Every dentist knows that a good reputation is key to their success. It’s what brings in new patients, builds trust, and sets you apart from your peers. And these days, it’s more important than ever to have an excellent reputation in one particular area: online.
Many consumers check online reviews before deciding who to do business with, so it’s crucial to ensure your practice is shown in the best possible light. This is where dentist reputation management comes in.
In this guide, we’re going to discuss everything you need to know about online reputation management for dentists.
Why is Reputation Management So Important For Dentists?
Like many professions, dentistry is a competitive field, so a good reputation can often mean the difference between landing a potential patient and losing them to a competitor.
Here are some of the top ways dental professionals can benefit from dental reputation management.
Online Reviews Improve Website SEO
SEO, or search engine optimization, is essential for getting your name and dental practice out there. A website optimized for search engines has a much better chance of appearing at the top of search results, making it more likely that people will notice when they search for relevant terms.
For example, if your practice is in New York and you have an optimized dental website, when prospective patients search for “dentist in New York”, your dental office will likely appear near the top of the results page.
So, what does SEO have to do with dental reputation management? Well, Google considers online reviews when creating their rankings. The more you have, and the better they are, the more likely your dental practice will rank highly on SERPs.
This alone may cause potential clients to choose your practice over your lower-ranked competitors, so maintaining a good reputation via online reviews is practically essential.
Help Avoid Negative Publicity
Every dentist will deal with a negative review from an unhappy patient at some point in their career. You can’t always please everyone, even if you bend backward to meet their needs.
Someone is going to complain eventually, and it could lead to some negative publicity for your practice. However, with dental reputation management on your side, you can help minimize the impact of a negative review.
People Trust Online Reviews
While some people may question whether or not online reviews are still trustworthy, they seem to be in the minority. Research shows that roughly 70% of patients consult online reviews before choosing a healthcare provider.
This means that if you have too few or too many negative reviews, there’s a good chance that potential patients may move on to a more reputable competitor.
Fortunately, by using reputation management best practices, you can begin to increase and improve reviews for your business and help build trust with your audience.
Getting Started With Dental Reputation Management
As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons why reputation management is crucial for dentists. So, what can you do to start managing your online reputation?
Here are some strategies to try:
Claim Your Online Business Listings and Manage Reviews
Whether you had a hand in it or not, there’s a good chance that your practice is listed in some online business directories and review sites. Finding and claiming these listings are essential, as they will allow you to manage the information shown on these websites.
One of the most important listings to pay attention to is your Google My Business listing. Google is undoubtedly the biggest search engine in the world, so you want to ensure that your information is as accurate and up-to-date as possible.
It also allows you to analyze feedback and interact with the customers leaving reviews. However, you may want to check out some of the most common mistakes to avoid when responding to negative reviews before you leave any comments!
You can get out in front of any negative feedback by taking control of your listings and their reviews. And, with the proper response, you may even be able to change the conversation before it damages your reputation.
Ask Patients for Reviews
It may feel awkward initially, but don’t be afraid to ask your dental patients for reviews. Not everyone knows the difference that a few good reviews can make for your dental clinic, and you may find that they’re more than happy to help. If you don’t want to ask them directly, you could ask via email or text.
Whichever method you choose, make sure that the process of leaving reviews is as straightforward as possible. If you ask your customers to do you a favour and leave a review, don’t expect them to jump through hoops. Consider providing them with a QR code or direct link to your review site(s) of choice.
Focus on the Customer Experience
One of the best things you can do to help manage your online reputation is to focus on the customer experience. When you, your partners, and your entire staff concentrate on providing superior customer service, then your patients may go out of their way to leave you glowing reviews.
If you or another employee finds that you have a particularly happy customer on your hands, then you may want to ask them directly to leave a review. Their review may be the one that gets you your next patient!
The Bottom Line
While reputation management is essential for dental practices, it can be a lot of work. With long hours and jam-packed schedules, finding the time to ask for and manage reviews for your business can be difficult.
Fortunately, there are services out there that can help. Here at Review Rabbit, we do the review requesting work for you, allowing you to focus on what you do best: running your business.
Learn more about our services, and let us help you get more positive patient reviews and build up your online reputation today!