Enter Dr. Mayer Levitt, President and owner of Jodena Consulting, a firm that provides vital support and solutions to dental practices nationwide. Dr. Levitt spent nearly 30 years managing his now 12 chair dental practices before becoming a consultant, and during his last seven years in private practice, he balanced both consulting and practice management. Dr. Levitt knows the business of being a dentist and has worked with over 525 practices on everything from creating profitable hygiene departments, to practice transitions and helping doctors optimize their efficiency and effectiveness.

Dr. Levitt graciously allowed us to pick his brain about practice management today, and to let us in on a few secrets:

DB: As a dentist, what was the hardest thing about managing your own practice?
Dr. Levitt: Unquestionably, finding and keeping a talented, caring, customer service oriented staff. It’s still the biggest problem for dental practices now.

DB: What are some of the worst mistakes a dentist can make when managing his or her practice?
Dr. Levitt: Micromanaging the staff and not allowing them to grow and learn from their mistakes is a big misstep. Also, failure to think outside of the box and stifling creativity is an issue. Sometimes you simply have to leave your comfort zone and remain open to a different approach. If you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to get what you’ve always gotten.

DB: What’s the latest piece of advice you’re giving to your clients?
Dr. Levitt: Get going with Internet marketing. It’s an absolute must if you want your practice to remain competitive. You have to have a great website as well as a social media presence. Google is king!

Dr. Levitt also let us in on another secret. Since he is no longer practicing dentistry, he doesn’t get the satisfaction of seeing patients relieved of pain and happy with their smiles. Now he gets his kicks seeing his clients become more successful as they grow their practices. For more great practice management advice, visit Dr. Levitt’s blog. Be sure to sign up for the Jodena blog RSS Feed to receive lots of consistent, practical advice delivered right to you email (you’ll receive a FeedBurner notice via email, so be sure to confirm after signing up). To learn more about Dr. Levitt and Jodena Consulting, visit his website at www.jodena.com.

With much debate in dental circles on whether or not to Web 2.0, Dr. Dalin, a St. Louis dentist, said in his article that he strongly believed in walking the walk, not just talking the talk. And so, using his own website as a case study, Dr. Dalin dove right into a re-skin of his old, stagnant website, hiring TNT Dental to lead the SEO charge. He also gave the go ahead to optimize his new site into a mobile friendly format for display on smart phones, such as the iPhone, Blackberry, and Droid mobile devices.

Besides being more visually appealing, what is Dr. Dalin’s goal with the new website? According to his article, it’s to place higher in search engine rankings, drive new traffic to his site, generate leads that will become new patient conversions, as well as keep his existing patients consistently engaged. Dr. Dalin also plans a series of follow up articles to appear in DE magazine over the coming months chronicling his website’s success. We’re certainly eager to see the results!

View Dr. Dalin’s new website, read his article about embracing dental search engine optimization, and then tell us what you think.

It’s all about the apps.

Fact: In only nine months, iPod app downloads topped one billion.

What is an app?

App is short for application. A website app is a downloadable version of a website that’s completely user friendly on a cell phone that has Internet capability.

Dr. Lance Timmerman of Seattle has a custom website with TNT Dental. The website features email contact forms, a blog by Dr. Timmerman, video introductions by the dentist, a before-and-after gallery, and many other cutting-edge features that promote conversion – turning web visitors into active patients.

Always on top of state-of-the-art marketing trends, Dr. Timmerman now has a practice website application from TNT.mobile.

Check it out:

Want a TNT.mobile app of your own?

It’s simple. Just call TNT Dental at 877-868-4932 for details. TNT Dental is your Internet marketing partner, and the folks there are anxious to take your practice to the next level!

Video testimonials seem real.

In the post “Why Testimonials Do (and Don’t) Work,” Holly Buchanan of Future Now tells us that testimonials hurt your marketing strategy if people don’t think they’re real.

How’s this for “real?” Dr. Harry Chambers of Oregon, a Gresham dentist, has a great example of video testimonials on his website by TNT Dental. The videos depict his real patients in his real practice telling their real stories.

Video testimonials can answer the right questions.

