When a patient is satisfied with the services rendered by your practice, they are far more likely to encourage others to visit you. Historically speaking, this encouragement usually comes from word-of-mouth referrals. But nowadays – it often comes from an online review.
Online reviews can be left by patients either directly on your website or through a secondary channel like Google, Yelp, or Facebook. When someone shares their positive experience with you, it leads to higher conversions because it creates trust among others who are new to your practice.
84% of people trusting online reviews [1], meaning that social proof has a strong ability to work for or against your dental practice.
Continue reading to find out what you need to know about your online reputation and its connection to how successful your practice is.
Perception Is Key: You Don’t Need to be Spotless, But You Do Need to be Trustworthy
The patient that just walked out your door is tomorrow’s review, and if they leave a good one, that review is next week’s referral.
When prospective patients are looking you up online, the first thing they are going to look at is what others say about you. When someone chooses to search for a “dentist near me,” they are going to navigate down to the reviews on Google Maps before they contact you. Prospective patients want to know that they can trust you, are safe with you, and can rely on you to provide services that are of exceptional quality.
While you don’t have to have a spotless review record with a two-page essay about how amazing your dental practice is, you do need to have genuine and real reviews.
Why You Need to Manage Your Online Reputation
A reputation is a dynamic entity, growing as it gains exposure to more online channels and reviewers. Your reputation is based solely on your patients’ experiences with you. As your online reputation grows and brings in more referrals and booked appointments, understand that if someone has a negative experience, they can damage your reputation with a single click.
This is why your reputation is so important — here are three reasons why you need to manage it.
Fake Reviews & Imposters.
With the popularity of review-focused websites and business directories, you may find your listing on a website you’ve never heard of.
Unfortunately, many illegitimate websites exist, pulling data from other directories with bots. These sites allow customers to edit reviews without verification, leading to negative or misleading reviews that can harm your online reputation.
However, trusted platforms like Yelp, Google Maps, and Angie’s List are legitimate and reliable for reviews.
Online Reviews Have Power.
Even if you receive a negative review that is untrue or exaggerated, it’s important to respond positively. Online reviews hold massive influence, and despite knowing they can’t trust everything online, prospective patients still make value judgments based on them.
Miscommunication Can Happen — Easily.
No matter how well you serve your dental patients or how strong your online reputation is, you’ll likely receive a few negative or critical reviews. This can stem from high expectations, miscommunication, or misunderstandings. Poor reviews happen — it’s okay. If you actively manage your online reputation, you have the tools to address them effectively.
How To Handle a Negative Review
If a patient has something negative to say – look at it as a way to prove to potential patients that you do care, by responding. When you acknowledge the concerns of your patients, take responsibility where you can, and show that you are willing to work towards the best possible experience for them, it builds trust and credibility. Plus, you can use the online reviews to gain insight into what you can do better, turning losses into wins and negative perceptions into a positive and growing reputation.
About the Author:
Clayton Patterson is the founder and CEO of Digital Space Marketing. After spending nearly a decade developing websites and launching successful marketing campaigns for medium sized companies and startups, Clayton knows what truly drives conversions and brings growth to an organization. In addition to his extensive marketing experience, Clayton is a lawyer with a deep understanding of website accessibility laws and the technical requirements that all websites should abide by.
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