Make it easy for them! Don't make visitors work to find information.

One of the keys to effective website marketing is to make it EASY for visitors to find what they are looking for.  If your other marketing and search engine results direct them only to your home page, then they will have to "drill down" through your menus to find what they're looking for.  That increases the chances of visitors just hitting the "back" button.

Take them RIGHT to the information they seek.  If you're advertising implants in the newspaper (radio, tv, direct mail, etc.) and you simply list your website's address, they'll end up on the home page.  Now what?  Now they've got to find (usually on another page, deep within your site) where the implant information is.  You're making them WORK for it.  Bad idea.  Web searchers are lazy and impatient.  If they can't find what they are looking for in THREE seconds, they're GONE and off to the next website.  Make your site "sticky."

The "take home message" is this:  Consider registering additional domains specific to what you may be advertising and use them in your traditional marketing.  Then forward those domains directly to the relevant webpage deep within your website.  Take them RIGHT TO IT.  This is called "deep linking."  An example of this that I've used is www.BoyntonBeachDentalImplants.com.  This is simply a domain that is forwarded / deep-linked to the Dental Implants page on my primary website, www.PalmBeachSmiles.com.  So, if I had a newspaper or radio ad about implants I'd use "BoyntonBeachDentalImplants.com" in the ad (instead of PalmBeachSmiles.com) so those prospects would be taken directly to the relevant information.  Make sense?

If you want to DOMINATE the web in your area, check out The Complete Website Owner's Manual for Dentists!  Be sure to read the testimonials from dentists just like yourself.  :-)

Traditional Media Is Dead!

Do you blog?  Tweet?  Youtube?  Facebook?  In addition to your website?

Traditional media is all but dead.  People are actually starting to disconnect their cable TV subscriptions!  Newspapers are going out of business... even the big ones.  Magazine sales are down.  And, have you noticed that the even the stories on the evening news of the major networks are already "old news?"  I watch the news on TV and say, "I already knew that."  How?  The web!

The internet is immediate!  We get our news seconds from when it occurs.  We get the latest information about anything at any moment we choose.  Why wait?  I've been spoiled by the immediacy of the internet and have grown impatient.  So, has everyone else.

Does this mean we shouldn't use traditional media at all anymore?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But, I believe it's all the more important to measure your marketing results carefully.  Don't throw good money after bad on traditional media for the sake of... dare I say it?  Tradition!

I believe the writing is on the wall about the impending demise of traditional media.  What's interesting is that the purveyors of traditional marketing media have not adjusted the costs or seemingly made any effort to save their livelihoods.  They're going down with the ship.

A website is the centerpiece of your online marketing.  But, social media cannot / should not be ignored.  Consumers want the latest news about YOU.  A blog or social media page is a great way to stay in touch and on their minds.  Today's consumers want to be able to reach out and touch you.  They also like authenticity.

Authenticity.  I think this is a KEY concept.  Most dentists simply don't want to be bothered with making the effort to blog, tweet, or Youtube.  And, there are plenty of companies that will do it for you for a fee.  I think that's a mistake.  I think to be AUTHENTIC, you have to create your own online social content.  If it's canned, it won't resonate with your visitors, friends, or fans.

As you may already know, I feel the same about the content of your dental practice website.  I understand most dentists won't want to create their own website.  But, I DO believe they should write the majority of the CONTENT, if not all of it.  Authenticity.  Credibility.  Congruence.  Your online presence needs to ring true.  It needs to be congruent with your "real life" presence when patients come through the door and meet you and your team.  I don't believe that can be achieved by entirely delegating your online presence to someone else.

"So get out there and rock,
And roll the bones.
Get Busy!" - Rush

Make Yourself the Obvious Dental Expert

On one of my dental discussion groups someone asked about doing an "Ask the Dentist" column in the local paper.  He thought it might help position himself in the community as an expert.

My friend, Dr. Rod Kurthy wrote a book for dentists about this several years ago.  And, recently I've seen (and read) more and more marketing books promoting the strategy of positioning yourself as an expert.  "Make yourself the obvious expert."