At www.yesmediaworks.com, The Video Marketing Blog tells us that the best video testimonials are case studies, which, in a causal form, is the style Dr. Chambers instituted on his Gresham dentistry website. The patients in his testimonials answered key questions that the viewer (the potential patient) wanted answered. Like, for instance, What problems did Dr. Chambers’ patient have with his or her mouth? What were the obstacles that kept him or her from solving the problems? How did Dr. Chambers address and correct the problem? Was the patient satisfied?

Video testimonials show and tell.

In your college writing courses, you probably heard “show, don’t tell.” Want better advice? Do both. Video testimonials tell the whole story – right from the patient’s mouth. A viewer feels like he’s sitting in your office, chatting it up with one of your very pleased patients. He feels a connection to the person on his computer screen and, according to studies, over 70% of the time, people believe online reviews or testimonials about services and products.

Let’s look at Dr. Chambers’ videos again. The featured patients are your average American folks who needed a dentist in Gresham, Oregon to solve their problems. They aren’t rich. They aren’t famous… and neither are your patients. Video testimonials seem friendly and genuine – because they are.

So how can you get video testimonials?

You have a few options here. First, you can record the videos yourself, or train someone on your staff to do it for you. Dr. Larry Emmott offers great tips on his blog here.

If you don’t want to hassle with buying equipment, you could use a service, like VSling by Smile Reminder.

And if you really don’t want ANY hassle, hire a videographer and have an after-hours party – a wine tasting or hors d’oeuvres event – during the video shoot. Invite your favorite patients as honorees and enjoy yourself while someone else shoots the video. Simply have your videographer clean up the videos and send them to your web company for inclusion on your site. It can be that simple.

The article also features a downloadable pdf of a testimonial questionnaire for your patients – free! Don’t miss out on this valuable information – it’s a quick read you can’t afford to miss.

For dentists, the first point of reference in advertising guidelines should always be the state board’s regulations. The Texas Dental Association, for instance, does not allow dentists to use testimonials in advertising. Other state dental boards regulate issues like statements of superiority, promising predictable results, and use of misleading statements.

Once your advertisement or website passes through the state board’s filter of regulations, consult the FTC guidelines. New policies prohibit promises of atypical results in testimonials, even with a disclaimer; revealing material connections with endorsers; and even on talk shows and in social media, celebrities have to tell people if they’re being paid for the endorsements they discuss.

These days, with online communities like Facebook and Yelp!, dentists who want to boost their advertising often look for testimonials from their patients. Demandforce and other marketing companies for dentists provide a service to acquire and post testimonials from current patients. Not a bad idea if you don’t know the rules and don’t have the time.

For video testimonials, the new guidelines could mean that you’ll need to script the patient testimonials prior to shooting or edit the videos for compliance before use.

A set of guides are available online to make the “16 C.F.R. Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” a little easier for you to digest. Get the scoop here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm.

• What’s the big deal about Facebook?
• If Baby Boomers don’t Facebook much, and they’re my ideal clientele, what’s the point?
• Why would I waste time chatting online when I could be working?
• How am I supposed to make time to blog and network? I’m a doctor, for goodness’ sake!

…watch this video. The facts presented here are staggering – and sobering. After the video, read the rest of this blog posted below, and you’ll find practical social networking tips for your dental practice.

As Promised, Social Networking Tips for Your Dental Practice

• Get a website.
  If you don’t have a website, you’re way behind the times, and your practice will suffer. Part of running a successful business is keeping up with marketing trends. The Internet has replaced Yellow Pages.

• Get a blog.
  In short, a blog is like an interactive newsletter that will really help your search engine rankings. Your blog can be a page of your website.
  • Automatically post blogs to Facebook and Twitter with the “Add to Any” widget.
  • Be sure to tag your blogs with relevant keywords and use rich headings.

• Get free Facebook and Twitter accounts for your practice.
  
  • Simply go to www.facebook.com and www.twitter.com and sign up with your practice’s name.
  • Post a footprint advertising your Facebook and Twitter accounts on your website’s homepage.
  • Update your Facebook account daily with your website’s blog post.
  • Befriend/follow your patients, suppliers, employees, and specialists to whom you refer patients.
  • Require that your team members post to your blog, Facebook, or Twitter once a week. You don’t have to do all the work yourself.

This certainly isn’t ALL you can do, but it’s a good start.

