Wednesday

What Will Happen To Dental Marketing in 2009?

The economy has changed in a dramatic way. Even if you had a good year, the ground has shifted and consumers will react. Dental practices that follow the crowd could end up heading off the cliff of generic malaise or getting little to drink at a very dry lake.

Recently, a client sent me a newsletter from a dentist who helps practices make decisions about their strategies. The consultant's idea was to start focusing on insurance patients and family dentistry. Basically, because money will be tight for consumers dentists should find ways to do dentistry that costs less. Sounds like a common sense business and dental marketing strategy in these tough economic times.

The problem is NOT that it won't work. It will work very well for many dentists. But what you need to consider is: are you 'many' dentists? Or look at it this way, would it make sense to tell all businesses to become Wal-mart when the economy goes down hill?

The dental practice management consultant also said that cosmetic dentistry as an overriding focus would be a problematic strategy in this environment. While I agree, cosmetic dentistry has never really made huge inroads - staying around 3-5 percent of overall dental treatments in the U.S.

Unfortunately, dentistry as a service has hardly moved at all in its utilization by the public even with the exciting elements of cosmetic or aesthetic enhancement. From 1996 to 2004, there was no change in the percentage of consumers with a dental visit (SeniorJournal.com). This dental care statistic, while seemingly problematic especially in this economy, offers a good perspective in determining how to market YOUR practice (not every practice).

Things will change but not everything will change. Here are some realities you want to consider as you decide on what direction your dental marketing and business strategy will go in 2009...

First, the consumer is still stuck in a rut of dentistry tradition and dental fears. Their needs and wants are often conflicted because of this dilemma. While it can be frustrating for dental professionals who want improve public health, it shows how the economy has little to do with when they will go to the dentist. When they have significant dental problems, the economy has almost no impact on them. Historical memory, human emotion and dental pain are recession proof.

Second, the general consumer thinks about health when dentistry is brought up. Everything else is sidelined in some way. Cosmetic dentistry is marketing icing. No matter how ugly your smile is dental fears are not removed. The nice smile on your advertisement gets people to look and consider dentistry more so than a diagrammed root canal. Yet one look does not equal a dental visit. Your dental marketing needs to have reality infused in it so it does not look too unfamiliar. Most everyone would like a beautiful smile - just like most would like to have a hard body. But getting it done is another matter. 

Finally, the money is out there, just look at the numbers. Even if the employment goes as high as 11% (what most see as the high end) there are still 89% who will still have a job. While there will be areas that get hit very hard, overall there are people who will find the money to get it done. Those who have a lot less - will probably just hold off unless everything is paid, and go to the real Wal-mart--not practices that resemble them.

That means you won't make it up on those who rely solely on insurance or the family dentistry group with a big dental treatment plan or a couple crowns because more of them will just sit on their hands. And think about it, who is hit harder in this economy, those with kids or those without? People without kids have the money to spend, and will do it if the value is evident.

Conclusion
What would you do with extra money right now? Buy and flip some houses? Pile it into the stock market? Open a restaurant? Buy a new car? It might be 12 months to 5 years before at least some of these things seem more palatable. 

Yet, if you had money - like most people 45 and older who are in the upper 25% of incomes and household wealth - and your teeth were falling out, oral pain was a daily issue or your smile was yellow and worn - would you wait 12 months to stop the pain and the embarrassment?   

You can follow the dentistry marketing herd towards the watering hole that is quickly drying up or run off the cliff with a generic dental practice strategy. Take your pick. 

However, I suggest you survey the 'reality geography' more closely as it relates to the dentistry you want to do. Then find YOUR dentistry-plush savannah to graze in and avoid the fall into dwindling returns. Or dig a well to create YOUR dental care oasis

What exactly do you do to make it happen? That requires a phone call and a some reality time to make it work for you.  
866-453-1026 ext 251
  •  Generic and magical-thinking dentists and dental practices apply elsewhere.
Remember just like all politics are local - every dental care decision is personal with a good dose of tradition - not about family, insurance or cost.

Thursday

Dental Health Mission - Underway in Malawi Africa

The Nashville, Tennessee dental team left on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 on their journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Africa. They will be giving away as much dentistry as possible over Christmas and the New Year's Holiday.



Malawi has been making economic gains recently and we see our support in the health area as a way to enhance outcomes for more of its citizens. While providing this type of service is vital no matter what the circumstances, it is very exciting to know it is has the potential to develop beyond our mission alone. 

The following written report and news video demonstrate the Malawi's potential and ability to move forward. Here is background on the African country of Malawi, recently produced by NBC television.

Tuesday

Dental Marketing Consultant Presents Seminars in Nashville

In late November Niche Dental president and marketing coach Dick Chwalek presented two seminars in Tennessee. The first seminar was for junior students at Meharry Medical College, School of Dentistry. The evening session was presented to area dental specialists, general dentists and dentistry residents at the home of Nashville oral surgeons Brian and Tania Howlett.

