who would provide the needed or desired services. For these people, if your practice does not have many recent reviews or lacks any reviews at all, this can be a major deterrent for new patients.
Reason 4: Your practice does not use online scheduling
Your patients need to contact you to make an appointment and, thanks to advances in technology, there are ways to do this besides just picking up the phone. A majority of people today prefer the option of scheduling professional services like a dental appointment online without having to make a phone call. According to Accenture, 68% of patients are more likely to choose a medical provider if their office allows patients to schedule appointments online.
Reason 5: The time before an appointment is too long
Many deal with anxiety or even feelings of fear about the thought of going to the dentist. Others may avoid the dentist until they are dealing with a problem and require immediate care. If someone is battling a toothache, they’re not going to wait days or even weeks to be seen. Maybe your practice is busy enough where open slots on the schedule are hard to come by. We actually recommend opening up a few more. Specifically, save some appointment spots on each day’s docket for new patients. Some of those new patients will become regular members of your practice.
Helping your practice reach more patients
The dental industry is highly competitive and, as the COVID-19 pandemic winds down, many practices are working increased hours to keep pace with the influx in business. We know you want your practice to reach its maximum potential. That’s not possible without keeping a steady stream of new patients coming into your office. For help achieving that goal, turn to the dental industry experts at Bryant Consultants. We provide consultation, training, and coaching to help improve the operations of your practice so that you can provide exceptional results to your patients. No office is out of reach for us; we will even come to you! Find out more by calling (877) 768-4799 to schedule your consultation with one of our dental coaches.