TNT Dental, a leader in Internet marketing, offers clients free advice and blog training. Yes, I said it’s free for TNT clients. Also, TNT can write blogs for you – a service they call GhostPosts. So, if you’re ready to take your Internet marketing to the next level, call TNT Dental today at 877-868-4932!

Writing for Internet Readers
For patients and potential patients, marketing copy is necessary. Not hard-sell copywriting, but a massaged style of marketing copy that represents the voice and nature of your practice. Writing for search engines has to do with composing content that will make your site rank well on Google, Yahoo, and other search engines. Because search engine spiders’ appetites change constantly, you really should employ an SEO copywriter who’s up to speed with current SEO practices. Don’t try to wing it. You’ll be disappointed. As for writing copy that appeals to referring dentists, you can do this quite well, to be sure. Here’s a tip… Speaking doctor-to-doctor (in first person) is a warm and practical approach that appeals to professionals.

More about Copywriting for Internet Readers
A post at www.copyblogger.com reviews tips on “How to Avoid Losing Your Readers Along the Long Copy Path.” While we at TNT Dental recommend you let professional dental & SEO copywriters compose content for your website, this article will shed insight into why Internet copywriters do what they do. Take a peek here.

Point of View (POV)
You may think that your website should be written in third person from the writer’s point of view, like a newspaper or article about your practice. In theory, this sounds logical. However, third person from the writer’s perspective is not as warm and inviting as if the words were coming from you. In addition, the site will feature your name so many times, your head will spin. Check it out:

Dr. Holt offers family and cosmetic dentistry in Cleveland. When you visit Dr. Holt and his team, you can expect excellent clinical care and personalized service. For any procedure, Dr. Holt will explain what you can expect before he begins treatment. With images from an intraoral camera and digital X-ray, he can show you the problems with your oral health. Dr. Holt believes, the more you know, the more comfortable you’ll be with your dental care.

Then you should write in first person? Nope. Imagine all of the “I” and “me” verbiage that’s required for first person composition. Your website would look self indulgent and pompous. See what you think:

I offer family and cosmetic dentistry in Cleveland. When you visit me and my team, you can expect excellent clinical care and personalized service. For any procedure, I will explain what you can expect before I begin treatment. With images from an intraoral camera and digital X-ray, I will show you the problems with your oral health. I believe, the more you know, the more comfortable you’ll be with your dental care.

So what is the solution? We’ve found that third person from the POV of a member of your dental team works best. Search engines like it, as do web visitors. Like this:

Dr. Holt and our team offer family and cosmetic dentistry. When you visit us, expect excellent clinical care and personalized service. For any procedure, Dr. Holt will explain what you can expect before he begins treatment. With images from an intraoral camera and a digital X-ray, he can show you the problems with your oral health. Dr. Holt believes, the more you know, the more comfortable you’ll be with you dental care.

Getting Started with Good Website Copy
If you’d like professional copywriters who understand SEO and dentistry to compose content for your website and/or blog, call TNT Dental today, or visit them online at www.TNTDental.com.

Be sure to visit DentalBlogs on Facebook today!

1.      Custom Design and Content – Don’t settle for cookie-cutter designs. Only a custom website can convey the quality and project the unique presence that your dental practice deserves. Only a custom website will set your practice apart and attract patients in your target audience. An established and respected dental website design company, TNT Dental offers custom websites, from art to copy to navigation and features, as well as hosting and support.

2.      Targeted Search Engine Optimization – The Internet is a worldwide venue. To attract patients in your area who need the services you enjoy providing, a strategic SEO plan is essential. Reports and maintenance will keep your SEO strategy working for you 24/7.

3.      Regular Updates & A Blog - What will an outdated site say about your office? Keep it fresh! With convenient support services, including GhostPosts blogs, TNT Dental will make your site attractive to potential patients and search engine spiders.

If your website needs a makeover, or it’s time you step into the World Wide Web with an inaugural website, visit TNT Dental online today or call 877-868-4932. Custom website packages, multiple hosting options, and one-on-one customer service make TNT the right choice for every dentist!

The repercussions of posting content that’s not your own or misusing trademarks can involve thousands upon thousands of dollars in fines – or even jail time. On top of this, dentists need to understand the marketing guidelines set by their state board, or they could compromise their dental license, as well.