Dick would like to thank Dr. Walter Owens who invited him to speak and introduced him to students.

Visit Niche Dental on Twitter.com

Monday

New Practice in West Chester PA: Implant, Cosmetic - Sedation Dentist

Want More From Your Dentistry?
In Pennsylvania consider the dental office of Ronald Briglia, DMD.

Dr. Ronald Briglia opened his new dental office at 600 E. Marshall in West Chester this fall. It serves dental consumers in southeastern Pennsylvania who want and need a high level of comfort to achieve their oral health goals.

After many years developing the skills, services, and expertise to provide long-term health and esthetically pleasing results for his patients, he now has the environment to match. One where stress is greatly reduced, pain is absent, and informed decisions can be made.

His new facility is one mile from his original West Chester dental office. While the traveling distance is minimal, the new office goes noticeably farther up the ladder of value than both his former setting and that of other practices in the area. The change is crucial for many reasons including making it more likely people will feel comfortable about pursuing dental treatment.

According to statistics from various national health organizations, more than 50% of the population avoids seeing the dentist on even a yearly basis, and this problem is not limited to lower income households. Much avoidance can be attributed to fear, embarrassment, and phobia. With almost 24% of adults having lost all their teeth by age 65 in Pennsylvania alone (source CDC Oral Health), there is a serious need for changing how dentistry is presented and delivered.

The potential for helping people with various dental needs is significant because of Dr. Briglia's unique certification in both IV general anesthesia and oral conscious sedation, and expertise in comprehensive dentistry. Combined with an advanced, calming environment, the likelihood of encouraging those people to come forward is greatly improved.

While clinical results and treatment comfort are vital, Dr. Briglia knows the setting matters too. To remove stress and achieve a higher level of receptivity for complex and necessary treatment, patients are calmed with a rock waterfall, appropriately spacious restroom, various relaxation elements, and refreshments. For those who need distractions, he provides DVDs, Internet, soothing music, satellite radio, Cable TV, and wireless headphones. Visit TotalConfidenceDentistry.com to see and find out more.

His practice mission goes beyond comfort amenities to achieve the trust, respect, and value missing in too many situations. Dr. Briglia wants to make sure his patients get more from their dental care:
• Respect for the patient's condition not a rush to treatment
• Calm, pleasant, and thorough presentation of the possibilities
• Smile care for consumers who want a dentist focused health on first
• Proper sedation to cover all treatments from implants to oral surgery
• Sedation when acceptable to the patient and applicable to their situation
• No reason to travel from place to place: most specialty procedures performed onsite
• Responsible recommendations with options that make the treatment financially possible

"For years, I have been planning and dreaming of this type of setting. A place that truly complements all the advanced continuing education courses I have taken and the level of dental care my team and I can provide. The new practice spotlights the major changes in dentistry since I graduated from Temple Dental School in 1984."

"As one of the few dentists in Southeastern Pennsylvania certified in oral AND IV Sedation dental care for the fearful, phobic, and time challenged, I wanted to develop an advanced dental 'suite' design makes calm, clear, and informed decisions possible. Making optimum oral health decisions first; then determine a clinically sound, esthetically pleasing, and financially feasible way to get it done." Dr. Ron Briglia

Interview Dr. Briglia and discover how his dental practice makeover and expertise make it possible for consumers in West Chester and southeastern Pennsylvania to attain a much healthier lifestyle.

CONTACT
Ronald Briglia, DMD
(610) 692-4440
Chester County Medical Center
600 E. Marshall • St Ste 201
West Chester, PA 19380
www.TotalConfidenceDentistry.com

Tuesday

Cheap Dentistry Or We All Get a Million $$$ Mortgages?

How do we approach dentistry as consumers? Do we know what is possible? Does the dentist present their services effectively so trust is improved and value is high?

Marketing is too often about gimmicks and discounts. As consumers, we want to get the best price for everything. But when cost and health meet we often find ourselves with a conflict of interest. If it is not covered by dental insurance or it does not exactly fit our limited perspective of what has changed and is now possible, we think we are getting over sold.

Dentistry marketing usually throws in some kind of deal and focuses on the shiny bobbles of high tech services because we would most likely ignore it without something besides "it is good for you". But this "smoke and mirrors" makes us think there is no there there or we go further and trust dentists less.

Unfortunately, there is something more there and we miss it because telling us that "the Surgeon General" says it is so - makes us frown. This creates a slippery consumer paradox: telling it like it is - is too boring and maybe too scary. And making it seem like a day at the park with ice cream - and seemingly free - makes us suspicious. Dr. Ron Briglia of West Chester PA provides a different perspective with his new dental practice, which just opened this month.

