The dental market is highly competitive, and odds are good you spend a significant chunk of change each month on patient marketing. Because you invest so much time and effort into acquiring new patients, make sure you also have the ability to retain them.
10 things prospective patients want to see in a dental practice
While some of these things may not come as a surprise, it is a good idea to ensure your practice excels in these areas to turn visitors into patients for life.
1. Honesty
Do you accept their insurance? Are there unexpected out-of-pocket expenses? The last thing patients want is to get stuck paying more than anticipated for a procedure or feel they have been deceived.
2. Flexible office hours
Offering same-day or late appointments may require hiring a few more staff members, but these types of conveniences are just the thing that encourages patients to choose one dental practice over another.
3. Open on the weekends
Many traditional jobs do not make it easy for someone to schedule an appointment during the workweek. A dental practice that offers weekend appointments or even Saturday appointments can be a draw for patients.
4. Superior customer reviews
More and more patients are choosing a dental practice based on the reviews of previous patients. According to Yapi, positive customer reviews can have a tremendous impact on your practice.
5. Excellent patient communication
Do you provide appointment reminders? Is there a chatbot on your website to help with frequently asked questions 24/7? An excellent way to make patients feel prioritized is to make communication as simple as possible.
6. Outstanding patient experience
Addressing patients by name can go a long way toward making them feel welcomed and at home in your office. So can sending them home with samples and a smile.
7. Friendly staff
An inviting smile and genuine conversation can be paramount to creating loyal patients. It can be worth it to be picky about your staff members and choose only those who can exhibit empathy and true concern for patients.
8. Short wait times
Regardless of how pleasant the staff is, if a patient has to wait an hour after a scheduled appointment time, it is not likely you will see that person again.
9. Clean waiting area and procedure rooms
In the same way dental professionals generally expect patients to clean their teeth, patients expect a standard of cleanliness at your office. If you are not paying attention to cleaning your office, why would patients think you would pay attention to cleaning their teeth?
10. Convenient location
If you have a choice of location, something close to a major highway with a large parking lot that is easily accessible is generally a good bet.
Be a patient destination
When you know what patients in your area are looking for in a dental practice, you can tailor your dental PR to your target audience. At Doctor Genius, we know it takes more than just good dental marketing to win and keep new patients. Reach out to us today, and let a trained team member explain how we can provide everything you need from practice management tips to a Patient Experience Package. Together, we can make your practice a place patients want to be.
Doctor Genius, located at 16800 Aston Street, Suite 270, Irvine, CA 92606, provides a range of services for practice success. We seek to meet our clients’ needs by providing a variety of marketing, SEO, practice optimization tools, and coaching to transform the healthcare experience. Though we work to provide the most accurate information, the content found on this website is solely intended for entertainment purposes. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is entirely correct. You may not use the information on this site to cure, prevent, or diagnose a perceived medical issue. If you have healthcare-related needs, please speak directly to a healthcare professional. Never self-perform medical treatments discussed on this website. All images displayed are also for entertainment purposes only, and personal experiences may differ. Please note that the business tactics mentioned on this site might not be applicable to your industry or practice.