To play it safe with your dental website:

• Don’t post words or pictures you took from other websites unless a) you have explicit permission from the copyright owner or b) the website states that you can use the content or photos with appropriate credit given to the source. Even better, create your own pictures (with a digital camera), and write, or hire a copywriter to write, original content for your website. Unique content is better for search engine optimization, anyway, so the benefits are twofold.
• Don’t scan pictures or articles from magazines and use them on your site without permission. If you are in a photo or featured in an article, be sure to obtain the copyright owner’s permission to use the content on your website. This means that you should contact the publication or author for permission to use the information on your site. You need to have one-time rights for Internet use. As an alternative, you can post a link to the main page of the website on which the content is posted.
• Don’t claim to do something you don’t really do. If you like the philosophy behind big-name whitening and veneer products, but you don’t offer them, don’t say that you do. Likewise, consult with your SEO team before optimizing your website for trademarked terms.
• If your photo gallery has pictures of real patients, obtain each patient’s written permission to use the photos on your website.
• Check with your state’s dental board for marketing guidelines, then follow them. Most states comply with ADA guidelines for dental marketing, which prohibit comparing yourself to other providers, using statements of superiority, and claiming predictable results.

To learn more about legal usage of photos and content for your website, contact TNTDental, the leader in custom dental website design, hosting, and search engine optimization. The experts at TNT will be happy to help you develop an original website that accomplishes your marketing goals and accurately portrays your unique dental practice. Visit TNTDental online here.

When someone is looking for a dentist online, he or she will usually Google* the word “dentist” and a nearby city. This would mean that a Katy, Tx resident may type in “Katy dentist” or “Houston dentist.” Beyond that, the searcher may look for a more specific topic like “cosmetic dentistry,” “gum disease,” “crowns in an hour,” or “clear braces.”

To be found on page one for these relevant terms is terrific. To be found on page one, even in the number-one spot, for a term that few people search for is useless. When I read about a site that’s “on page one!” I want to know what term is associated with that rank. If it’s “red-headed dental assistant,” it’s no good. So how can you know what terms folks are searching for? A combination of common sense and research will produce a good, solid list of keywords for your website.

When selecting keywords, start with the services you offer, particularly those that are highly advertised (thus popular) and those you want to promote. Invisalign, Lumineers, and Zoom! Whitening are now recognized brands that people search for online. General services, like fillings, crowns, and dentures, are also important. Choose cities within a 12 to 20 mile radius. Make sure the cities you choose are those where your ideal patients reside. Your name, the names of your associates or partners, and/or your practice name are also good keywords. But wait, there’s more.

An SEO company worth its salt will advise you on your list, keep the focus somewhat narrow, then research the terms to determine how many folks are actually looking for the keywords you chose. The SEO company will revise and amend the list so that it’s more in line with what folks are actually typing in when they search for a dentist online.

Working the keywords into a solid front- and back-end SEO strategy is essential to moving your site up the rankings. All aspects of a website – from graphics to written content to layout to navigation – contribute to a solid SEO strategy. The back-end work – tags, submissions, coding issues, etc. – is equally if not more important. In short, the entire website should be built with your custom SEO strategy in mind. The more competitive your market, the stronger your strategy must be.

Once your site is live, expect 3 to 12 months of waiting while search engines index and rank the site. Supplement your marketing with pay-per-click advertising if you want immediate results. During the wait time, your site should progress up the list toward page one, then up page one towards the top. Ranking reports provide information that will guide the SEO team to tweak your site as needed for optimal results. The one advantage your competitor may have that you cannot attack is longevity. A great site that’s kept up to speed with SEO tactics and has years of tenure online can outrank a new website with an equally good strategy. Because no one knows the exact formula for site rankings, SEO is an ever-changing field. To truly compete, a dentist needs an experienced, hard-working team of search engine and web design specialists at work every day, all year long. You can claim page one for a good term, but it will take expertise, time, and patience.

Read more about dental websites here. If you want to discuss your website’s design or SEO strategy, call TNT Dental, the dental website experts, today.

*Other popular search engines include Yahoo, MSN, Ask, and more.