His new practice offers the comfort required to show consumers dentistry can be a lot more pleasant and palatable. He offers sedation dentistry including IV sedation to reduce the pain and anxiety issues to almost nothing. Then he focuses on complete long term health with dental implants and advanced periodontal treatments, which means we really get something good.

See how he eliminates the boring while including real value. Like not thinking everyone can get a million dollar mortgage, we need to focus on what is really BEST not think we can defy the laws of reality when it comes to our health. If you do not think your health is worth it, changing your perspective about dentistry is vital. Do your research but don't wait too long -- forking over a few more dollars is better than saying good bye to many of your teeth.


Sincerely, Dick Chwalek - Niche Dental

New Dental Practice Opens in West Chester PA

WELCOME TO OUR NEW DENTAL PRACTICE 
Dentistry is good for you. While true, this statement lacks enthusiasm. No enthusiasm, no enthusiasts.
We are dedicated to enthusiastic dentistry. Is it an unrealistic goal? Consider these three new items first…

1) NEW…  600 E. Marshall, West Chester PA (Pennsylvania)

2) Very NEW… Oral health supporting and encouraging environment from look to feel to space.

3) NEW for YOU… Everything enhanced to make enthusiasm almost unavoidable.

"For years, I have been planning and dreaming of this. A place that truly complements all the advanced continuing education courses I have taken and the level of dental care my team and I can provide because of it. It is a setting that will spotlight the major changes in dentistry since I graduated from Temple Dental School in 1984.

As one of the few dentists in Southeastern Pennsylvania certified in oral AND IV Sedation dental care for the fearful, phobic, and time challenged, I wanted a free flowing design and state-of-the-art technology to serve them in a comprehensive manner. This advanced dental ‘suite’ design makes calm, clear, and informed decisions possible. Where we can most successfully achieve your health and comfort goals. Making optimum oral health decisions first; then determine a clinically sound, esthetically pleasing, and financially feasible way to get it done."
EXPERIENCE YOUR NEW DENTAL SUITE
• Reception room wide screen TV and wireless headphones
• Internet connection and computer, plus a fax and printer
• Web enabled phone for no cost local, national, and international calls
• A nice and appropriately spacious powder room
• Refreshments and other amenities

Spa Elements• Relaxation room: for before and after treatment where you can enjoy…
o Soothing music, a rock waterfall, paraffin hand dips, refreshments, a heated massage chair and more.
• Photo Studio: for treatment records and to showcase oral health rejuvenation and smile enhancement
• In The Future: we want to add additional spa-related services from a certified esthetician

Treatment Suites
• SIRIUS Satellite radio and relaxing CDs on our sound system
• Dimmable lights, volume controlled speakers and overhead patient video monitor
• Headphones and will be able to play cable TV, DVD’s or play video games
• Monitors to show digital x-rays, intra-oral camera images, and enthusiastic educational information

Comprehensive, Convenience, and Comfortable Treatments…
• IV Sedation for painless reconstructive treatment including dental implants, often in one day.
• When you need a dental specialist, there will be no traveling to other offices.
• Complete, painless, vital, no-lectures periodontal treatment to save your smile.
• Smile makeovers for total health rejuvenation, and a beaming with obvious confidence look!
• Safe & Reliable: digital x-rays 80-90% safer than traditional, up to date sedation monitoring, and more.

Sincerely, Dr. Ron Briglia and Team - TotalConfidenceDentistry.com
---------------------------------------------
Whether you are in Pennsylvania, New York, California, Minnesota, Alabama, Texas, Colorado or anywhere else in the US, look for a dental practice that goes beyond your expectations. Your health is worth more.

Monday

Dental CE Breakfast Seminars

The Topics

  • Practice Transition Strategies and Dental Implant CE
Seminar Date/Time

  • November 14, 2008 and December 12, 2008  (Fridays)
  • Call or Email to Reserve Your Spot/For Specific Times
Where To Be

  • 1000 Twelve Oaks Center Drive (394 and 494)
  • Suite 101
  • Wayzata, MN 55391
--- No Cost but Seating is Limited - Up to 12 Dentists
--- Reserve A Spot NOW!
--- Breakfast & CEU Certificates provided

CLICK HERE to send email to sign up for this Dental CE Breakfast Seminar
or
CALL 866-556-6213 and leave a message or talk with a member.

Sponsored by Northern Dental Alliance, Bank of America, Renstrom Dental Studio, and Aftco Practice Transitions

Dental continuing education is vital for the health of your patients, business and life because... What You Don't Know Can Help You!
Northern Dental Alliance is presenting specific and relevant strategies throughout the region as individual members, as a group, via our website, and other Internet technologies to get you the right information at the right time. Put your patients, dental practice, and personal goals on a secure foundation.

