Did you know that over 90% of patients will search online when they are looking for a dentist? Yes, but not is true, but also close to 90% of people will go online and read online reviews before they decide to visit a new doctor. Even if people get a recommendation from a trusted source, most are still willing to read and trust online reviews. Thus, online ratings and reviews can be a deciding factor for the success of your dental practice.
So, you are guessing where we are going with this, right? We are discussing the importance of online reviews and the top ways to get more reviews for your dental practice. Please read our guide, where we discuss all you need to know about providing a stellar patient experience, improving the dental practice’s revenue, and earning the coveted 5-star reviews for your dental practice.
Before Getting Reviewed – Provide a Stellar Patient Experience
Before you can even start to gather reviews for your dental practice, you should provide a stellar patient experience to your patients, so they will feel inclined to give you a 5-star review. It is human nature to complain about things, so people are more likely to be tempted to leave a negative review online if they have a terrible experience with their dentist.
Research has shown that most patients don’t complain about the service they get from the dentist but will complain about the customer service they receive. It involves anything from scheduling mistakes, waiting too long, feeling rushed, or general miscommunication.
On the other hand, happy, satisfied patients may not even think about leaving a review – that is, until you ask them. To avoid getting bad reviews and focus on positive reviews, you need to make sure the services you provide your dental patients will speak for themselves. The primary thing to note is providing a convenient, safe dental experience for your patients.
Focus on Convenience
People want an easy, convenient way to contact their dentist. Having a phone number on your website is not enough; you have to have someone answer all the phone calls and provide all necessary information to new and existing patients. Another helpful communication channel is an online messaging system, as it is much more convenient for people to message you using their smartphone and get a reply from you.
Automate the workflow by connecting your communication and scheduling systems so that you can stay on top of things. Please remember that no one likes to be put on hold, whether by phone or message, so ensure you are answering everyone’s calls and texts.
Patient Engagement is Vital
To create a positive patient experience that will make people happy to leave a 5-star review, you need to engage with your patients in a way they appreciate. As noted above, automating your workflow across the entire patient experience is necessary. When scheduling an appointment, have your dental team add important notes for each client, so you can prepare for their visit and show them you care. You can also do some of the following:
- Pre-visit reminders: You can set up automated reminder texts that include a personalized message for each patient. For example, you can remind them that they must visit in an allotted time frame to have their dental implant checkup and update their payment info.
- Post-visit follow-up: Following up with a patient after their visit is essential for many reasons, especially care instructions, important notes, and client satisfaction surveys.
- General info: provide your patients with a number they can text you or a messaging app where they can reach you if they need to ask something between visits.
Top Ways to Get Positive Reviews for Your Dental Practice
Now that you know the basics of creating a stellar customer experience, let’s discuss how you can make your clients inclined to talk about it in positive online reviews. The heart of the matter is COMMUNICATION. When we say communication, we mean that you should get over the reluctance and ask your clients for a review professionally and simply. Here are the top 4 tips that can get you more reviews for your dental practice:
1. Ask Your Patients for a Review at the Correct Time
The simplest way to get more reviews is to ask for them, as not everyone will think to leave reviews for their dental practice. But you should carefully time your review request so they can share their experience with you. We suggest you ask your patients for a review when their visit is still fresh, so always ask for a review soon after their appointment.
As is the case, people often leave the dental practice under the influence of anaesthesia or other medication, so they won’t feel like leaving a review. Still, you can remind them to leave you a review during your follow-up check-in, or send them an email or text reminding them to leave a review from their dental visit. You can also ask them for a review when they call in to book another appointment. Some software provides such automated services, but we’ll cover this in another post.
2. Make it Simple for Patients to Leave a Review
People don’t want to spend much time writing reviews. Thus, to save their time and make it easy and convenient for them and you, you should make the review process as streamlined as possible. For example, make leaving a review a one-step process that everyone can fill out.
It is vital to use the Google My Business service, as this is by far the best online service that works in your favor. It is a free service by Google, but you do need to sign up and claim your Business profile. You can personalize it with photos and posts, and most importantly, you get access to managing your client reviews. Also, you can send unique review request links to your patients – a win-win for you.
3. Social Media Reviews Rock
Another place where people can easily and quickly leave online reviews is on social media. For this, make sure your dental practice is nicely represented across many social media platforms, and ensure you have the option for people to leave reviews.
But apart from leaving ratings and reviews for your dental practice, social media is also accessible to many people. The nature of social media with interlinked profiles will also give your dental practice more exposure, bringing more patients to your dental practice and, with it, more positive reviews.
4. Respond and Learn from Reviews
Responding to an online patient review on time and professionally is vital, as it leaves a good impression on people. People will get their first impression of your dental practice from your online reviews, so you improve your reputation by answering user reviews. You can say thank you to positive reviews and calmly and professionally answer negative reviews. This way, people can better understand how you value your patient’s opinions and experiences with your services. Plus, it also helps you build trust with new and existing patients.
Getting online reviews is also a positive learning experience, as patient feedback is essential to learn how people feel about your services. When the review acknowledges a positive thing about your dental practice, it confirms that you are doing it right. However, negative reviews are also precious, as they point to things that need fixing in your dental practice, and you can address these and ensure future patients will not have similar complaints.
The Bottom Line: Patient Satisfaction Is Key for Positive Reviews!
The positive online reviews are directly affecting your dental practice business and, with it, your revenue. Still, as we outlined above, getting positive reviews for your dental practice comes down to the overall patient experience with your dental practice and the communication rapport you establish with your patients.
The tips we’ve outlined above can do wonders in getting you more reviews for your dental practice, and we hope you heed our advice. However, you can increase your chances of gaining more positive online reviews if you implement appealing services and digital dentistry treatments that make the entire dental visit more pleasant and convenient for the patient.
Please follow us for regular updates that can help you better manage your dental practice and provide advanced services for your patients, guaranteed to earn you more positive online reviews!