• Are the keywords you’re targeting relevant to site content?
• Are targeted keywords popular phrases used in search engine queries?
• Do page titles start with your targeted keywords?
• Does your site employ H1 header tags for prominent content titles?
• Is your permanent body copy contextually sufficient and keyword-rich?
• Do text links include targeted keywords that point users to pages within your site?
• Do graphics used in the site have descriptive, keyword-rich alternative attributes that are useful for visitors?

This may sound overwhelming, so let’s break it down. You probably know that “www” stands for world-wide web. That’s not city-wide, state-wide, or even nation-wide, but world-wide. Your dental website may be the all-time greatest estheitc masterpiece online, but without a solid SEO strategy in place, no one will ever find it! Your site competes with dental websites from all over the world. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend your lunch hours and family time pouring through books to learn how to optimize your website. One call to TNT Dental, and all of your SEO woes will be history.

TNT Dental has been creating SEO dental websites for years. Their professional web designers and technicians stay up to date with current SEO tactics, just like you stay on top of the latest dental technology for your patients’ sake. Whether you have an existing website, need a website redesigned, or are ready to step into the Internet age with a brand new site, TNT Dental is your partner for success. Visit them online at www.tntdental.com or call 1-877-868-4932 to find out how a customized SEO strategy – with monthly reporting and support – will help your website become an invaluable marketing tool.

You may be wondering if it’s time you stake a claim on the Internet. Maybe you have a website that was created five years ago, but you never use it and you think it looks outdated. The Web has come a long way very fast. Today, a dental practice website can be an extension of the administrative, marketing, and education arms of a practice. For instance, patients can complete interactive registration forms at home and submit them to your office via email. With search engine optimization on your side, a potential patient can Google local dentists and find your website at the top of the results page. As for education, a website provides a wonderful opportunity to post articles, links, and postoperative instructions so that your patients can easily access information any time, day or night. Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you’re considering developing or redeveloping a solid Internet presence for your practice:

What do I want from my website?

A dental website can do many things for your practice, such as:

• Attract new patients
• Give your practice a state-of-the-art image
• Provide an interactive map and contact information
• Present financing options and explain dental insurance
• Inform people about your services and technology
• Promote new services and technology
• Provide forms for easy access at home
  Provide postoperative instructions
• Present your other ventures, like speaking or training
• House news and press about the practice
• Present the articles you’ve written and post your credentials
• Provide a place for referred patients to check you out
• Display your before-and-after gallery
• Help brand your practice

Will a website fit into my marketing budget?

Websites come in all styles and sizes. A professional dental website design company will match your needs to the right product. If you only need a few pages to establish a presence online, and you aren’t looking for new patients, you need a simple site. If you want to use your website as a marketing tool, you’ll want a photo gallery and search engine optimization. Plan on paying an initial set up fee based on the product you purchase, then a monthly hosting fee that can range from just under one hundred to several hundred dollars, depending upon your needs. An optimized website can pay for itself ten times over, especially if you put your web address in all of your other marketing materials – and even on your sign.

If I know nothing about computers, how can I make sure my new website is good?

The Internet is home to thousands of dental websites. Take a look for yourself and determine which sites you like – which ones you consider good. Ask your patients, staff, and colleagues if they have a favorite dental website. Then call an expert for advice. You’ll want a custom website created by a company that knows dentistry and dental marketing guidelines. After all, your website will be the face of your practice online – and that’s global.

Who is my target audience, and would they look for a dentist online?

If you’re targeting people 60 and younger, odds are they are online. The younger the patient, the more likely he or she is to depend on the Internet. Most cosmetic cases are performed on patients in the 25-50 age group – the same people who use the Internet to find a dentist.

Getting Started

The best way to establish a solid, respectable dental practice website that truly reflects your quality and mission is to contact an expert in dental website design. For custom websites made to order, visit TNT Dental online. TNT Dental has created websites for dentists and dental-related companies for years. The team at TNT will answer your questions and make the experience as hassle-free as possible. After your website launches, TNT will keep your site active an up to date with support and hosting services. The company offers search engine optimization, as well, so online marketing will be a cinch.

When a guy sits down at a home computer to find a dentist, he is looking for a resource, not a novel. Once he finds a dentist he likes (based on factors like hours, financial policy, gallery pictures, location, and how the receptionist treats him on the phone), he may explore the site for information about procedures that interest him – like cosmetic dentistry or oral sedation. But in the beginning, the Website must incentivize the patient to make that initial call. An easy read and simple navigation will help.

