Does Your Dental Practice's Website Need a Checkup? Did you know 97% of patients prefer to go to a dentist's website rather than call the office for information? That makes your website the most important tool you have for communicating with patients. Is yours up to that task? We know that creating a website that is up to date with current trends can be overwhelming for any business. But the good news is a website doesn’t have to be slick and expensive to be effective. It just needs to be user friendly and have the right information. Take a look at your site today and make sure it’s creating the right impression - think of it as preventative care! Tell Us Who You Are (and how to find you) Patients are coming to your website because they want to know more about you. Mostly, they want to know who you are, what services you provide, and how to reach you. Make sure that information is easy to find! Your contact information and location should be right on your home page. You should also have a prominent page about yourself and your practice that tells a little bit more about your story, your expertise, and the specific services you provide. It’s a good idea to include a nice photo of yourself and/or your staff to show patients you are professional and approachable. Be Mobile Friendly We all know that most people search for information primarily on their phones. Today, almost all new websites are built to be mobile-friendly so they are easy to read and navigate on a phone. Make sure yours is too! Anytime you build a new site or add new content, think about how it looks on mobile first, because that is how most users will experience it. Be Social Include prominent links on your website to your social media pages and any review sites, so people can continue to engage with your practice in other ways and see comments and reviews from other patients that validate how great you are! We know that 86% of consumers check online reviews and social media when considering a purchase. That makes these other digital channels nearly as important as your website! Check for Broken Links Is any of the information on your site out of date, or include links that have expired or no longer work? It’s a good idea to go through your website content regularly and double check. If a patient is looking for information and clicks on a broken link, it’s not only frustrating, they will become a lot less likely to continue spending time on your site and relying on you as a resource. Do Regular Check-ups Making sure your website is up to date is an ongoing process. This may seem like another thing to add to your long list of responsibilities, so rely on others for help whenever you can. Entrust a member of your staff who is interested in taking on some marketing responsibilities. Or look for a local web developer or freelancer who can help with basic updates. As all dentists know, preventative care and maintenance is critical - and that goes for all aspects of your dental business, including your website! For more tips on creating a website and marketing your dental practice online, check out our recent Pearls of Wisdom video that dives into the topic in detail.