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Unlock the World of Internet Marketing Mary Kay Miller

More by this author (4)



The new patient phone call is no longer
the first form of communication with your
practice... it is the Internet!

by Mary Kay Miller

Your Web site is where your business resides on the World-Wide-Web and is the hub of your Internet Orthodontic Marketing Campaign. It is the virtual representation of who you are and what you are all about. Today, there are dramatic changes taking place in our society that heavily influence not only how the world communicates with one another, but the buying decisions of consumers. Web sites, blogs, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter weren’t even in our orbit a decade ago. The speed, scope and power of the “new media” is staggering. With all the advances in Internet marketing and digital technology, it’s no wonder that professional practices are often left feeling intimidated, skeptical and unsure.

Fortunately, a Web site combined with Web 2.0 Internet marketing components like blogs, video, and social networking gives you the opportunity to deliver your own personal PR message the exact way you want it delivered – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks per year. It is the most cost-effective marketing tool available today to reach pre-qualified audiences looking for your expertise and services at the exact time they are looking for it. Why? Because they go looking for you, and when they do, you must be ready.

Professional practices spend thousands of dollars on new Web sites or updates to engage prospective new patients online. Traditional marketing with TV, radio, newspaper ads and direct mail campaigns are not as effective with consumers who tune out and don’t pay attention to all the clutter. The goal in creating your Internet marketing program is to generate the elusive “buzz,” the third-party endorsement when one person spontaneously tells someone else about something that creates emotion. For most consumers in today’s tech savvy market the Internet is their primary source of information and entertainment. With the new advances in Internet technology in the past few years, you now have the perfect forum to create a personal, emotionally charged relationship that creates credibility online.

Internet Marketing Success
When creating an effective Internet marketing campaign to attract new patients, these key factors come into play:
  1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  2. Warm, friendly, engaging Web site design to convert new patients
  3. Communication in a medium, potential new patients are comfortable using i.e.: video
  4. Local maps marketing to promote your Web site
  5. Testing of your Internet marketing efforts
All five components working together compose an effective Internet marketing campaign for best results and return on investment (ROI).

The Importance of SEO and Your Internet Marketing Efforts
No matter how big or small your practice, or what your experience level... everyone looks the same on the Internet. Most professional practices fail to comprehend how search engines index their Web site, blog, social networking sites, and video(s) on the Internet. Understanding the basics of SEO and how it affects your Web site and setup allow you to intelligently monitor your online efforts when outsourcing services or overseeing staff. SEO is the most misunderstood factor when building an Internet marketing program.

One of the most common questions orthodontists ask me today is, “Why isn’t my Web site the first to show up on page one of Google?” When designing a Web site and Internet marketing program it is important to understand that the search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing (formerly MSN), can’t read the written word. SEO relates to the words and phrases prospective new patients type into the search engines to find you. “Googlebots” scan and index your Web site content repeatedly looking for updates based on sophisticated mathematical algorithms and they don’t care what your Web site looks like, the quality of your written content or your experience level. They are programmed only to sort through vast amounts of data based on meta tags, keywords, linking, how long you have been online, and the number of times consumers click on your site (just to name a few). Your results are indexed and compared to other Web sites providing similar content, then positioned accordingly in the ranking.

Each piece of your Internet marketing program must tell the search engines correctly who you are, what you are all about, and where you want to target new patients online with keywords and meta tags. If your Web site, blog, video, and social networking sites are not coded correctly for your local demographic, they won’t be found when consumers search. No matter how great your Web site design and marketing message, the ability to attract and engage new patients is moot if your Web site and web 2.0 marketing promotion can’t be found on the search engines throughout most of your targeted demographic. You are missing a wealth of opportunities to build your practice, which can translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars falling into the hands of your competitors over the years. Proper SEO and keyword coding will increase your Internet presence throughout your area, resulting in greater exposure to attract new patient referrals.

Simply Stated, First Impressions Matter
Always incorporate good design principles to ensure your Web site reaches out to the maximum number of potential new patients and engages as many people as possible. When you are promoting your orthodontic treatment and services online, people cannot see you physically as they would in your office. As a business owner it is your job to make sure your Web site does what it’s meant to do effectively; engage and direct new patients to contact your office for a new patient consultation. This is where a good Web site design comes in. If you have a professional looking Web site layout branded with your marketing message, you are giving visitors a positive perception. You show meticulous attention to every detail of your practice and you care about professionalism. The same should be true of your online representation of your practice. The entire presentation of your Web site is a marketing strategy to show patients that you care about quality and are someone they can trust to provide expert orthodontic treatment and care.

