How to Increase Patient Volume in a Dental Office

Launching a new dental office requires a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication. There are countless things that need to be accomplished even before the office doors open such as shopping for supplies, hiring staff, and introducing the office to the public.

In order for a start-up dental office to succeed the dentist and the staff must consistently work to develop their patient base. This can be time consuming and at times overwhelming, however a variety of tasks can be performed that will not only increase patient volume but will ultimately generate revenue.

This is an overview of procedures that should be performed when marketing a new dental office.

Marketing

Internet- The internet is a great platform to utilize when attempting to get an office noticed and imperative when trying to develop a patient base. There are a variety of marketing techniques that can be performed such as getting listed in on-line directories, search engines, and web design. Each of these plays an important part in the marketing process and therefore should be executed.

Directory Submission- On-line directories categorize a business into groups so when internet users are searching for a specific type of business they can find a web site within the directory as a substitute for spending hours using search engines alone.

Some of the most popular directories that dentists should be listed on are "Super Pages," "Yellow Pages," and "Local Dental Directory." Although there are thousands to choose from these mentioned are a good place to start.

Advertisement- In order for dentists to introduce themselves and inform people of the services they offer it's imperative that they write and submit press releases or classified advertisements.

Websites such as inetgiant.com, advertiseforfree.us, and cosmodex.com provide on-line advertising which is not only a great way to reach patients but it is also free.

Website Design- Building a web site is critical when opening a new dental office. While some dentists opt to hire a professional web designer, many create them on their own.

Several web hosting companies provide free domain names with a hosting package purchase and there are websites such as "Go Daddy" and "Yahoo!" that offer tools to customers that choose to design and publish their own site.

Search Engine Submission- After creating and publishing a site on the web, dentists also have to make their presence known to internet users. Registering with search engines such as "Google," "Yahoo!" and "MSN" will help users know how to find a certain business when searching on the internet.

Customer service

Marketing will not make a difference if the office staff doesn't provide excellent customer service. Not only must patient volume increase, the patients have to be retained. In order to do this, simple things like offering complimentary beverages or a welcome gift will send a message to the patients that they are valued.

Follow Up- After a patient leaves a dental office it's important for the staff to demonstrate their appreciation. They can do this by mailing a "thank you for your business" card which will prompt the patient's return and may motivate them to refer a friend.

Launching any type of business can be a challenge, but if these simple techniques are implemented a business will not only create but retain a sizable client/patient base.

Source

Personal Experience