Tuesday

Reality Dental Marketing Principles

These concepts are most valuable to dentists who have tried all the generic dental marketing strategies and products. Dentists with significant expertise that desire to develop a patient base who want and will pay for a higher level of results. Consumers who need re-constructive dentistry, dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, and smile makeovers.
  • Consistent and persistent communication is a large percentage of success
  • Creativity and uniqueness is necessary for differentiation and achieving a competitive advantage
  • Effectiveness will dissipate with competition, familiarity, economic conditions, societal changes, technology advances, etc.
  • Constant enhancement and refinement are required to overcome dissipation
  • Almost anything will work, if no other dentists (or very few) are marketing
  • Dental care has a history, which means the consumer has an attitude about it that makes it more challenging than other services and products
  • Helping consumers navigate around dental insurance reliance and dental phobias make the phone person key
  • Dentists need to be the BRAND not dental services or technology; otherwise patients will more often see recommendations merely as a starting point
Call 1.888.380.0020, talk to Oli, set up consult with me, and get real with your dental advertising and marketing!
-- Contact Niche Dental

Dick Chwalek
- Dental Marketing Coach and Consultant

Get Started Dental Marketing
Dental Marketing Coaching
Advanced Dental Marketing Consulting

Thursday

Boost Your Dental Practice Revenue Health

The economy is starting to look pale and sickly. Times are getting tougher and leaner. Yet the best defense is proactive treatment. It is time to open up the floodgates with multiple dental marketing concepts that push the envelope of revenue generating potential, while keeping your budget at bay!

BELOW are three quick strategies to increase your dental patient numbers and turn things around!

1) Online Dental Marketing Channel
-- generate more local searches for less than $2,000 per year
-- totally self contained system of advertising - no website needed
-- national group with many other national websites as partners
-- great features including adding dental videos

2) Direct Mail, Powered to Balance Your Dental Marketing Budget!
-- choose your system

A -- Go Scalable: Start Your Budget at $399 per month and get...
-- personalized dental postcards going to new movers and high value households
-- you determine the campaign with the guidance you need and want
-- Postage, addresses, printing, designs, mailing, and more

B -- Take This Prescription: Start low and move to custom
-- dental marketing postcards as low as $0.06 per card
-- choose your design, add your dental logo, text and get it done

3) Dental Website Online Dominance Strategies
  • Assisted Dental Blogging, which adds SEO power to your web repertoire
    • includes unique content, territory exclusivity, and more
  • Custom Dental Videos that speak YOUR words, which "walk right out" of your website
  • Custom Dental Websites - actually unique - with power to boost your dental web presence
Give patients the dental health they deserve. Give your practice the revenue health it requires.

Call 866-453-1026 ext 251
and achieve a healthy independence for all!
-- Email Niche Dental
Happy 4th of July!

Get Started Dental Marketing Recommendation: great ideas for your situation now
Dental Marketing Coaching: ongoing enhancements and communication integration ideas
Advanced Dental Marketing Consulting: plan, assistance and implementation

Nashville Dental Specialists Website Videos

The best way to advocate for a service is to have customers sing its praises. Dental patient video testimonials presented on websites quickly overcome the worries, fears, concerns, and cost issues surrounding advanced dentistry.

Dental Specialty Group , Oral Surgeons practicing in Nashville TN, a Niche Dental client, takes patient testimonials to the next level with their dental web site video presentations.

With dental implant patient website videos, cosmetic and smile makeover dentists, oral surgeons, prosthodontists, periodontists, and orthodontists will...

• Quickly present the positive reality of dental treatment
• Effectively emphasize how the patient feels afterwards
• Feature how dental patients look and hold themselves after treatment
• Concisely showcase their feelings leading up to the decision to proceed
• Superbly build the value of your dental expertise

See how these specialists feature dental implant patient videos, helping Nashville TN residents understand their superior value.

Dental website SEO is mostly about improving visitor numbers. With dentistry treatment testimonial videos, you will develop consumers are ready to proceed, emotionally and financially.

Achieve more for your patients and your entire dental office rather than settle for less.

Call 866-453-1026 ext 251 or EMAIL Niche Dental - whether you just need to get started, dental website videos, or want a complete makeover with regular marketing health maintenance.

Get Started Dental Marketing

Achieve More Now...
Dental Marketing Coaching

Advanced Dental Consulting

Get Dental Videos On Your Website.
Smile Makeover CT Cosmetic Dentist Seminar

MN Dental Laboratory Tour Video

Wednesday

MN based Dental Alliance Announces Formation

As independent business people, which most dentists are, the need for expert assistance is often vital. Financial, legal, clinical, and marketing among dozens of other related business and personal services are part a dentist's success repertoire.

Of course, getting the right information at the right time is also very crucial. The Northern Dental Alliance is a new format for making it all work for dentists.

Read the Northern Dental Alliance official launch press release.