That said... I wonder if the old-fashioned "ask the dentist" column in the local paper hasn't passed it's prime.  By now, I suspect most consumers probably realize that it's a paid advertisement.  So, it may even have the OPPOSITE effect.  You're the "obvious advertiser" rather than the "obvious expert." 

Today, I think you need multiple strategies.  To borrow from Jeff Foxworthy's bit about rednecks...

You might be an obvious expert if...

1. 
   
   You've taught / instructed other dentists in a particular skill, technique, or treatment.
   
   
2. 
   
   You've published articles in dental journals (read by other dentists).
   
   
3. You've treated a celebrity - could be local celebrity, as well.
   
   
4. 
   
   You've been recognized by your peers in a certain area like F.A.C.E. or AACD fellowship, for example.
   
   
5. 
   
   You've lectured at dental meetings.
   
   
6. 
   
   You've invented a procedure, instrument, technique.
   
   
7. 
   
   You've been on TV... a local news story about a charity case or introducing a new technology.

And, so on.  Of course, you need to TELL people about your expertise.  And, an excellent way to do that is on your website.  You've got to toot your own horn.  Yes, it goes against the grain of most uptight dentists.  But, you've got to do it in a way that illustrates how it BENEFITS the patient.  It's OK to brag, if it will benefit your patients.

So, if a patient is Googling "dental implants my city," you want them to land directly on a webpage that tells them YOU are THE expert.  If they're searching for "porcelain veneers my city," again you want to be THE expert.  What qualifies YOU as THE expert?  Why should they choose YOU over all the other dentists also do implants, veneers, smile makeovers, cosmetic dentistry, etc?  Tell them!

I'm just not so sure the tired "Ask the Dentist" columns pack any punch today.  Nobody is reading newspapers these days, anyway.  It's all on the web!  

So, if you haven't already, seek out those opportunities for establishing yourself as an expert.  Make yourself THE expert and then shout it from the rooftops.  

To learn more about how you can maximize your "expertise" on your website, click on Rev Up My Marketing.

Is the Yellow Pages Dead?

Or, should I say ARE the Yellow Pages dead?  I believe the singular tense is correct.  But, I digress!  ;-)

Who uses the Yellow Pages (YP) today?  I don't recall the last time I picked up the big yellow paper book.  If I need the phone number or location of a business, I just Google it.  Even for local businesses.

The Yellow Pages is:

• Slow.
  
  
• Outdated as soon as it's printed.
  
  
• Cumbersome - in many ways, but the categories in particular because they are rigid and limited.
  
  
• Expensive!  For the MONTHLY cost of a very small ad, I can fund an entire website for a year
  
  
• A sea of identical ads (especially with dental ads).  They all say the same thing.  So, your only edge is to try to be either the biggest or at the front of the category (which, are limited and rigid, by the way!).
  
  
• Static!  You can't change a YP ad until NEXT YEAR'S edition comes out.  You're stuck with it for a year.
  
  
• A tree killer!  I'm not really a greenie.  Hardly!  But, I couldn't resist saying it!  ;-)
  
  
• Did I mention slow?  I promise I can find a phone number faster with Google than you can with a book.

What about YellowPages.com?  Too Many Clicks!!

So... Knowing that the YP book is a dinosaur, the brilliant folks at the Yellow Pages came out with YellowPages.com.  They took the useless YP book and duplicated it online.  And for a ridiculous sum of money, they'll put your listing in their online version of the cumbersome paper book.  Same rigid categories.  Same layout.  It's the same thing, except it's on your computer screen.

If I get my listing at the TOP of the category of "dentist" in the YellowPages.com, it will take a minimum of THREE TO FOUR clicks for consumers to find it.  First they've got to type in "yellowpages.com."   CLICK.  Then they've got to type in the city and state.  CLICK.  Then they've got to type in the category of "dentist."  CLICK.  Then they get to the listings.  And, depending on how much you've paid, you may or may not be on the first page of generic, uniform listings that look JUST like the paper versions. So, if your on top... another CLICK to get to your site.

Web searchers are lazy and have short attention spans.  They want to get the info easily and quickly.  If they have to work to get it, they give up and go elsewhere.  They go to Google.

