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Placing Your Practice in the Hands of Your Patients Diana P. Friedman, MA, MBA and Michelle Eggers

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With the touch of a finger, information that used to be accessible only through peer-to-peer conversation, printed material or by sitting for hours at a computer is now available anywhere, anytime, and fits in the palm of your hand. In fact, based on a recent Nielsen report, mobile browsing is slated to surpass desktop browsing in 2014. Health-care consumers are at the forefront of adopting this wireless behavior, using their smartphones to access records, communicate with providers and post comments about their experiences. Combine this current behavior with proliferation in smartphone usage, and it's easy to see why orthodontic practices must implement a mobile marketing strategy.

Eighty-seven percent of smartphone owners access the Internet or e-mail on their handheld, including two-thirds (68 percent) who do so on a typical day. When asked what device they normally use to access the Internet, 25 percent of smartphone owners say that they mostly go online using their phone, rather than with a computer.¹

Click, Tap, Scroll
According to a recent Gartner report, 428 million mobile devices were sold in the first quarter of 2011, and 100.7 million of those were smartphones, representing an 85 percent year-over-year increase.²

Why is the smartphone so popular? It not only acts as a phone, but it's a texting device, e-mail checker, portable organizer, Web browser, social media connector, camera and video player. The overwhelming theme is online accessibility and being connected.



Miniature vs. Mobile
Mobile-optimized Web sites are specifically designed for mobile Web consumption to provide user-friendly, legible content and a quick efficient upload. Miniaturized Web sites are not.

On the left is how a regular Web site appears on a smartphone. On the right is the same Web site that is optimized for viewing on a mobile device.

Have you looked at your practice Web site on your smartphone? Viewing a shrunken version of a site on the screen of a mobile phone can create a frustrating experience for existing and potential patients simply looking for a telephone number or address. Pinching and panning the image to zoom in and out makes for clunky interaction; and too many images and graphics slows page load times to a crawl. Simple functionality and ease at finding key information will keep your on-the-go patients happy.

Integrate Your Online Strategies
The average time spent by patients on a dental mobile Web site is two minutes and 51 seconds, 143 percent longer than the average time spent on non mobile-optimized sites.³

A mobile-optimized site should serve as an extension of your practice's main Web site. It should not replace it. Your mobile Web site should match the look and feel of your practice Web site with reduced image sizes and focus on the most relevant content that existing and prospective on-the-go patients want to find on their smartphone – important news about the practice, contact information, links to locations and directions.

Drive Mobile Traffic with QR Codes
Now that you've set up a mobile-optimized site, how do you encourage new patients to find you? One of the fastest growing trends in online marketing has been Quick Response, or QR codes. You've probably seen these square barcodes starting to pop-up on billboards, brochures and business cards. The codes, when scanned with a special app on a smartphone, can take the user to a Web site, social network or even a video. QR codes have become a more common sight these days. The apps that are required to scan and read the QR codes are free and have been developed to work with iPhone, Android and Blackberry phones.

The beauty of the QR code versus a written URL is its ability to hold programmed content, including a Web site address, business contact information, or even a coupon or promotion such as discounts or downloads. QR codes are increasing in popularity. Research shows they are extremely effective in driving interested potential patients to your practice. Remember, when patients scan your QR code, they will be using a smartphone to view your Web site, making a mobile-optimized site even more important for your practice.

The Next Step: Linking Patients from the Physical World to the Virtual One
QR codes turn your physical collateral into dynamic content. It is important to make them visible and prominent on all your market communications, so as to optimize how many potential patients you drive to your Web site or social media channels. The most effective results will come from developing different QR codes with the appropriate landing pages on your Web site, mobile site or social media channels.

Examples of tactics to leverage QR codes include placing them on:
  • Documents you hand out at your office (receipts, follow-up instructions, etc.)
  • Bags of recare goodies you give out to patients
  • A reception room sign or sign chart
  • Business cards, brochures, letters, postcards, newsletters
  • Your front door
  • Giveaways
Being in Touch Means Being Mobile
In the same way that a Web site presence increases your online reach to existing and potential new patients, a mobile-optimized strategy lets you effectively communicate with those patients while they're on-the-go. This means there are even more opportunities to promote digital dialogue between provider and patient. As the usage of smartphones and tablets continues to grow, so will the need to create and maintain a strategy for your practice to thrive in these mobile environments.

References:
1. The Pew Research Center, July 2011
2. Mobile Marketing Watch, May 19, 2011
3. Sesame Communications, July 2011
Author Bios
Diana P. Friedman, MA, MBA, is the CEO of Sesame Communications. Diana has had an extensive career launching dental innovations for leading manufacturers such as Philips Sonicare, as well as experience as a recognized speaker and practice management consultant. To contact her, email diana@sesamecommunications.com.


Michelle Eggers combines her love of design and enthusiasm for research with understanding the dental industry. She keeps abreast of the latest design trends and how patients use the web to deliver websites to hundreds of dental and orthodontic practices since 2007. Michelle's background in interactive media lends itself well to her role of Director of Web Operations at Sesame Communications.
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