Get local with your Dentistry PR.

Sincerely, Dick Chwalek - Niche Dental President and NDA Member
CALL 866-453-1026 ext 251
Dental Marketing Coach and Dentistry Consultant Services Provided
www.NicheDental.com

More Northern Dental Alliance Public Relations.

Cosmetic Dentist CT - Historic Makeover

A Manchester, Connecticut cosmetic dentist reflects on dentistry makeover: how dental treatment has changed over the years.

From smoking in the reception area to satisfying smile makeover results hardly believable if imagined 30 years ago, this dentist explains what it was like when he started and what is possible now.

PR for your dental practice offers the public more.

Read the CT cosmetic dentist's release.

Sincerely, Dick Chwalek - Niche Dental President
CALL 866-453-1026 ext 251

Dental Marketing Coach and Dentistry Consultant
www.NicheDental.com

Saturday

Most Common Dental Marketing Questions?

What are the most common dental marketing questions? As a dental marketing coach and consultant working with many different dentists over the course of a year, I see many similarities with dentistry and marketing.

Dental patients also have many questions that my dentist clients need to answer. Some are more easily dealt with; others are more delicate or problematic. Dentists can often only answer in generalities. To dental patients, it might sound like avoidance, but usually it falls in the legitimate category of “we need to do a complete oral exam to make sure”.

Yet we all desire simple answers with an inexpensive cost to go with it. For my consumer cohorts and me, it is dental care. For you and my dentist clients, it is dental practice marketing. However, we also want to get a high level of value and realize that complexity and unknowns are part of life.

To build value and avoid causing mistrust, both of us – dentist and dental marketer – need to effectively enlighten each other’s constituencies. They need to know how to determine when value should take over from a pure cost perspective and when complexity requires us to do more than throw mud at the “solutions” wall.

Let’s see how these two perspectives, dental care and marketing, compare.

Frequently Asked Questions Comparison
--- Actual dentist provided the consumer questions for this TOP list.

1. Why doesn’t dental insurance cover more of my procedures? (I ask because because your expertise and my dental health is only valuable up to a point.)
1. How come your fees for dental marketing are higher than I was expecting to pay (and do not reflect the low value I put on this type of service)?

2. Is this dental treatment going to hurt in any way?
2. Can you guarantee that my first dental postcard mailing will work?

3. Is this dentistry procedure necessary?
3. Can I do less dental advertising and still get a good result?

4. My child needs braces. What do I need to do? (Asked before an exam)
4. I need to attract more dental patients. What do I need to do? (Asked without knowing your entire situation, real budget, etc.)

5. What age should my children start their dental care?
5. I have never marketed my dental practice at all or not very consistently or proactively; I have been opened for 2 months to 30 years. Where should I start?

6. Why do I need dental x-rays?
6. Why should I do a dental marketing plan?

7. Why do I need to come every six months to get my teeth cleaned?
7. Can I just do one direct mail dental postcard and then see what happens?

8. What is periodontal disease?
8. Why do I need consistent dental marketing to keep my practice healthy?

9. Am I a good candidate for Invisalign braces?
9. Should my dental practice just stick with the same old, same old (my dwindling referral network, etc.) and not try anything new since it could be risky?

Complexity/Value VS Simplicity/Cost
Dentistry is often complex. Yet consumers want simple answers. Your education and training, the professionals you employ, and the products and technology you use require significant financial resources – especially if you want to offer latest, greatest dental service.

And even though consumers "want" these new, amazing dental treatments, they often expect it to have very little impact (at least obvious) on their wallets. This large value and reality disconnect squeezes things quite a bit. Without assertive communication (dental marketing) the opening for success will stay very small and probably get smaller.

Dental marketing has its complexities as well. Yet almost anyone can do it, even dentists— without a state dental board and health officials requiring they do 75 hours of dental marketing CE each year. This – I can do it on my own if I want AND the reality of time needed, increased trial and error potential, and constant changes in dental marketing techniques – creates a value disconnect as well.

How many hours do dentists spend on their own marketing to "save money" but then their trial and error rate is double or triple that of a middle-of-the-road dental marketer? Yes it might cost more "out of pocket" to get the results you really want, but is that not what you tell your patients. I do have an idea of how we could make things better -- develop a dental marketing insurance plan. Think of the bureaucratic marketing bliss we could achieve. I will send you the appropriate forms as soon as they are available.

How Can We Solve This Dentistry Dilemma?

First, decide what is most important. Is it value or cost? Should we avoid complexity (and hope for simple answers when they are not there) or go beyond simplistic marketing of dentistry and be more creative in addressing the challenges?

Once you make your decision, start communicating it consistently: whatever “it” is. Dental marketing in a consistent way is 50-90% of success. Of course, “success” depends on your competition, what methods are employed, and the frequency. (That darn complexity again.)