A recent article at Slate.com, written by Michael Agger, reviews Jakob Nielsen’s report on the elements of a reader-friendly Website. With a humorous tone, Agger discusses what makes Web readers different from hobby readers. This is what today’s Internet reader wants:

• Bullet points
• Short sentences or fragments (studies show that readers skip long text)
• Short paragraphs
• Headings & subheadings (Internet readers scan pages for quick reference)
• Links to other pages (they also have a short attention span)
• Bold type (this is tricky with keywords)
• Straightforwardness

Read the Slate.com article here.

Additionally, your Website shouldn’t be an encyclopedia – at least not on the surface. Nielsen says in his article, “Print vs. Online” (June 2008), “We should accept that the Web is too fast-paced for big-picture learning.” He adds, “At the same time, the Web is perfect for narrow, just-in-time learning of information nuggets…” He also says that Web readers want to build a personal experience by putting together the bits of information pertinent to them and their situation.

Read Nielsen’s article Print vs. Online here.

The rule of thumb for reading level is 8^th grade for newspaper, and according to Nielsen, the same holds true for Internet readers. Because of the vocabulary associated with dentistry, reading level for a dental site may be a bit higher, say 9^th or 10^th grade – particularly for specialists.

If you want to consult the experts in dental Website design, call TNT Dental at 877-868-4932 or visit TNT online here.

]]> http://www.dentalblogs.com/archives/administrator-2/dental-websites-that-work/feed/ 0 http://www.dentalblogs.com/archives/administrator-2/beware-of-scam-emails/ http://www.dentalblogs.com/archives/administrator-2/beware-of-scam-emails/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 13:51:39 +0000 Administrator http://www.dentalblogs.com/?p=1608 A patient who has done half of a full-mouth rehab with you walks in one day and says she wants her dental records transferred to another dentist. “Who is it?” you ask, a bit miffed. You’ve never heard of him! You’ve worked so hard to build a great plan for long-term success for this patient. “Can I just ask, why are you leaving us?”

“The other doc is cheaper and says he can do a better job than you. He said your lab isn’t as good as his lab.”

What? This guy knows nothing. And why would this patient take some stranger’s word over yours? You have one more question. “So how did you hear about his practice?”

“He sent me an email,” she says.

So, you think, this patient that you’ve gotten to know, that you’ve worked hard for, a patient you thought valued dental work with integrity…she’s leaving you for a stranger who’s bashed you in email and claims that he can do better work than you. What do you do? Offer a discount? Why? That would only devalue your services. There’s not much you can do. It’s the patient’s call. And what a lucky dentist she’s going to – you’ve done the hard work for him! You compiled the records, created the treatment plan, sold the case, and have completed all preliminary work.

Interesting Emails Deciphered

This happens every day in the Internet world. A dentist gets a long and seemingly well-thought-out email from a stranger saying something like…

Hi Dr. YOUR NAME HERE,

I was looking at websites under the keyword “los angeles cosmetic

>> dentist” >> and came across one of your site’s pages.

>> I see that you’re ranked number 13 and sitting on page 2.

>>>> I’m not sure if you’re aware of why you’re ranked this low, but more >> importantly>> how easily correctable this is. You should first think…is this true? Check it out for yourself. Google “los angeles cosmetic dentist” and see where your site ranks. If you’re on page one, you’re golden.

>>

>> There’s no reason you can’t have a first page ranking for this keyword>> based on your site structure and content. I’m not talking about getting>> your site ranked for one or two keywords, I’m talking about getting your>> site ranked for ALL your keywords. Yes, ranking well is the goal. That’s why you have an SEO strategy. But earning good rankings takes time, effort, and an understanding of your target market.

>>

>> My partners and I own 1000′s websites and offer private linking to

hundreds of website owners just like yourself. This could actually harm your rankings. More on this topic below.

By now you may be wondering why I specifically contacted YOU. I’ve

>> researched>> different local dentist markets and I know that I want to enter them.>> I also know that I can go into just about ANY local dentist market and>> dominate it by getting top rankings and I can prove it to you. He can? Then why hasn’t he? Does he even know the dental field? The dental marketing guidelines established by your state dental board? The ethics considerations?

