A website is a reflection of the quality of service customers can expect from any given establishment.
Today, a website is everything to a business: serving as a business card, a storefront, and the credentials for company reputation. Dental businesses, though they offer an age-old service, aren’t excluded from this new platform.
If you’re looking to increase your chances of attracting customers and gaining new leads, then you’ll need to invest in quality web production.
What makes for a great dentist’s website?
We’ll cover that below in our quick rundown of the elements of a successful site, courtesy of your biggest competitors. If you look closely, when a particular web design tactic is successful it tends to appear across many company websites.
Common Traits of Great Dental Websites
Dental websites don’t have to have all the items, but these are some of the tell-tale signs of a credible dentist based on their website alone:
1. A Practical Design
Here is where the whole process succeeds or fails: can the customer navigate the design to reach the calls to action practically? Are pages and navigational bars built in a way that is user-friendly and free of unnecessary clutter?
If customers can’t find the contact pages when they’re looking for a number or a contact box to set an appointment, they won’t stay for long. Some professionals claim you have 10-20 seconds, others claim a minute.
But once that time is up, if you haven’t reached your audience to make a sale, it’s likely they’ll move onto a competitor. Make sure your website has a practical design that is conducive to the user experience.
2. An Attractive Design
You have to think of your website as a storefront existing in a giant online mall or marketplace. That’s essentially the purpose it serves as potential customers and clients browse endless listings on the web, looking for the right match.
Apart from being functional and easy to navigate, all those little details have to have a little flair or aesthetic. An attractive design won’t attract customers (they’re already there), but it will work wonders to keep them there.
3. An Authentic About Us Page
The About Us page is a chance for visitors to get to know the people and reputation behind the brand. This is where you can use credentials and historical context to inject the human side of your business.
Your content must be authentic and must represent the heart and soul of the company while showcasing successes over the years. A well-done About Us page is one of the greatest opportunities to build trust in your clientele early on.
When you’ve built a trusting relationship, it’s likely you’ve earned a customer for life!
4. Credible Professional Reviews
Do you partner with recognized companies? Have professional organizations reviewed or certified your offices? Customer reviews and professional reviews alike can work wonders for the credibility of your organization.
There should be a place on the homepage or in the header or footer showcasing your reviews. Professional reviews allow other credible sources to weigh in on the quality of service at your business.
5. Easy-to-Find Contact Information
No matter how fantastic the design and content, if the potential customer can’t find your contact information, they have no way of setting an appointment. How do you expect to gain new business, then?
The contact information should probably appear in your footer. Alternatively, a call-to-action that drives viewers to a contact box is also a great option.
Regardless, you’ll want a location page or an easily-discoverable phone number that reaches a representative.
6. Detailed Services Page
You should have a least one service page that covers the details of your office procedures. However, it might be a better opportunity to increase awareness if you have a dedicated page for each service.
That way, you can have a services section in the navigational bar that lists each separate page. Great dental websites break down their services in these pages to give potential customers more information to digest.
It’s another opportunity to gain trust and confidence from those who may be skeptical but potential customers.
7. SEO-Optimized Content
Without content optimized for search engines, Google crawlers and other search algorithms wouldn’t be able to catalog your website. Without being cataloged and recognized as a beneficial tool by Google, your website is invisible.
When customers search for dental services in your area, the results they’re displayed are returned in order of relevance and importance.
Optimizing content for search engines means implementing keywords and phrases commonly used by people searching for your services.
8. A Comprehensive FAQ Section
Customers are going to have questions, so why not develop a page that answers most of the common ones? This can be anything from locations of satellite offices to the kind of procedures offered.
By answering questions up front on the website, you save your visitors time and likely earn a little more of their respect.
9. Customer Quotes
Customer reviews feel personal and allow interested visitors to gain a little insight on what they can expect. Reviews may mention exact procedures that visitors are looking to undergo.
A positive customer review or testimonial can even ease a worried mind, prompting visitors to contact your business. Quotes offer a bit more of a human touch in addition to increasing the business’ credibility.
10. Coupons or Online Discounts for New Patients
The winning dental website is the one that truly sets itself apart from the competition. There’s hardly a better way to snag a visitor’s attention than by offering them a special online discount or one for new customers.
If their first visit comes with enough of a discount, then you’ve increased the company’s value in their eyes. The hardest part of any business is getting customers in the door, and a special discount is just the ticket.
Professional Web Design
Great dental websites all have great professional web design on their side. In order to surpass standards and succeed in business in 2018, your website needs to attract and retain customers online.
If you’re looking for more professional web design services, visit the Dryden Labs website and learn about our offerings. Just looking for more professional insight? Browse the Dryden Labs blog now for more business-enhancing articles!