Reviews build brand trust with new and existing patients, this is because people don’t just rely on word of mouth anymore, people are reluctant to spend their time and money on something they are unsure about.
According to research, 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, it is more important than ever to gain reviews.
If you’re still not convinced then another reason to have reviews is that it helps increase your ranking in Local SEO search results, this means if you are competing with other local practices, having more reviews could give you the edge over them.
Where do you start with reviews? Well, we have put together a few helpful steps to help you gain reviews for your dental practice, how to set them up and how to gain patient reviews.
Google My Business
If you haven’t already then you need to set up a Google My Business account, this is a free tool that helps you manage your how your practice looks online on Google Search Results and Google Maps.
Google my Business gives potential patients and existing patients a quick lookup of information they would like to know, such as Practice address, Phone number, opening times, Q&A’s, Photos. Create posts that can be used for promotions, links to your website, Directions via Google maps and of course reviews.
Another reason to have Google my Business is that it increases your rankings in Google’s Local SERP (Search Engine Page Results). This means when someone googles Dentist or Dental Practices in a certain postcode you will come up in the search results, this is the same for people search on their mobile phones, if they google dentists near me their phone will use their GPS to find the relevant results just make sure your practice’s address is up to date.
Ask Nicely
The best way to get a review is to simply ask, what’s the worst they can say? No. There is no shame in asking for a review, it’s becoming increasingly common to be asked to leave feedback or review for a product or service, in fact, Google actually encourages it.
Just briefly explain to your patients about the importance and how helpful it is having reviews for your practice. You could implement it as part of the front desks workflow, asking patients if they wouldn’t mind leaving a review on Google for them.
Make It Simple
People are busy and sometimes they don’t have time to leave a review unless they are really compelled to or sometimes they just forget to when they get home, especially if they have just had dental work.
You need to make it as simple as possible for patients to leave a review not only on Google my Business but on Facebook too. Maybe having an email that links to your pages or a step by step guide on how to leave a review can help.
Having reviews on your website is a good factor for building brand trust but also having a clear call to actions with additional social media buttons making it even easier for your patients to find you on the appropriate platforms to leave a review.
Software of Excellence have a great tool that makes leaving a review even simpler, Online Reputation Manager helps you collect reviews from your patients.
You can either hand your patient a tablet with online reputation manager, all they have to do is select the number of stars they wish to leave, then they can write a review. Later in the day Online Reputation sends them an email with a link to the appropriate platform like Google or Facebook.
The patient, will receive a copy of their review to which the can copy and paste onto Google or Facebook.
Online Reputation Manager also has the option to email every patient that visited the practice that day, don’t worry this is GDPR safe as you are not marketing to them, you are just asking for feedback so that you can run a better business/ service for your patients.
Don’t Panic We All Get Bad Reviews
It happens to the best of us, some disgruntled patient leaves a bad review. First thing is to not panic, it could be a blessing in disguise.
First, some people might find it a little bit suspect that you have nothing but 5-star reviews, they may even question who is leaving these reviews like friends or family, so having some lower star ratings is not the end of the world.
If you do heaven forbid do get a dreaded 1-star review is not to ignore it, that is the worst thing you could do. You should address it and try to resolve the issue, be polite and professional. Sometimes the review may be out of your hands, they could be just having a bad day and decided to take it out on your reviews or they genuinely had a bad experience. Whatever the case may be, addressing it will only put you in a good light and shows you are not afraid to shy away from negative reviews. Just don’t make it a habit.
Start Collecting your Stars
Reviews are important, it could the difference between gaining a new patient or losing one, everybody researches before they purchase.
Make sure you implement Google my Business or even a Facebook business page.
Google my Business, rate your business in local SEO by Relevance, Distance (From where the person is Googling from) and Prominence, this means how active your business is, like posts and reviews.
Don’t feel bad for asking for reviews and make it as painless as possible for your patients, which most dentists live by anyway.