>>

>> I specifically chose YOU and a handful of your competitors because you’re>> already doing a lot of things right. I’ve already reviewed your site and>> I know you’re not on page 100 or 200 – your on page 2. That’s not bad,>> but I can easily help you get to the top of the rankings.>> And with time and effort, your current company is probably on track to do the same thing.

>> But the truth is I’m only going to work with ONE client in this key word>> set. If I worked with more than one then neither would have a

>> competitive>> advantage over the other and we want our clients to have a competitive>> advantage. For that reason, I only work with one and I take them on a>> first come first serve basis. Is he rushing you? And how does a successful person have the time to do all this research and compose a 7-paragraph email to every potential client? He may have a little too much time on his hands…

>>

>> I have confidence in my capabilities to dramatically improve your site’s>> rankings and profits. Good to know, but self-confidence does not necessarily yield results. I have a very simple way to prove it and the best>> thing about it is there’s absolutely no risk for you to try it. Nothing>> beats seeing the results with your own eyes. No risk except that you lose your relationship with your current web development company. Those folks who held your hand, interviewed you, created your site, and are currently working to improve your rankings. Those folks that did all the hard work in the beginning and continue to work for you every day.

>>

>>

And said dentist thinks Wow. This guy can really help me! I’m going to give him a try. Can’t hurt!

The dentist gets in touch with Email Man and takes him up on his offer, neglecting his current website company and the comprehensive SEO strategy in the works – a strategy that will take 3 to 6 months to show initial results. A strategy that might need tweaking once results show up.

We can Point 1000s of Websites at Your Site!

Another popular email scam is that a company can point thousands of websites at yours. The truth behind this exciting possibility is that you need relevant links from high-quality websites to lead to your site – links from reputable dental-related websites. A slew of links from non-dental or low-ranking websites could actually harm your rankings! In the past, any old linking strategy worked based on sheer numbers, but that tactic is outdated.

Knowledge is Power

First, assess the email message. What, exactly, are the facts he’s presented about your site, and are they accurate. For instance, if you’re a family dentist in Atlanta, and the email says that you don’t show up on Google for the terms “cosmetic dentist Dallas,” you don’t have a problem as long as you show up for “family dentist Atlanta.” Second, are the rankings he quoted legit? Do you really show up in the position he stated? Find out! Just Google the terms he said he typed in, then look at your rank. If the facts seem correct and you’re still concerned, don’t make rash decisions.

Call Your Friends First

Your questions and concerns about your website are legitimate, and they should be addressed. However, the Internet business, just like dentistry, works best when it’s based on relationships. Investing in a relationship with your website development and SEO team will yield you the long-term results you want and deserve. Ask questions, get answers. Don’t be sidetracked by random emails. In the long run, Email Man might destroy your smile.

Keywords are the words that your search engine specialists will use in the back-end structure of your website. They should also show up in your website copy (art doesn’t count) in strategic locations. The number of times words are used, combined with their location, links, and the rest of the content on a page, affect your site’s potential to be found in searches.

Choosing keywords is more than just guessing what you might search for if you were a patient, but that is a good place to begin. Your SEO company should consult with you on terms that you think are important. For instance, if you want more Invisalign cases, the word Invisalign should be a keyword, as should your name, practice name, location, and surrounding areas from which you pull patients.

When a person goes to Google and types in Invisalign dentist and your location, if those terms are keywords and you have a good SEO company, your site should show up in the results page – hopefully near the top. Keep in mind, many other dentists may be competing for the same terms, especially if you’re in a competitive area. Your overall SEO strategy and the longevity of your website on the same domain are factors in your “findability.”

Your site will need to be up for 3-6 months with a good SEO strategy before you begin to notice results in your reports. From those reports, your SEO specialist can refine your strategy to improve the potential for being found. A few things that will cripple your strategy: text in flash applications instead of live text (search engine spiders see the flash as a piece of artwork, not words), no text (all pictures), too many keywords on a page (this confuses the spiders), overhauling your website’s text, or a poor strategy from the start.

Some ethical issues come into play with keyword selection. If you don’t offer Lumineers, you should not use it as a keyword. Your state dental board, if they find out, could consider this tactic false advertising and misrepresentation. Furthermore, Lumineers might have a problem with it.

