Wired for web

zoom

In the last two years, the dental wing of the web has started to get busy. Check any search engine and you'll find, like a virtual urban highstreet, dental practices jostling for patients and business. While Middle East practices have been slower on the uptake than their Western peers, Dubai-based web designers CyberGear say regional dentists are fast realising that a little internet interaction can help make the difference between a packed or slack appointment schedule. "Every self-respecting practice needs its own website," says CEO Sharad Agarwal.

So what is driving this newfound fondness for the net? A Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Poll suggests that patients are pushing for more virtual services from their dental providers. Three-quarters of the adults surveyed said they would like to schedule their appointments via the internet and that they'd appreciate e-mail reminders when they are due for some type of care. More strikingly, 54% said the availability of online services would influence their choice of provider. In a wired world, patients are beginning to expect the same level of internet services from their dentist that they routinely receive from their bank.

In a nutshell, says Dr Hibah Shata, director of a Dubai dental practice, dentists that want to stay on course should get online. "Websites are like your shop window. [They] provide a very effective medium for targeting dental patients and providing the information they need."

But it's a mistake to think of your website as just a tool to please your patients. Get it right and the web can put a small practice on an equal footing with the largest dental chain, opening up new markets for little money. "Having a website is like creating a new sales channel for your business," Agarwal explains. "It's 24/7. Even when you're sleeping, there are prospective patients looking at your website."

Web-based marketing is also less intrusive than direct advertising, Shata adds, so can yield better results. "Patients choose to visit your site; it isn't forced upon them like direct mail. They don't consider your internet marketing materials as obtrusive. They perceive your website as helping them make a decision they already want to make."

Practice perks

It's astounding, says Rachael Sizeland, founder of the UK-based RAS Marketing, how few dental practices use their websites to their full competitive advantage. "Aside from basic practice information, websites can be used to highlight your services and to display patient testimonals and newsletters," she explains. "They are one of the most cost-effective ways of getting your name out there."

Despite the options, some practices continue to sell themselves short, creating webpages that stop at offering the practice's location and basic contact information. Called first edition sites, these are static electronic brochures, typically created from a scanned pdf and, Agarwal says, barely worth the code they are written on. Under the CyberGear umbrella, Agarwal has created award-winning websites for regional names such as the American Hospital, Dubai, and Welcare World Health Systems. By including features such as appointment scheduling, practice events and Frequently Asked Questions on sites, he explains, you can cut the amount of time your staff spend on the phone, help patients access the information they want quickly, and help streamline your working practices. "Administratively, websites more than pay for themselves if the content is relevant and adequate," he stresses.

If you're considering setting up a site for your practice, some simple guidelines can help ensure your site ticks all the virtual boxes.

Picking your partner

Your website, says Jon Catanese, webmaster for the Cleveland Clinic, should essentially be viewed as an extension of your business. "One of the first places prospective patients will go to now to get an impression of your organisation is your website," he states, "We call it our front door. For that, even if for no other reason, it's important for you to have your act together online."

As an online representation of your brand, your first step when going online is to layout exactly what you want from the site. "A website is a business tool to help you meet an objective," Catanese explains. "You need to have a stated goal associated with your website. What do you hope your website will achieve? Who are you looking to provide a service for with this website?"

The second step, for most dentists, is to pick a web developer to partner with. For those of you who feel you have creative flair, it's worth noting that, when asked whether homegrown sites were acceptable, all the experts we spoke to answered with a resounding "No". Unless you have a background in web design, DIY sites are a recipe for disaster and can be spotted at 30 paces by any net-savvy consumer.

"In the healthcare sector especially, your site has to be professional, to raise any credibility within your market space," Sizeland says. Agarwal goes one step further. "If you can't do it well, you are better placed not having a site at all," he says, flatly. "You need to look better than you are on the web. If your site does not look professional, patients won't believe that you, as a dentist, are professional."

So how should you select a vendor for your site? Agarwal recommends starting with a background check of the firm. "The UAE particularly has seen a lot of fly-by-night operators," he explains. "Check how long the company has been in business."

It's also important to look for a company with a track record within the dental industry, he adds. "If this is the first website they've done in your field, your experience may be a little shaky. It helps if they know what to bring to the table."

Agarwal also advises asking whether the site design will actually take place in the region, or whether it will be outsourced to an overseas branch. "If you are a novice when it comes to websites, then you need someone with relevant regional experience to guide you," he explains. "Companies that outsource might not be on the same wavelength as the sector in the Middle East."

Back to basics

Just as a practice reception would look strange without a front desk, online offices boast their own key elements that each site should incorporate. A common mistake made by net novices is thinking that a good-looking site is a good site. If you can't match style with substance, your site won't suceed. "Content is king," Agarwal stresses. "The more information you provide, the more time people will spend on your website, and the more chance they will do business with you."

If you're unsure what information you want to include, don't panic. Most web vendors have a good grasp of the content you should be posting online. "We start by asking the client what they have in mind, to put on the site," Agarwal explains. "That probably makes up about 50% of the content that goes on the site. We'll add the other 50%, through interactive features and other functions."

It can help to think of your site as having three stages of development. The first stage should include a basic introduction to your practice, such as your practice mission, the services you offer, staff - such as dentist and hygienist - profiles, a ‘Frequently Asked Questions' page, and your location and contact information.

FAQs are some of the most heavily visited pages, Catanese reports, so putting these answers online can help free up your front-desk staff.

"Look at the number of calls that are received by your average hospital or practice - how many of those could be dealt with online?" he asks. "If you have FAQs, location and contact details available online, it stops your receptionist having to field these questions."

Print | Email | Discuss this article |

USER COMMENTS (0 COMMENTS)

POST A COMMENT

CLICK HERE TO POST A COMMENT

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Security Code *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.