Dental Practice Website | Minoa Marketing

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5 Tips to Optimize Your Dental Practice Website

by Naomi Cooper September 12, 2013

A strong online presence is quickly becoming an increasingly important component of a dentist’s overall marketing plan. Today’s modern patients research a dentist and the practice online before they ever pick up the phone call to make their first appointment. So how can a dentist set their practice apart from the competition? The foundation of a solid online strategy is having a well-designed website.

Ask yourself – how long ago was your dental practice website designed? Even if it was just 2-3 years ago, the online marketing world has changed so much, and so fast, that a good website a few years ago simply won’t cut it in 2013.

Don’t panic just yet. Check out the below checklist to help you get started in determining whether your dental practice may be due for a new website, or a website update.

Is your logo prominent on your website, particularly the homepage?
Does your website consistently communicate your practice’s brand through its look, feel and colors?
Is there a blog featured on the website? If not, is it possible to incorporate a blog easily?
Are social media links present on the website?
Is the practice’s contact information prominently displayed?

If your answer to any of the above questions was “No”, your dental practice website may be in need of a refresh. Whether you have been considering launching a completely new website, or merely bringing an existing site up to snuff, it is always important to work with a trusted web design expert, especially one with dental industry experience. A dental practice website can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool when implemented well and designed correctly.

Remember, the practice website is the springboard for a dentist’s online identity, so it’s important to make it the best possible reflection possible of the dentist and the practice.

For more tips and insight into dental practice website design, check out my recent guest blog for Sesame Communications.

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Responsive Design – The Latest Website Must-Have For Dental Practices

by Naomi Cooper August 5, 2013

In working with my clients on maximizing their marketing dollars and their online presence, I’m finding that while many dentists are aware of the importance of a well-designed dental practice website, not everyone has heard about some of the most recent advances in mobile website optimization.

A standard website does not always function well when accessed on a smartphone, so changes must obviously be made in order to keep the website accessible on all types of devices. Just a year ago, the best solution was to build what was essentially a second website just for mobile devices, or “mobile-optimized site”. However, the standard today is something entirely new: Responsive Website Design.

A responsive website is essentially a site that reconfigures itself automatically based on detecting the type of device that is being used to access it. A responsive website resizes itself instantaneously for any device, whether desktop, laptop, netbook, tablet or smartphone. And it has the distinct advantage of keeping all of the practice’s site traffic going to one online destination, giving it the potential to have more authority and popularity with the search engines rather than splitting traffic between a “regular site” and a “mobile site”. Google has made it clear that having one site is best for SEO purposes, and has even recently stated on its official blog that responsive web design is it’s recommended solution for mobile optimization.

Here are 4 tips for dentists to keep in mind when optimizing their websites for mobile devices and upgrading their website to one that utilizes Responsive Web Design:

Convenience is Key – Mobile websites are all about convenience and ease of use. A dentist’s mobile website needs to be a streamlined version of the desktop website. Smartphone users are looking for specific information and need to be able to find it quickly. The practice phone number, online scheduling features, driving directions and patient testimonials all need to be part of the mobile or responsive designed website, making the information easy to find for the mobile user.
Branding is a Must – Appearance-wise, the mobile website should mirror the desktop version. Any branding elements used in the desktop version—a distinct font, the practice logo or color scheme—should remain the same in order for patients to recognize the practice, whether they are on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Having a responsive web design ensures this kind of consistency.
Mobile = Opportunity – In 2012, Pew Internet research found that 31% of Americans used their cell phones to look for health and medical information online. If your dental practice website cannot be accessed from a smartphone, the result is countless missed opportunities to connect with potential patients.
Work with a Pro – There are many self-proclaimed “experts” when it comes to website design and mobile optimization. I always recommend working with trusted professionals, especially those vendors with a history of success in the dental profession. Sesame Communications has a proven track record of creating standard, mobile and responsive design websites for my clients.

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Website Domain Names: What All Dentists Should Know

by Naomi Cooper November 14, 2012

Updating your practice website is a great way to modernize your practice, reach new and existing customers and to improve SEO. It is a smart decision to outsource the work to a website designer. They will do what they do best, and you can focus on what you do best – providing your patients with the best dental care. However, before you sign any contracts, you must be aware of one crucial step to protect yourself and your practice – You absolutely MUST be sure you are the owner of your domain name.

If you are not already aware, the domain name is the page address for a website. For example, minoamarketing.com is the domain name for Minoa Marketing; ada.org is the domain name for the American Dental Association. The domain name is how your current and prospective patients find your website. Domain names are available for purchase, and it’s important to know that your domain name will expire after a given amount of time.

Why is it important that you own it? Consider this scenario: You are going through a major update of your practice website and are working with a web designer. In the midst of building the site, the web designer is registering your site and tells you that it’s easier if he registers the domain name in his name. You agree, and sign the contracts, and everything is fine.

Fast forward to the end of the contract term of your domain name…Of course you want to renew because over time you have built your practice site up and have a strong online following. All of a sudden, you can’t renew the domain because it was put in your web designer’s name. Most web designers are trustworthy and upstanding and will fix the situation so that you become the owner of the site. However, what if you cannot get in contact with your web designer? Or worse, what if the designer sells the domain to a competitor?

This is why it is imperative for you to register your domain name in your own name from the very beginning. You do not want to give control of such a crucial part of your dental practice to another person.

Dentists can go on Whois.com and check who the Domain Registrant is for your site. It should be YOU. A designer, vendor or agency can be listed as an administrative contact or technical contact, but you should always be the Domain Registrant.

Are you in the midst of redesigning your website, or have you just completed a redesign? Do you have any advice for fellow dentists either thinking or beginning a website redesign? Please share your stories below.

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