If you need search engine optimization for your dental website, check out TNTDental.com. Their full-service design, hosting, and support services cater specifically to dentists.

First of all, organic results on Google are not for sale like ad space. If you want to pay for placement, consider a pay-per-click campaign. Many, many factors come in to play with organic website rankings, such longevity of your site on the Internet (at the same domain), keyword choices, keyword implementation in your copy, and competing websites, to name a few.

Being on the first page of search engine results pages is important. Usually, people make their choice of which sites to visit based on the top listings – so that is definitely where you want to be! However, a good, honest website design and marketing firm will tell you that they cannot guarantee your rankings, but they can work with your site’s analytics to promote better rankings. The system is work, wait, analyze results – again and again.

Major search engines change their strategies constantly in an effort to weed out websites that are using “black hat” strategies for optimal placement. You see, an etiquette and a protocol exist in the organic website marketing world. If your web company plays by the rules and works hard for you, you’ll see lasting results that make everyone happy. If not, your site could get banned by Google, Yahoo, or other engines.

Your development company may offer to purchase your domain name for you. As long as the domain is registered to you, and not to your development company, you will own your domain. However, some development companies register their clients’ domains as their own. This means that once your site is up and running, if you decide to move to another company for hosting and a redesign, you might have to purchase your domain name at a hefty price – or lose it. Giving up a good domain (one that has your name, practice name, or city in it, for instance), or a domain that has been up and running for years, can negatively impact your site’s popularity on the search engines. When you put your site on a new domain, it’s like starting all over. You lose the benefit of longevity (the longer a site is up, the better it looks to search engine spiders) and links (directories, individuals, and organizations may link to your domain from their sites).

You can see who your domain name is registered to by going to www.whois.domaintools.com/ then typing in your domain name after the .com/. If you are your domain’s registered owner, be sure to get your username and password in case you need it later. Without this information, you cannot have work done to your website.

If you hire out your site’s design, you may not own the content that’s created for you – even content you create and supply. The company that puts together your site and publishes it online might claim the copyright. This may seem insignificant to you now, but if you decide to host your site elsewhere later on, you will either have to purchase the content that you have been leasing for your website or create it all over again, using different phrasing and photos.

You can avoid the copyright issue by knowing the facts before you enter a relationship with a design firm. Ask who will own your content – pictures and words – and your domain name. You’re investing in a product, not just a service, and you deserve to know exactly what you’re buying.

This week, DentalBlogs.com is going to delve into the giant, and often overwhelming, World Wide Web. A dental practice website can be a valuable tool for marketing, interacting with patients efficiently, and introducing your office to potential patients. But the Internet is a foreign world to many dentists. As the week progresses, check back here for valuable, easy-to-understand information about getting your website up, running, and found. Topics will include Who Owns Your Website?, First Page on Google, How Will Patients Find Your Site Online, and Beware of Scam Emails. For now, though, we’ll start with some basics.

Reference these DentalBlog posts for more information:

Personalizing Your Dental Practice Website

10 Tips to Make the Most of Your Dental Practice Website

Search Engine Optimization and Your Dental Practice Website

Techie Vocabulary to Help You Understand Your Website

Why Your Website’s SEO Looks Different

5 Ways Websites Do More than Market Your Practice

Do you have questions about dental websites, the Internet, or web design and hosting? Send your questions to media@dentalblogs.com, and we’ll answer them at DentalBlogs.com this week.

A Little Help from Your Friends

Dr. Larry Emmott, technical guru and dental technology educator, posted this in July, 2007: “I have been a customer and supporter of TNT for Years. Check out their updated website for many samples of their work. One thing I like about TNT is that each site is unique to the dentist. They do not have a cookie cuter ‘web in a box’ approach.”

If you have time to learn about websites and make wise decisions for your practice’s website design and implementation, terrific! Explore all the possibilities and makes sure that you get exactly what you want. But if you have questions, need direction, or want to leave your practice’s website design and support to the experts, contact TNTDental. Owned by two former dental lab employees, TNTDental is a leader in dental website design and hosting. Their programs range from a simple website to get you started to a dynamic Internet presence that includes online forms, search marketing, and completely custom design. With TNT, there are no contracts, and you’re sure to find a package that meets your practice’s needs. See the TNT portfolio here, then contact sales@tntdental.com with your questions.