Next, consider what your value is and what person or entity can best develop it throughout your communication system (you, someone you know, a dental marketer, dental consultant, etc.).

Finally, rather than following the herd – be creative so you standout consistently. Choosing the generic – often the cheaper but little standout value – dental marketer – means at some point you will be (or continue to be) thought of as any dentist – which means your value will be generic and only covered by dental insurance.

DENTAL FAQ #10
> Both of these are mine.

10. Is there a dentist near you that has extra training and knowledge like you do (from sources like LVI, AACD, Pankey, John Kois, Peter Dawson, AGD, and dental labs AND does smile makeovers, dental implants, neuromuscular dentistry, dental exams, crown and bridge dentistry, porcelain veneers, braces, and/or smile whitening) but charges less than you do and will achieve the same value and result as you do?

10. Is there any place I can get dental marketing cheaper – but will also put the same level of value into my message, image, dental website writing, dentist brochure, cosmetic dentistry postcards, dental practice logos, dental PPC online advertising, dentistry stationery, and dental websites SEO?

> I like building value because simplicity is boring and contributes to the dumbing down to the lowest common denominator of what is possible. More importantly, your patients deserve all dentistry has to offer. When you are ready to get them that level of care, we should talk.
Sincerely, Dick Chwalek - Niche Dental President
CALL 866-453-1026 ext 251

Dental Marketing Coach and Dentistry Consultant
www.NicheDental.com
PLUS - Build Value into, and Be Consistent with, your dental marketing...
Consistently Attract New Patients with Personalized Family or Cosmetic Dentist Postcards!
Dental Logos With Standout POWER and Custom Dentistry Websites Too!.

Tuesday

Website SEO For Dentists: Exposed!

SEO is working for some dentists and dental practices. But be wary of the HYPE! Dental website SEO is a 'well' of potential that cannot be fully understood or controlled – even by the dentist website SEO experts – because it is always evolving and not necessarily doing more for the money spent.

Make sure the dental website SEO well you are lowered into provides enough financial liquidity to pay back your investment not just a very long rope wrapping around your dental marketing budget.

Website SEO is NOT like dental treatment that has an upward trend of improvement over time – it is more like shifting sands of value with many areas of quicksand for your marketing dollars. Make sure you get the whole picture for your dental website strategy not just a service with a bunch of over-hyped promises. Your dentist web site strategy should focus on what YOU need, not mostly what SEO needs!

Your dentistry has a value that should standout from the GIMMICKS dental SEO firms have in their quiver. Make sure the dental practice Website SEO firm’s belief in their own service is not more overblown than their knowledge of other dental marketing services that might be more valuable to you.

Secondarily, dental SEO merely WAITS for new patients to search… so you end up fighting for the same limited patient base your dentist competitors are. Plus it is getting even more difficult to get those new dental patients as more of your dental practice competitors join in the online and SEO fray.

This means rather than enhancing the overall supply of patients, you are paying more and more dental marketing dollars for fewer patients than the first dentist that did SEO. While I do see issues with its SINGULAR potential for driving patients to your dental practice, SEO can help you gain a foothold in the dental advertising environment.

SEO – search engine optimization – the “free click” concept – is very seductive for many dentists. It is the “Free” dental PR of the web. However, there is REAL WORK involved. Either you do the dental web site search engine optimizing or your dental Webmaster does.

Dental SEO is an ongoing process. You also need to be wary of the many pitfalls and gimmicks that might hurt the high ranking potential of your dental web site. Think of effective dentist SEO as keeping ahead of periodontal disease with your patients. There are good days where you feel good about what has been done – but if nothing is done for months – much of the value is lost. Search engines change their rules and algorithms, and the basic technology of tracking results transforms constantly.

Effective dental website SEO is a matter of valuable content, updating, and some technical formatting and structuring. This is not all about “meta tags” as it was in the early days. Some SEO groups can even get your site blacklisted: using various schemes like “link farming” and “keyword slamming”. These are very shallow dental SEO strategies. Be sure the strategy is also about valuing your dentist expertise not just finding “a dental website”.

The most vexing dentist web SEO issue: there is no way to really quantify the value of any specific strategy that will get you at the top consistently because of all these variables. Unless they assess many aspects of their dental marketing, dentists will just pay more until “it happens”.

Finally, to gain the upper hand in this online dental advertising environment, it makes sense to have a decent offline proactive dental marketing campaign. Use SEO to gather up dental patients who are already out there searching for a dentist, but make sure you are ALSO introducing more people to the value of your dental practice brand through an external marketing strategy, a dental direct mail program for example. Even sending a few hundred or a thousand dental postcards a month, which direct consumer directly to your dental web site not to search for any dentist.

