Dr. Brown’s gold platform website includes a gallery of cases, which important since a picture is worth a thousand words. In addition to the gallery, the site includes detailed information about dental services and the team. Patients can quickly access registration forms to complete at home before their first visit. An interactive map on the contact page makes finding the practice convenient for new patients. And every page of any TNT website features the doctor’s name, address, phone number, and email.

Dr. Songstad’s website is a silver platform, the perfect starter site for any dental practice. Also called a brochure site, our silver website inlcudes all the basic information a patient needs when looking online for a dentist. The site has a completely custom design that incorporates the practice logo, colors, and photography. All of the text is original, as well.

TNT Dental offers three levels of websites: silver, gold, and platinum. We can help you determine the best type of site for your practice. If you currently have a website, we will analyze it at no charge, then help you determine how to improve the site’s appearance and effectiveness on search engines. TNT offers an effective search engine optimization plan, complete with hosting and support, at a very reasonable rate. Call today: 877-868-4932.

Not that you’ll be abducted by birds if you don’t use Twitter to its full advantage (imagine thousands of blue cartoon birds carrying you away), but if you want to make the most of your time, here are a few do’s and dont’s for dental practice Twittering.

• Don’t Tweet too much about personal stuff.
• Don’t Tweet about scientific articles.
• Don’t Tweet about things irrelevant to your patients.
• Do Tweet to announce open appointments.
• Do Tweet to announce specials and referral programs.
• Do Tweet to announce events you’re participating in.
• Do Tweet about your staff – new, having a baby, getting married, etc.
• Do Tweet if the office will be closed unexpectedly.

That’s about it. Simple and to the point. Just like a sweet Tweet.

The first is on Dr. Gregory Wright’s website. It features a film-slide style picture menu of headshots, and each page consists of a large after cutout, a before and after smile close up, and a clinical before and after shot, with the lips pulled back.

http://www.wrightsmiles.com/pages/gallery/gallery.htm

On the Cohen McClintock Dental site, the banner features black and white headshots of actual patients. As you hover the cursor over a picture, it turns full color. One click takes you to that patient’s before and after page where you can view an after headshot and close up before and after photos.

http://www.cohenmcclintockdental.com/pages/gallery/veneers.htm

Dr. Charles Botbol’s website for Studio B Dental in Toronto features an attractive before and after gallery. At the header, there is the same film-slide style picture menu that’s on Dr. Wright’s site. Then, stacked below are full face before and afters, smile before and afters, and nice clinical before and afters of the teeth and gums. The unique thing about Dr. Botbol’s gallery is the case study that follows all the photos. Text covers the problem, solution, treatment time, and results.

http://www.studiobdental.com/gallery.html

Your website probably addresses patient concerns like smile imperfections, tooth pain, and fear of the dentist. But does your website provide upfront information about finances?

Here’s how the TNT Dental writers take financing and insurance issues that you think are negative and turn them into a positive for patients.

Dentist: I am not in network with any insurance company.

Website: To provide you with what we consider the very best clinical care, we are not network providers with any insurance company. This means that we can recommend the procedures we deem best for your case, regardless of what your insurance will pay for. We will, however, file your insurance claim as an out-of-network provider, estimate your benefits, and accept your copay or deductible. After your insurance company pays the covered portion, if any balance remains, we’ll let you know.

Dentist: I really am fee for services. We don’t file insurance at all. Patients pay in full at the time of treatment.

Website: To provide you with what we consider the very best clinical care, we are not network providers with any insurance company. This means that we can recommend the procedures we deem best for your case, regardless of what your insurance will pay for. Insurance companies place limits on coverage and will reimburse for set fees. An insurance company will only pay for “reasonable and customary fees.” These fees are based on an average price charged by a range of dental clinics and practices. They don’t factor in the personalized care, excellent service, high quality materials, and amenities you enjoy at our office. If you have questions about our policy on dental insurance, just ask. We’re happy to share information with our patients!

Dentist: We don’t offer in-house financing.

Website: In an effort to keep our fees reasonable and dental care affordable, we partner with CareCredit for patient financing. This respected third party bank offers low- and no-interest loans for qualified patients. Whether you need reconstructive or cosmetic dentistry, we want nothing to stand between you and your ideal smile. Ask about CareCredit at your next visit, or submit your application online here. (link)

Whatever your practice policy is in regards to insurance and financing, we can put it in a positive light. Call TNT Dental today to revise your website content or to order a new website with completely custom, benefit-based marketing copy.

Forbes

Though it’s not easy to find information about social networking at work for work, (most of the results have to do with disciplining employees for Facebook-ing on company time), I ran across a few posts worthy of consideration:

“I believe that employees need to be the first ones to go and post content on the fan pages. This enables their connections to be drawn into the pool and this lets the ball rolling.”
Aathira N. – LinkedIn Post

“Have a training session with the employees and talk to them on the importance of social media for the business, what your goals are, and what message you’re trying to get across. Ask them, if they choose to post on the page, to reveal that they are an employee, and have guidelines or policies on what to and what not to post.”
Jennifer A. – LinkedIn Post

That’s all fine and good for big companies, you say. But what about Facebook in the dental office?

Three words: Watertower Dental Care.

