January 19, 2009 | Modern Hygienist
Career: Web Exclusive

Be indispensable to your office

The hygienist’s role in internet marketing.

by Shauna Smith Duty

Photo: Diamond Sky Images/Getty Images

Internet marketing is an essential part of every dental practice’s marketing plan. As with print, television, and radio ads, you don’t have to know every detail about how the marketing works, but the more you know, the wiser your decisions can be. Internet technology (IT) can seem intimidating, and combined with marketing, it may overwhelm you. However, as a dental hygienist, you should become an asset to your practice’s Web site development, maintenance, and Internet marketing campaign.

Establish a team

Linda Miles, CSP, CMC, and founder of LLM&A and Speaking Consulting Network, says, “Marketing a dental practice should be a total team effort.” She recommends a four-person marketing committee consisting of the hygienist, who would act as the chairperson, a clinical assistant, an administrative team member, and the practice manager. The committee can develop and assess marketing concepts, present them to the practice owner/dentist, then implement and maintain them. Ms. Miles also advises, “The hygiene department is the foundation of every general practice and should be one-third of the practice’s gross annual production, excluding the doctor’s exam fee.” Prudence dictates, then, that hygienists play an active role in marketing.

Build the right site

Start by researching, interviewing, and gathering information. Find a dental Web site design company that will work well for your practice over the long-term. Developing and publishing a Web site is a big undertaking, but it has a beginning and end. On the other hand, your relationship with a Web site developer will last for the life of your site. New staff biographies, photo changes, news postings, and other updates will make the Web site a continuous project. Feeling confident and comfortable with the company you choose is important.

A custom dental Web site can project the image and brand of your unique dental practice. To develop such a site, you need to work with a Web site development company that understands the dental industry, as well as dental marketing, and offers full-service hosting, support, and search engine optimization. Co-founder of TNT Dental, Tim Healy, recommends hygienists get involved in their practice’s dental Web site through a blog or online newsletter. The hygienist can then provide news and educational information for patients daily, weekly, or monthly. Not only will this keep a Web site fresh and attractive to search engines, but according to Linda Miles, it could reduce broken appointments and become a referral source to enhance new patient numbers.

For example…

At TNT Dental, the steps to building a Web site include personal interviews with the dental team, custom graphic design and copywriting, keyword research, an optimization strategy, and working closely with a dental team to gather the forms, pictures, and files that will go on the site. Your developer should help you choose and secure a domain name and set up your e-mail accounts. Expect the process to take a few weeks, start to finish, if you stay in constant contact with your developer and respond quickly to requests for information and revisions. To see sample Web sites, visit TNTDental.com.

To learn more about dental Web sites and search engine optimization, visit DentalBlogs.com. There you’ll find valuable information from experts in dental technology and marketing.  

Shauna Smith Duty is copy director for TNT Dental and editor for DentalBlogs.com. TNT Dental provides custom website development, marketing, hosting, and support for dental practices across North America. DentalBlogs.com is a leading source of news information, with contributions from some of the most well known experts in dentistry today.