Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | February 2012XX XXXXX Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | October 2014a10 Ad Industry News Diana P. Friedman, MA, MBA, is president and chief executive officer of Sesame Communications. She has a 20-year success track record in leading dental innovation and marketing. She has served as a recognized practice management consultant, author and speaker. She holds an MA in sociology and an MBA from Arizona State University. By Diana P. Friedman, President, CEO Sesame Communications In today’s connected world, your future patients depend on the Internet to manage almost every aspect of their lives. However, the tremendous expansion of the Internet makes reaching and engaging with them a constant challenge. According to business intelligence firm Domo, every minute 571 new websites are created, more than 100,000 tweets are sent, and Facebook users share 684,478 pieces of content.1 Here are three ways to ensure your prac- tice rises above the persistent noise to con- nect with prospective patients and convert them into new patient appointments. 3 online tips that will increase appointments smartphoneusersaccessedtheInternetus- ing their phones.2 If your website does not automatically optimize, your prospective patients will likely head to a competitor. One last piece of advice — dental practic- es are unique businesses. If you decide it’s time to work on your website, use a repu- table vendor with deep roots in designing sites specifically for the dental industry. 2Make SEO a priority: Once you have your website in order, you need to make sure prospective patients can find it. Eighty percent of traffic to a website begins with a search query, and 61 per- cent of searchers consider local results to be more relevant than standard search results.3 This makes search engine opti- mization (SEO) efforts a must. A key here is to use a firm well versed in local SEO strategies within the dental industry to achieve lasting results. 3Energize your social media efforts: Ac- cording to a recent study, Internet us- ersspendmoretimeonsocialmediathan any other Internet activity.4 Embracing a social media presence enables you to spend time effectively forging genuine relationships with prospective patients. In terms of where to invest in social me- dia: Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn are three places where you should focus your efforts. If your practice wants to at- tract more new patients, it is important that you be active and engaged on these three social media channels. Final thoughts The Internet is your best source for reach- ingprospectivepatients—andfocusingon these three strategies will help your prac- tice create connections that convert into new patient appointments. ÿ References 1. www.domo.com/learn/infographic-data- never-sleeps 2. www.pewinternet.org/2012/11/08/mobile- health-2012/ 3. www.clearskyseo.com/infographic-shocking- small-business-internet-marketing-statistics/ 4. www.businessinsider.com/social-media- engagement-statistics-2013-12 Photo/Provided by Sesame Communications 1Tailor your website for an amazing patient experience: In the con- nected world, prospec- tive patients will form an immediate opinion of you and your services based on what they see and experience online. To ensure your website will drive new patients to choose your practice, ask yourself the fol- lowing questions: • Do I have a functional web- site? If not, your practice is invis- ible to the connected world. • Does my website appeal to pa- tients? Make sure your website reflects the vision of a developer who has taken a research-based approach to designing sites with prospective dental patients in mind. • Is my website optimized for mobile devices? As of January 2014, 87 percent of Get smart online to create a stream of new patients. ADA BOOTH NO. 4349

Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

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