But, what if a consumer is looking for a cosmetic dentist?  Or a dentist who focuses on porcelain veneers?  Or a TMJ guy?  Or one that does implants?  Dentures?  Sorry... those aren't in the YP categories.  All you've got is just "Dentists."  You can't search for a "porcelain veneers dentist in Boynton Beach" on YellowPages.com.

Google Rocks!  One Click Is All You Need.

On the other hand, Google can be searched with any keyword you want.  If you want a dentist who does implants, you can just search for that and INSTANTLY get relevant results.  And, a dentist with a great website can optimize it to show up for those searches on Google.  It's not difficult at all.  You can optimize your website for any conceivable keyword that consumers may search for.  Google is not limited to rigid categories.  And, you can find what you're looking for in ONE click.  Not three, four, or more.

The Traditional Media Graveyard

I stopped my YP listing in 2007.  And, I haven't missed it a bit.  I was spending thousands of dollars for a NEGATIVE ROI.

Print media is dead or dying.  Newspapers are dead.

Television as we know it is next.  You can bet on it.  Subscription TV (cable and satellite) is on the decline among young people.  They get everything on the internet.  So where should you focus your marketing efforts and money???

Website Owner's Manual Makes Howard Farran's Top Five!

In the August 2009 issue of DentalTown Magazine, founder and editor Dr. Howard Farran wrote his monthly feature editorial titled, "Five Resources You Must Own." (<----- Click to read the article online)

The Website Owner's Manual for Dentists was one of Howard's Top Five Resources You Must Own!

Click here to download the article as a .pdf file.

To learn more about my book, click on: The Complete Website Owner's Manual for Dentists.

Can You Brand Your Dental Practice?

I've heard (and participated in) many debates with dentists about whether we can or should brand our dental practices. Some say it's beneath the profession. Some say it cheapens your practice. Some say that it's impossible to brand a small "cottage" business like a dental practice. They argue only big companies with big budgets (like Nike) can create a recognizable brand.

That's simply bullshit. I believe a dental practice CAN be branded. No... I KNOW it can!

Ten years ago, I decided to build a website. The first step was to pick a domain. After a lot of brainstorming and finding many domains already taken (even in 1999), I came up with www.PalmBeachSmiles.com. The easy one would have been www.MichaelBarrDDS.com. But, I didn't think my name would be as memorable. While I was thinking only about picking a domain, once I had it, it dawned on me that I had stumbled across a great BRAND... A great name for my practice.

There are a lot reasons to brand your dental practice rather than using your proper name. First, as I said... Palm Beach Smiles is far more memorable than "Michael Barr." And, if your name is something like Joe Schmuckatelli, then you should REALLY think about branding your practice. Remember the "radio test" mentioned in my previous blog entry.

Some have managed to brand their proper name. Donald Trump is one such example. And, in the dental world, Larry Rosenthal has managed to do it. But, most of us will be hard-pressed to brand our proper name.

Another reason is if you bring on associates or partners. Instead of using all your names and sounding like a legal firm, you can put everyone under the umbrella of a single brand.

Also, I believe a branded practice will command a higher value when the day comes to retire and sell your practice. Add a website that ranks highly in the search engines, and you really have added value to a practice being considered by a buyer. And, this brings me back to branding your proper name. If you ARE successful at doing that, it will not have ANY value to the next dentist who buys your practice in the future.

If I successfully branded "Michael Barr, DDS," do you think that would have ANY value to a buyer of my practice in the distant future? Or what if my website, www.MichaelBarrDDS.com, was highly ranked on Google? Do you think the buyer would attach ANY value to that? Of course not.

So... How do I KNOW a dental practice can be branded? I know, because I just realized I have done it. Here's my story from just yesterday:

A local orthodontist asked me to meet him for lunch at the new Red Lobster. Not a place I'd normally go, but the meal was actually surprisingly good. He asked me to meet him at the bar, because the service would be faster. It seems he is already a regular there and knows the daytime bartender. He introduced me to the bartender and mentioned that I was "a very good dentist." She asked me for my card, which of course I enthusiastically presented. The only time I don't have a business card on me is when I'm buck-naked, and that's only because there's really not a place to keep them. Well, maybe I could tuck just one away! ;-)

She looks at my card and says, "Oh... Palm Beach Smiles - I've heard of you." She did NOT say, "Oh... Michael Barr, DDS... I've heard of you." She recognized Palm Beach Smiles. And, my proper name, Michael Barr, DDS, is the next line after Palm Beach Smiles on my business card.

