Internet
You've probably been told numerous times by now that you need a website for your private practice. And you do! You want to show your patients that you're keeping up with the times and technology by giving them a state-of-the-art resource to go to for booking appointments and contacting your staff. You also want to appeal to new patients by giving them an opportunity to learn about your practice anonymously - and this is exactly the purpose a website would serve for you. Think of the referral potential from a website too. Mrs. Patient is recommending you to her sister, and now, she can easily say, "Yes, he is great. Check him out at www.drsoandso.com!" There are many great sites that do design, hosting and search engine optimization (the process that allows your site to be found in places like Google and Yahoo).
There is another way to get some heavy-duty exposure on the Internet - and sometimes overlooked: Dental Directories. Do not under estimate the power of online directories! These are the sites that are ranking highest in the search engines - both in the paid listings, and the free listings. Your website will still function well in synergy with a directory - the user can either find you through your own site - or through the directories - the combonation of these two marketing mediums actually double your exposure on the internet.
Remember, the yellow pages can only be found one way....and someone has to own that book to find you! More and more people are eliminating landlines in their homes, and opting to use cellular service only. The elimination of land lines means the elimination of phone books! Remember, these people rely on the internet to find what they need.
