Those who own or manage a dental clinic know that the success of the company will ultimately come down to one thing: the number of clients that you can successfully service.
Obviously, having excellent, high-quality services to sell is vitally important, but as you may well know, many dental clinics fall by the wayside. The issue is that they cannot see enough clients to be profitable, and the causes of that are likely to be a lack of client streamlining, poor marketing, and a lack of prospects and leads.
So, once any client streamlining is worked through, you can focus on client leads. If a lack of leads is an issue, the obvious solution is to generate more leads. Let’s look at four highly effective ways that dental clinics can generate leads from their online marketing. But before we do, there is one thing we need to discuss: what you define as a lead.
What Is a Lead?
If you ask ten different sales and marketing experts to define a lead, you can expect to hear ten different answers. Some might say the second you have any kind of contact with someone online, no matter how fleeting, they are a lead.
At the other end of the scale, you might get the answer that a lead is someone who is almost at the end of the sales process and within one step of buying.
To be honest, as every business niche and individual company, including dental, will have different marketing and sales funnels, there really is no right or wrong answer. If you determine that someone who follows you on social media is a lead, then so be it. Alternatively, if you define a lead as a prospect who requests a price list from you, then that is valid too.
As we go through the four marketing strategies for generating leads, you will discover that, in each case, the prospect or lead is likely to be at a different stage of the buying process. For some, it might be the first contact they ever have with your business; for others, they may have had several communications from you.
The point is that regardless of how near or far they seem from making the decision to buy or not, you want to use all the marketing and sales resources at your disposal to move them further along the journey from being a lead to becoming a buyer.
Now, let us look at the four strategies…
Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways of turning those with a slight interest in your products or services into genuine leads and those who may already be clients into long-term clients.
To email someone, they need to become a subscriber. You can offer something free in return for their email, such as a free report or a discount for a future visit. Once on your email list, you can use your emails to build a relationship with them, turning them from someone interested in a freebie into a lead who actively considers buying your products.
Your emails should have a balance of useful information, interesting content, and promotions that describe the benefits of your products. For existing customers, you can use emails to maintain the relationship, inform them about new products or services, and share current promotions.
One of the great benefits of email marketing is that you can tailor messages to suit specific groups of subscribers. New prospects can receive emails introducing them to your business, while long-term customers can receive messages that thank them for their loyalty and offer additional benefits.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-per-click advertising (PPC), commonly referred to as Google Ads, is a marketing strategy to consider, especially if you want to generate leads quickly and consistently. Once a PPC campaign is activated, you could have leads calling, emailing, or filling in a contact form within an hour.
While lead generation can happen quickly once a PPC campaign is live, setting it up takes money, time, and effort. Many dental clinic owners either skip it or try to do it themselves, often spending more than necessary with little return.
PPC campaigns are best handled by skilled professionals who can research keywords, minimize costs, stay within budget, and analyze data to make adjustments. A properly managed PPC campaign ensures a steady stream of high-quality leads likely to convert into sales.
Website Design
In the offline business world, a poor first impression from a store or office can deter customers. The same applies online. For many potential clients, their first impression of your dental clinic will come from your website.
If your website is unappealing, difficult to navigate, or outdated, visitors are likely to leave immediately. On the other hand, a welcoming, well-designed site with clear menus, navigation, and calls to action can encourage visitors to stay and engage.
Your website does not need to be overly complex, but it should be professionally designed to create a great first impression. A professional designer can ensure it is user-friendly and meets the specific needs of your business.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Great website design is essential, but it’s pointless if no one visits your site. The greatest source of traffic can come from search engines, particularly Google.
SEO involves optimizing your website to rank for keywords your potential customers are searching for. This includes identifying the right keywords, optimizing your site both on and off-page, and continually updating to improve rankings.
SEO is a significant undertaking, but one that can bring huge results. Employing an SEO agency ensures that your website is optimized effectively, helping it climb the rankings and attract valuable traffic.