Branding takes time and repetition. You CAN do it locally. Pick a good name. Back it up with excellent service.  Then "put it out there" any way you can. And, I do mean ANY way you can. More on that in future blogs!

Writing Copy (content) for Your Dental Website

If you delegate the copy writing for your website entirely to someone else (like your website designer), it can't possibly represent you in an effective manner. The most effective way to communicate your message to your website visitors is to use your own words. Accordingly, you MUST be involved in the creation of the content for your website. How can someone else's writing represent your personality? Your philosophy? Your "unique selling proposition?"

Don't fill your website with encyclopedic descriptions of dental procedures. Don't make it a dental dictionary.

Tell stories! People love stories!

Talk about benefits. Don't talk about features.

How will your patients benefit? How will it improve their quality of life?

With a confident and attractive smile what might your patients experience?

Will they feel more confident at a job interview?

Will they climb the corporate ladder?

Will they no longer be embarrassed in social encounters?

Will they find a mate?

Will they be pain-free?

Answer these questions with stories about your own patients. Tell the story about how Mary was embarrassed by her decayed front teeth and how her new smile got her the job of her dreams. Tell stories!

You must create your own content. You don't have to be an eloquent writer. Just be yourself. Sure, let someone proofread it. Get some help. But, it should sound like you.

This is just one of many critical concepts I discuss in the 200-page Website Owner's Manual for Dentists.

Picking a Great Dental Website Domain

Choosing a great domain name is more important than you may think.

A few key concepts to consider:

• Does it pass the radio test? Is it easy to remember and spell? If someone heard it on the radio, would they be able to remember it and type it in an hour later?
  
  
• Does it contain keywords? Keywords are words that a searcher would use on Google. Think about where you are and what you do. MyTownDentist.com is a no-brainer, if it's available. If not, with some creative thinking, you can come up with something just as good.
  
  
• Don't use your proper name, unless you're already famous. This is even more true if your name is difficult to spell or remember. There's a good chance it won't pass the "radio test.
  
  
• Keep it short. Two words should be the ideal. Three words as an absolute maximum.
  
  
• Don't use hyphens if at all possible.
  
  
• Nobody said you could only have one domain. They're cheap, so register any and all names you may consider using in the future. You can forward unused domains to your primary site. Or, you can create additional websites.

For more information about domains, SEO, and the critical elements of a kick-butt dental website, click on "The Complete Website Owner's Manual for Dentists."

Rev Up My Marketing - The Complete Website Owner's Manual for Dentists

Welcome to my new blog about website marketing for dentists!

A few months ago, I published "The Complete Website Owner's Manual for Dentists." Click on the link to learn more and read a bunch of testimonials!

A lot of dentists are flying blind in the world of website marketing. At best, many of them have websites that simply have done little to nothing for their practices in terms of new patients. At worst, some dentists have been victims of unscrupulous website marketing firms that take advantage of their lack of web marketing savvy. I wrote "The Website Owner's Manual" to change that.

The Website Owner's Manual was not intended to teach you how to build your own website. If you want to be a pilot, you don't have to know how to build an airplane. But, you do need to know how it works and how to operate it. The same is true with websites. Website marketing is not rocket science. But, if you know the basic concepts of what makes a website productive, it can be a boon to your practice.

I built my first website in 1999. You're welcome to visit it by clicking on Palm Beach Smiles. Since then I've built 8 more websites with more to come. My websites are my primary source of new patients. I've tried every form of marketing known, short of highway billboards and the Goodyear blimp. And, none of them can compare to the effectiveness of websites. And, all of them are FAR more expensive! Website marketing can have a tremendous return on investment.

Stay tuned as I'll periodically post my thoughts on dental website marketing here.