Remember dental SEO is a regressive strategy unless you are priming the pump with a proactive – get more consumers to log online – public (and patient) dental marketing communication campaigns. Avoid the quicksand of one trick pony dental advertising strategy. Get the right dental communication mix, Integrate!
Sincerely, Dick Chwalek - Niche Dental President
CALL 866-453-1026

Dentist Marketing Coach and Dental Consultant
NicheDental.com
PLUS - Go Proactive with your dental marketing...

Dental Logos With Standout POWER, Stationery Design, Dentist Websites Too!.

Grow Your Patient Base Fast with Personalized Dental or Orthodontic Postcards!

Friday

Is Leasing A New Dental Office In Your Future?

Making a big decision like leasing a dental office is fraught with many long term issues. While there is some potential for you to get it all right - one miscue can set you back in many ways not just financially.

I was contacted a couple weeks ago by someone who actually helps dentists around the country to get the best deal on their lease. George Vaill, a dental office leasing expert, has one of those unique and niche oriented business concepts that get right down to business. There is no huge fee and you can save money as well and avoid the headaches of trial and error, which can last many years in this case.

As of yet, none of my dental clients have worked with him - but it can't hurt to see what is possible. Why open your new dental practice and generate negative and long lasting cacophony of coulda, shoulda, woulda voices in your head.

Being your own hard-nosed dental office lease negotiator might have been what you minored in at Alma Mater U, but if not, why would you want to start the learning prowess in this situation?

GEORGE VAILL DENTAL OFFICE LEASE NEGOTIATIONS
34 Edward Drive • Winchester, MA 01890
Link here to his site... Dental Office Leasing: Contact George Vaill

Sincerely,
Dick Chwalek - Niche Dental President

Dental Marketing Coach and Consultant
NicheDental.com

PLUS...

Standout with Personalized Dental or Orthodontic Postcards!
Create The Dentist Expert Brand And Get the Dental Logo You Need.


What Makes A Dental Website Work?

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for dentists is a hot topic in dental website marketing. While being high on the search engines has its advantages, it is not much different than being the first ad in the yellow pages many years ago.

With a HIGH SEO RANKING for your dental website, you will get more window shoppers, but not necessarily very many patients or at least those who will understand and appreciate--in timely manner--the value you will present them.

Rather than merely cranking up the number of "scanning eyeballs" also make sure you are moving towards an integrated and patient attracting dental marketing strategy.

Here the main elements you need to be successful dentist online:

1) Present your best "real people" smile makeover photos or videos not dental cases alone.

2) Have testimonials of dentistry patients saying many different things about their experience, their dentist and their new confidence.

3) Present various elements that include the dentist (you) with patients, about who the dentist is in real life, and other elements such as dental pr (dentist on TV video, etc.)

See What Arthur Freedman - Hartford CT Area Cosmetic Smile Makeover Dentist Says.

Sincerely,
Dick Chwalek - Dental Marketing Coaching
Call 866-453-1026
NicheDental.com

Thursday

Dental Advertising: Consistency Rules the Day!

Whatever you think of dental marketing, it has a value to the consumer. It reminds, cajoles, influences, and encourages them to do what they need to do, want to do, and would make them happier.

Being consistent means you get to the dental consumer when they are "ready to do something". While it is no longer true now -- remember the days when the car ads overpopulated the newspaper? Why do they need to market that much anyway? Most of us would think. Then 18 months later when you were in need of a new car - there was not enough of them.

Cars and dentistry are different, but consumers are always the same. They need it when they need it and not any sooner - so dental marketing has to be consistent. Your dental practice always needs to be out there and top of the mind when they start looking.

However, there is subset of this dental consumer group that will put things off until someone reminds them or informs them of some new value provided. "I won't buy a new car till they get 100 mpg!" "I would get a smile makeover if they could do it without causing me pain!"

Unfortunately, once this "new value" is discovered and publicly marketed a few times - if at all - most dental consumers never hear about it again. Like now everyone who will ever buy a car has one!

Be consistent about your dental marketing and you will be successful! Of course, I believe my strategies work better then other dental marketers and also add long term value to your dental brand - but however you do it - do it!

Sincerely,

Dick Chwalek - Dental Marketing Consultant

CALL 866-453-1026

and Ask about my proven Dental Marketing: Connective Communication system!

Tuesday

Downturn Changes Dental Marketing Perspectives.

As the economy contracts, consumers will reduce their spending. However, they do not stop their spending on everything; they set priorities. So why are consumers making the decision to cut back on their dental care, something which should not get cut so fast?

I see in dental chat room posts, hear in calls from dentists, and get in emails from dentists "who did not need to advertise before" that things are slowing down and they are not sure how to deal with it.

First, good communication is always needed. In an economic downturn is that consumers also need to, or think they need to, contract their dental spending as well. Unfortunately, if dentists were not "assertively communicating" the value of their dentistry during the good times, downturns are exactly when consumers and patients are going to determine they do not need to put dental care high up on the priority ladder.