Conversely, if the content, look, and feel of your Web site is outdated, their perception of your treatment and services is also outdated. People do judge you by your cover. Lack of attention to updates, design, and detail can prevent your site from performing at its highest level and deter prospective new patients from choosing your practice. Statistics show that you have less than eight seconds to create an emotional response which engages a visitor once they click on your site. An average visitor reads only 2.5 pages on a Web site. If a page is not neatly organized most of the content goes unread and if your site is difficult to navigate they will immediately click out and move on to your competitor. Time is precious to visitors. Get to the point quickly and without fluff. Also, I strongly suggest listening to the recommendations of your Web-designer. I often find Web sites that are not user friendly are the result of business owners insisting upon their own specific design ideas. Consider the recommendations of Web professionals. Your practice growth depends on it.

Video is the communication tool of choice with today’s consumers.
PR no longer means public relations... it represents delivering your marketing message based on consumer “perception and reality.” Why is video marketing so powerful? According to a Stanford University study, humans remember 10 percent of what they read; 20 percent of what they hear; and 62 percent of what they see and hear. Statistics also show that video marketing on a Web site increases consumer interest by more than 100 percent resulting in a call-to-action for products or services.

Every orthodontic marketing program today should include video marketing on one subject or another. A library of online videos educating and informing consumers about treatment and services, including testimonials, serves as both a record of your professional expertise and your commitment to education and informing your patients. It also lets you tell your story exactly the way you want it delivered. Additionally, new prospects much prefer video to the written word. Video makes sense. Which would you rather do... watch a video or read Web site copy?

When a video becomes popular, people begin to see, share and talk about it more. This could be an extremely useful marketing tool. It is also valuable for search engine results and page rank. Marketing videos to your demographics is where the true hidden value comes in. If your viewers are dentists, dental specialists, physicians, teachers, coaches or parents in your local area, this PR could result in new referrals from other sources, which were developed because they were able to find and watch your videos.

Don’t look at video as a short-term marketing venture when marketing your practice. Embrace it over the long haul and progressively increase your video collection on the Internet as a marketing tool to build your practice for the future. Overall there is more intangible value for online video marketing than meets the eye. As your Internet marketing program gains exposure with video, the referrals will increase exponentially over time and once produced, there is no additional cost to maintain your video on the Internet. It just keeps on running, over and over again, just like the energizer bunny. That’s a definite “win” in any business.

It’s All About Local Search
Just because you have a Web site doesn’t mean new patients can find you on the search engines. “Local search” is now one of the preferred forms of gathering information when researching local businesses on the Internet. The latest statistics report 30 percent of all search queries contain a city, state, or zip code and 2.6 billion local searches are recorded on the Internet every month. Your primary goal when marketing your orthodontic practice online is to reach out to your entire local demographic. It is the ideal format for professional practices who market in a limited demographic. In my opinion, Google Local Business Center, better known as Google Maps, is one of the most powerful free marketing tools on the Internet today for local businesses. More than 70 percent of today’s consumers visit the Internet first to check out options before purchasing products and services or, in your case, scheduling a new patient consultation. Taking advantage of this service and all it has to offer is a marketing no brainer.

So how do you determine if your Internet marketing efforts are being found by consumers in your local area? Simple – test it!
  1. Go to Google and in the search box, type in patient keywords “orthodontist” and then your city name and state.
  2. Repeat the same steps again with the keywords “braces” and then again with “Invisalign.”
Does your Web site, blog posts, Facebook page, YouTube (or other) videos show up on page one of Google? Does your practice name and Web site URL show up correctly on Local Google Maps?

Now, do the same thing again, but this time, one by one substitute the names of all the surrounding towns in your area where you target new patients. Do you show up on page one in these towns also? A free video showing you exactly how to run the test can be found at www.orthopreneur.com.

Your Web site and Web 2.0 marketing programs are very powerful marketing tools if set up correctly from start to finish. Like it or not, the Internet is here to stay and it is evolving at lightning speed. Successfully implementing Internet marketing tactics now will help secure the growth of your practice in the future. The most valuable real-estate you can own in any business is in your market’s mind. Communicate with them on their terms in a format they are comfortable using. It’s all up to you. Are you going to be a leader on the digital road to practice success, or are you going to let your tech savvy competitors pass you by?
Author's Bio
Mary Kay Miller is an Internet marketing coach specializing in Internet marketing solutions, SEO, and social networking for orthodontic practices. With more than 30 years experience in orthodontic practice management and 10 years experience in Internet marketing, Miller has developed the attitudes, skills, and knowledge necessary to guide doctors and their staff on how to market their practice to consumers in today’s tech savvy society. For more information visit her blog at www.orthopreneur.com or call toll free 877-295-5611 to schedule a free half-hour consultation, via online Webinar, to review your current Internet marketing efforts.
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October 2025
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