First of all, this practice features their Facebook account on the homepage of their Chicago dental website

Here’s a rundown of the last 10 Watertower Dental Care Facebook topics – by employees and patients:

1. Vote for Watertower Dental Care as favorite Chicago dentist
2. The doctor’s wife had a baby
3. Photos: Employee’s dog playing with a tooth brush
4. Free baseball tickets for first person to call the office
5. Before and after photos
6. Success of Smiles for Life donations by patients
7. Photos: St. Patrick’s Day
8. Smiles for Life announcement
9. Patient posted a personal review/testimonial
10. Video: Staff trip to Dominican Republic

That’s pretty awesome stuff, and it took a few minutes each month. People commented, too – which is great. This particular office has casual social networking for business down to a fine art. If you’re not sure what to do, just emulate someone who’s doing it right.

You know the folks here at TNT Dental are on top of the latest, greatest, and most effective Internet marketing strategies. Our life is making your website powerful online! So now you can…

<– take this to the next level with a smart phone app like this. –>

It’s the next generation of dental website marketing, and TNT Dental is on top of it for you. Call today to ask about TNT.mobile and see how your website can be featured on iPhones (and other phones) everywhere!

The copywriters at TNT Dental have found that just enough of this with a sprinkle of that and not too much of the other is the best recipe for success when it comes to patient education and case acceptance. We keep the following points in mind when composing patient education pages for dental websites.

Just Enough of This
CAESY and the others have it right. Patients need to know what’s wrong, ways to fix it, and why it needs to be fixed now.

• What’s Wrong? A simple explanation of the problem using words like cavity (instead of caries) and back tooth (instead of molar). Using models, videos, photos, and X-rays is awesome in this situation.
• How Can We Fix It? From your best recommendation down to the least durable and lasting option, present the facts, as well as the pros and cons, in layman’s terms.
• Why Does it Needs to Be Fixed Now? Be completely truthful and not dramatic. Statistics work well to underscore the importance of good oral health, and today, with recent research in the oral health field and with the Internet, you have access to more statistics than ever. Use them to your advantage.

A Sprinkle of That
Outside of clinical information, patients want to know how much time and money are required of them. These are the practical points that, while health should be priority, can get in the way of case acceptance.

• How Long will It Take? Be honest about treatment time, recovery time, and your hours of operation. Patients should know that phased treatment is available, but all in all, getting everything done at once may save money and time. Again, stick to the facts.
• How Much will it Cost? You may have a treatment coordinator who closes the deal. Just be honest. You’re not a used car salesman, for goodness’ sake. Besides, if you accept credit cards, work with CareCredit and other third parties, or offer phased treatment plans, the patient can probably afford treatment. There’s strength in the fact that restorative dental word done today will mean less invasive and costly procedures, and less pain, in the future.

Not Too Much of the Other
Don’t share all the gory details. Be realistic and honest, but sensitive to the fact that the whole idea of a dental visit, much less a treatment plan, may be wildly intimidating.

• Don’t talk about dental phobia, anesthesia, or pain. Let the patient bring up these issues, then present practical solutions to their concerns. From a copy perspective, cover dental phobia on a single page – unless the website is for a sedation dentist whose audience is phobic.
• Don’t get bogged down in the details of procedures. Treatment particulars can seem scary and painful. Keep it simple.
• Don’t use big words. Keep it simple. Yes that was repetetive. Imagine an airplane mechanic explaining to you how to repair the motor in your Cessna. You might want to hear a little bit, but really, you just want to fly again. Your patients want to know what they can expect physically and financially, but really, they just want to feel good, look good, and be healthy.
• Don’t use guilt as a tool. If people can’t take off work or afford treatment, they probably feel bad enough. Obviously they want help, or they wouldn’t be in your office. Choose your words carefully and empower your patients by creating a practical solution that works for everyone. Think outside the box!

Check it out at www.crumbscranium.com.

We’re excited to partner with Dr. Donald Crumb on this new venture.

Wishing you all the best, Dr. Crumb,
The TNT Dental Team
& Jill Nastasia, Your Website Expert!

Thanks, Dr. Dunson, for choosing TNT Dental. We appreciate your business and look forward to expanding your website right along with your practice!

Sincerely,
The TNT Dental Team
& Jill Nastasia, Your Website Expert!

Colors, lines, pictures? The design, right?

What about effectiveness in bringing in new patients?

Most people consider the Internet a visual media, like television. A TV commercial has to visually appeal to the viewer, or you start to surf. Likewise, a billboard or magazine ad has to be bold and different to catch the interest of a potential customer. Websites aren’t just visual, though.

Consider this: How do you look for a service on the Internet? Google, Bing, or Yahoo, most likely. These, and all, search engines are word-based tools. Just as you’d look up “plumber” under “p” in the Dallas yellow pages, you’d type “plumber in Dallas Tx” to find the same guy online.

Here’s a little quiz – and you’re going to have to role play. You are a stay-at-home mom in a new town. Your children and your husband need you to find a dentist for the family – and you’d like to find one who can brighten up your smile. So you sit down at your laptop and type into Google:

colorful website, beautiful photographs, dentist in buffalo, ny

OR

family dentist, teeth whitening, buffalo ny

Of course your entry would look more like number two. A colorful website won’t get you far when it comes to finding the right dentist for your children.

This is NOT TO SAY DESIGN IS UNIMPORTANT. The image you portray is essential to your marketing strategy. But, to use dentist-speak,  you have to integrate esthetics with function!

At TNT Dental, our graphic designers work on a team with search engine optimization specialists and dental copywriters. Your website will be a blend of custom design, custom content, and a solid online marketing strategy. Rely on the experts for optimal success. Whether you have a website that needs a smile makeover or you’re ready to get on the Internet train after many years of hesitation, TNT Dental is the place to start. Call 877-868-4932 today to discuss a custom designed website built to bring you patients.