The dental industry will always be in demand. After all, there’s unlikely to be a point when people stop valuing good dental care. However, though the industry as a whole is in good shape, that doesn’t mean that attracting and retaining patients is always as straightforward as it could be. After all, there are a lot of dental clinics out there.
Dentists face an uphill battle in finding and retaining patients, but it’s far from an impossible task. It just takes work. Below, we’ll run through some effective tips that can help to increase your patient list.
Invest in Digital Footprint
Unless they’ve received a recommendation from a friend, the first place where a potential patient will have a meaningful interaction with you is online. So it’s worth asking yourself, what exactly will they see if they search your name?
If all they’ll get is an outdated website with broken links and poor formatting, then it’s unlikely that they’ll be rushing to pick up the phone to make an appointment. On the other hand, if they see a well-managed site that’s in line with modern standards, then they’ll already have a baseline of trust. Other digital areas to focus on include running social media accounts and claiming your ‘Google My Business’ page. Most dental clinics find that it’s best to work with a dedicated marketing agency — they’ll do all the heavy lifting for you, so you can focus on value-adding dental work.
Offer Promotions
People tend to be loyal to their dentists. Once a patient has their foot in their door, they’ll likely stay there (provided you tick the points outlined below). One way to showcase your talents to new patients is to offer discounts and promotions for first-time customers. An affordable teeth cleaning service or checkup will likely get people through the door, at which point it’ll be up to you to deliver your best work and make sure they come back in the future.
Offer a Range of Services
Of course, if you’re not able to help your patient, then they’ll be forced to look elsewhere. That’s true even if they loved being your patient; ultimately, their dental work comes above their loyalty to you. You can ensure they never have to look elsewhere by expanding the range of services you offer. Ultimately, it’s about helping as many people as possible. For instance, you could invest in premium polychromatic universal composite, which will allow you to offer esthetic restorations to every customer. You should also stay up to date with industry developments, so you can offer new treatments as and when they become available.
Think of the Clinical Space
Finally, remember that the space in which you deliver the work is arguably as important as the work itself. A welcoming atmosphere is worth its weight in gold since it’ll help to put your patients at ease from the first moment that they walk through the door. If they’re comfortable from beginning to end, they’ll always choose you for their dental work.