Modern Dental Practice Marketing

A recent study by MerchantCircle/Reply.com surveyed 2500 small business and found that if owners could invest in just one type of marketing, it would be SEO. To dentists in private practice, this study sheds light on where to spend marketing dollars in 2012.

The Statistics

In the survey, nearly one-third of responding small business owners chose SEO as the number-one place to invest marketing dollars. Almost 20% selected traditional media, including newspaper, direct mail, radio, phone book, etc. Another 17% said “none of the above,” social media came in 16%, paid search got almost 10%, and mobile marketing and advertising claimed 3.7%.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization, a strategy intended to make websites rank high on search engines, like Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, etc. Google now holds over 90% of the search engine market, and over 95% of the mobile search market, so small business owners should aim their SEO strategy to please Google. Read the rest of this entry →

G-Mail has a new look this week (you can opt in if on the bottom right), and if the business themes doesn’t make you nuts, there are some great ones to choose from. But all that aside, I want to answer a few questions about email for a dentist’s office. Email is essential in business communication, and dentists don’t get an exemption.

Does a dentist really need an email address on the practice website?

YES! Welcome to 2011, folks. Your patients need to be able to reach you by email, and someone at your front desk should answer emails just like she answers the telephone.Your main office email address should be something like office@yourdomain or [email protected] Other popular options are appointment@, info@, contact@.

Where should I advertise my email address?

A good rule of thumb is, if you’re adding your phone number, add your email. This holds true for business cards and office collateral, on your website, blog, local listings, social profiles, and in print ads, on your signage and door, and on  videos, TV ads, and radio ads. Read the rest of this entry →

So, you’ve decided it’s time for a dental practice website – or a makeover of your current site. That’s awesome. Before you pass the power to your spouse, hygienist, or office manager, you should take care of a few items. Obviously, you don’t have time to manage every detail of your website or marketing efforts; you have patients to see! There are a few leadership duties you should attend to, though, so that the website design, development, and marketing process is a success.

1. You should select your website and marketing company.
   It’s fine to have an employee gather information about services and vendors, but you need to make the final decision regarding which company you prefer. First, define your objectives: why do you want a new website? What return do you hope to gain from this investment? How interactive would you personally like to be with your new website? What level of service will you need from your website hosting and support company so that you are not constantly struggling to get updates made?
2. You should test the website company’s service.
   In the beginning of your relationship with any vendor, you work with a salesperson. These people are very good at answering their phones, as their commission hangs in the balance. However, once your website is live, your communication will probably be with customer service. In some cases, you might even have to call a technical help line. Instead of investing in a website, then finding out that the support service stinks, call customer service and technical support before signing on the dotted line. Find out firsthand the level of service you can expect. Read the rest of this entry →

What Should a Dentist’s Website Be?

Dentists have not always had the privilege (or pain) of marketing. Just a few decades ago, dentists were allowed the opportunity to advertise in the Yellow Pages.

Times have changed, and that’s an understatement.

You know that you need a website, but what is a website? What will it do for you? What factors determine a website’s success or failure? These are excellent questions, and I’d expect no less from a dentist!

What is a website? The obvious answer is that a website is an online location, and its address is a domain name (www.whatever.com). The website can feature text, photos, videos, and/or audio. But you know this. What you may not know is, a website is NOT a commercial.

One-way marketing: On TV (which may mean in your living room or at the gas pumps), commercials provide a message to viewers, prompting and enticing them to purchase a particular service or product. Television commercials are one-way advertising, like billboards and magazine advertisements. The only interaction is passive: watching or reading. Read the rest of this entry →

Jill and I are so pleased to have such an amazing dental marketing team! These women arrive early, stay late, work from home, and love working together. Each has a special talent and a great personality. I want to share with you just who’s working on your MDPM website, blog, and marketing projects. In addition to having excellent work ethic, great attitudes, and genuine respect for our clients, our team is a joy – A JOY – to work with! Here’s the low down on some of the girls.

Rachel Wilcox, Director of Technology & Design
Rachel recently joined MDPM and brings our clients state-of-the-art Internet technology, programming, and graphic design experience. She attended UTA as a pre-med student, then re-focused and began web design for a software company before IT degrees were available.

Her background includes art and design, as well as IT. For years, she was an integral player in the IT and marketing department of a major health network. Rachel understands medical marketing and continues to sharpen her IT skills by attending the Social Networking Breakfast in Dallas and taking courses on various programming protocols. She has a thorough understanding of graphic design, programming, web development, healthcare marketing, and search marketing.

At MDPM, Rachel oversees all design for print and web, and she also manages website development. She is an important contributor to our directorial team, as well.

Rachel is also a painter, a violinist, and an active member of a Sherlock Holmes book club in Dallas. She has two feline children, Pepper and Tabitha, who are willing to share her with Mouse as long as she comes home to them at night.

Sara Aisenberg, Content Manager
A UNT almost-graduate, Sara is majoring in English. She’s been with MDPM longer than any other employee, and we adore her. She’s a quick learner, too; Sara has a great grasp of search engine optimization in copywriting, and her research skills are excellent. We appreciate her solid work ethic and natural affinity for excellent customer service.

For MDPM clients, Sara composes blogs, articles, press releases, and newspaper advertisement copy. She also writes search engine optimized dental website content.

Sara was recently accepted as a blogger for USA Today College (and we are so proud of her). She is an online personal journaler (which is how blogs began), and she’s extremely social, being a sorority sister and all (haha). We’re looking forward to having Sara all to ourselves once she graduates!

Jesseca Bagherpour, Content Manager & Designer
Jesseca joined our team recently, as well. She completed her degree at Mayborn School of Journalism, University of North Texas. Her educational concentration was in news-editorial, and she had a double minor in English and social science. Her internships included working under a Pulitzer Prize winner. Since graduation, Jesseca has worked for many local newspapers, as well as online publications.

At MDPM, Jesseca uses her skills for graphic design, as well as copywriting for web. She has a solid understanding of SEO and excellent editing skills.

She is also heavily involved with 35 Confrette, a non-profit music production organization in Denton. There, Jesseca is a publicist and media relations specialist, controlling both print and web marketing. In addition, Jesseca is working with a group of young professionals in Denton to establish an alternative newspaper focused on arts, entertainment, and culture.

Jesseca is a puppy mama to Roya, and she has responsibilities as a foster mama for a hedgehog.

Megan Hardison, Content Manager
With a major in public relations and minor in journalism from Auburn University, Megan brings more than writing skills to our wonderful team. Her professional background includes sales, administration, and being a paralegal. This background, combined with her eternal desire to learn and grow, have made Megan an important part of our team.

Megan writes blogs, articles, and press releases for our clients. She also manages SEO research and handles sales support for MDPM.

Married to Eric, Megan is a mother of two human children, Kiera and Dominic, and two canine kids, Mijo and Luther. She is an avid golfer, loves horses, and is a self-professed bibliophile.

Mouse, The Most Interesting Cat in the World
What is there to say? Mouse rules the world from our upstairs studio in downtown Roanoke. He has six mothers and is spoiled beyond measure. Look for him on our Facebook and YouTube pages.