Most dental practices today have a website for their patient’s use. Technology is necessary to a successful practice. However, does you have a mobile app for your dental practice as well? Surprisingly, many dental practices skip this useful tool.
Effect of social media on your practice
Search Engine Land, a popular web site, has stated that 50 percent of customers that visited a mobile phone app completed a transaction with that app within 3 days. This makes sense for a dental practice. If your tooth is hurting, you are going to find a dentist. Solution21, a popular dental marketing agency, has stated that responsive design is the key for creating an incredible experience. Responsive design is what makes your website mobile-friendly to be discovered by people using their smartphones.
Other facts about social media are also interesting. Surveys show that 70% of social traffic is from the local area. This means reaching a large part of your potential patient base. Social media also makes use of SEO keywords. These keywords are included in a blog to draw attention to the subject of your article. Most mobile app companies have SEO experts that know how to include these keywords in your app in a way that is friendly toward your users. Your SEO expert will know which terms are best to draw patients to your type of practice. For example, someone looking for braces might look for orthodontist first instead of simply looking for dentist.
Most people today use the mobile phones for many transactions. This forms a large part of your patient pool. Using a company like Practice Builders from Irvine, CA, a mobile app can be designed to fulfill all your needs. If you can quickly look up a dentist on your phone and then schedule your appointment, it is clear most people in pain will do so. Your potential patients can find you immediately, without the need to wait until they can make a telephone call or come into the office.
This can also free your office staff to fulfill other practice requirements of your practice than waiting for the telephone to ring. Certainly, the telephone will remain an important part of your practice. But, will you need to continue to pay for a staff member to be strictly a receptionist? Extra duties that are also important to your practice should provide more professional satisfaction for your employees. This may make it easier to expand your practice or save your practice from having to pay extra staff with very limited duties.
Other benefits of mobile apps
With many apps, a patient can send you a picture of their inflamed area. If they need medication before you can treat them, you can email your patients to pick up a medication or treatment device at their local drug store. This can save your patient’s time, money and pain. All of that, of course, is great to build a practice.
Mobile phone apps can provide videos of dental procedures for patients to view. Mobile apps by Practice Builders can provide GPS directions to your office, show appointment hours and which days that you are open. They can also inform your patients of promotions or events that your practice is sponsorinUsing a mobile app, it is quite easy to accept payments and send payment reminders. Your practice needs the income from your services. Using a mobile app can make it much easier and faster for your accountant to collect the fees due to your practice.
Mobile Apps help you keep patients
nce you see a patient, the best way to build a practice is to keep them coming back. It is also easier for your staff if your patients come to see you for regular maintenance. So, you might send out postcards or have your staff call your patients. With a mobile app, you can reach all of your practice with one email. This is a great time and money saver! Plus, if your patients get used to talking with you and reading friendly messages and blogs, they will become eager for your practice announcements.
Most of your patients will come from the area in which your office is located. Using a local company to set up your app allows your practice to key into the important social functions of your town. A dentist practice is a very needed part of the community, but how many of the community know your practice exists? The more your community sees your office at local fairs and farmer’s markets, the more likely they are to call upon you for their dental needs.
When you are looking at expanding or increasing your patient return visits, a mobile app has a lot to offer a dentist practice. Call for a consultation today on expanding your practice into the mobile phone app world.
