In dentistry, reputation means everything and, today, that includes online reviews and social media chatter. Running a dental practice is a business, one that requires marketing and a reputation management strategy. There are review sites like Yelp and even platforms dedicated to medical professionals like HealthGrades that consumers turn to find a new dentist or oral surgeon. They look to get information that matters to them like if the practice take discount dental plans or the hours that they accept patients. More than anything else, though, people go online to read the reviews.
So, what happens to a dentist with a bad rating or review? A certain percentage of would-be patients pass them over. With one bad review, you lose patients before they even walk through the office door. Word- of-mouth has always been important to dentists. The internet has amplified word-of-mouth publicity, though, and that means dental practices must invest time and money to maximize their online reputation.
Understanding the Rating Systems
Typically, websites that focus on healthcare professionals fall into one of four categories:
- No-fee: All the information is free for both the dentist and patient
- For-fee: They charge the patient a small fee to access information
- Dental plans: These are insurance company sites that allow patients to review their dentists
- Government sites: This is typically a state licensing site that may or may not have a rating system in place
Anyone of these options might have a simple “star” rating system and possibly a comment section for feedback from patients. The sites use ratings along with other factors like credentials and special training to rank dentists in the area.
Part of any reputation management strategy should include visiting these sites, determining your current ranking and figuring out how to raise it if necessary. Patients habitually browse the first page only, so if your practice is on the second page or even near the bottom of the first, you are losing out.
Look for negative feedback or missing information that might be dragging you down. Find out how to provide the site with an updated list of your credentials and, if possible, respond to negative reviews in a positive way. For example, if a patient complains of long wait times, apologize and indicate what the practice has done to improve the situation. Make sure to follow through with the improvements, too. Use patient feedback as a learning tool to help enhance your business.
Get Proactive About Your Online Reputation
One good way to improve your online rep is to stay active on social media. A 2012 survey conducted by QuantiaMD found that 87 percent of medical doctors maintain personal social media sites and 67 percent have professional Facebook pages. It’s important to maintain a professional online presence via mainstream sites, but use caution about interacting with patients on a personal level. Instead, use social media to provide broad, information dental care content and to talk about the practice. If a negative comment pops up, address it personally offline and see if the patient will retract the statement once you reach a solution.
Apps to Monitor Online Reputation
Dentists can also take advantage of some high-tech apps to monitor social media chatter and search engine activity. For instance, Google has a simple tool that alerts you when the practice name or any keyword comes up. Reputation.com is another online asset for reputation management. The account is free and it allows you to monitor your online buzz and address any negative mentions of the practice or dentist. There are also reputation management services for the busy dentist.
Whatever strategy you use, know it is time and money well spent. Surveys show that more and more people are going online to find a dentist, so keeping your online reputation pristine is too important to ignore.