Stop thinking dental advertising and marketing are not always needed. It should be thought of as communication that you proactively and assertively develop. Dental marketing is not bad or good - it is necessary.

There are many things you can do right now to reverse the trend. Finally get that dental website going full throttle. Do a regular dental postcard marketing campaign - so you are not just waiting for patients to find you. Then start integrating your dental marketing so the value of your dental expertise is always building.

There are many sources for increasing new patient and referral numbers and putting your dental practice revenues on the upward trajectory.

I offer dental marketing coaching program with significant proven results. An almost unlimited number of ideas to get things going immediately and for long term success as well.

Stop surfing the web and start making it happen.

Sincerely,
Dick Chwalek - Dental Marketing Consultant
Call 866-453-1026
NicheDental.com

Saturday

Archiving Dental Marketing With Standout Value

There are many ways to market your dental practice. Don't limit your thinking. If you would rather build your expertise than just crank through patients, my dental consulting can get you there.

Get the latest information on niche dental marketing. Here is my Niche Dental advanced marketing newsletter archive.

Sunday

Introducing the Northern Dental Alliance


What we don’t know can HELP us! This is the premise of the Northern Dental Alliance. NDA gets dentists the right information at the right time.

Discover how you can make your future much brighter: by enhancing your retirement and overall wealth, improving dental case development skills, better facilitating your practice purchase or sale, adeptly navigating all your legal needs, and marketing your dental expertise and services more effectively! NDA is ready to help you no matter where you are located: east, west, north or south!

Who is the Northern Dental Alliance (NDA) and what do they do?
➢ Northern Location – National Relevance
o Check out the NDA website: NorthernDentalAlliance.com

NDA Members...

Dental Practice Transitions – Mike Haase, Aftco
• Makes the most out of your biggest asset. Preparing you for the unexpected.

Health Law Services – Michael Weber, Weber Law Office -- serving dentists and other health professionals
• Providing quality and responsive legal services, including professional licensure, business, employment, regulatory compliance, and health-related trial work.

Dental Laboratory MN – Randy Renstrom and Nick Schuett, Renstrom Dental Studio and Crocus Dental Technology
• Exceptional, cost-relevant crown and bridge, case design/development, esthetic, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry

Dentist Wealth Management – Rick Epple, CFP® - Epple Financial Advisors, LLC
• Develops and puts in place a plan to achieve financial independence. Tying your business and personal life together.

Integrated Dental Communication MarketingDick Chwalek, Niche Dental
• Identifies your Niche. Creates your Brand. Integrates your Marketing. Implements your Strategy.

Tuesday

Do MORE With Less… “Niche” Your Dental Practice!

Consumers want what you offer, every bit of it. But that is the problem. There is too much “every” so nothing develops deep value. Narrowing your dental expertise to a niche makes it much easier for them to “want more of it––now”.

Yes, many people stop at cost and some stay away because of fear, but a large percentage of the public puts off more dentistry because of ignorance. All they “see” is dentistry of the past or a generic cosmetic dentistry concept.

Stand out by developing your dentistry niche! I work with a Connecticut dentist that prospective patients call up and say, “You are one of only two cosmetic dental specialists in the area.” While he lets them know he is NOT a specialist–he is perceived as one because of his niche focus (and his peers lack of focus).

He offers every service, but effectively mines his dentistry niche. The economy has been tough in his area for many years, but he draws people from all over who want “his” level of care.

Recently in KC, I met with about 25 dentists from all over the U.S. – some said they attracted patients because of their niche focus. Many patients they attracted with their marketing left other dental practices that actually did this “kind of work”, but patients were clueless. Some dentists at the KC meeting were also in that position: patients unaware of their expertise in cosmetic dentistry. Imagine how many are not going to any dentist because of ignorance. How many are leaving your dental practice?

If a dentist’s patients don’t know about their expertise, how can the public ever figure it out without the communication process changing? Go beyond dental services; niche your dental expertise. There are too many services, which confuses the consumer. Then all the dental technology – that your competition also ends up promoting in 6 months – which throws more fuel on the fire of confusion-ism.

Most people hang with the herd, dentists as well as consumers. It is so loud and crowded that we move together, and change little. Then all of a sudden the herd stampedes – we cannot see the cliff – and end up going over it with the rest of them.

For example, everyone’s following the pricing model (consumers and dentists): pretty soon dental expertise will fall off the cliff of irrelevance. Communicating a niche is the other path. It builds expertise value. You’ll do MORE with less (confusion).

Come to Renstrom Dental Studio on February 7, 2008 and I will give you a primer on how to profit from your niche.

And Remember… Define, Refine and among other things get your dental niche Online!

Sincerely, Dick Chwalek • NicheDental.comDental Communication Integration Consultant