While monitoring website traffic is important, the real focus should be conversions. It’s great to see visitor numbers climb, but if this isn’t coupled with an increase in patient enquiries, there may be an issue. It could be that the site is attracting irrelevant visits, there is an issue with the site’s usability, or that there just isn’t a strong enough call to action to get potential patients contacting the practice to book. Continue reading for ideas on how to optimise your site for conversions:
The look and feel of your website is incredibly important. As dentistry becomes more and more competitive having a well-designed, fast and modern website is a priority. This is the first thing potential patients will judge the site (and practice!) on when looking online, so it is well worth investing in a redesign or new website.
Really think about what makes your practice unique and why patients should choose you over competitors. Once you know this, ensure the site is displaying it clearly and effectively on your landing pages.
Converting website visitors is all about attracting a relevant audience. Optimising the site for specific, targeted keywords will help increase conversions and attract patients who are ready to book. For example, ranking well for a term such as ‘teeth whitening at dentist Bournemouth’, over the more general ‘teeth whitening’, is likely to bring more conversions. This is because the searcher is clearly looking for a dental practice to whiten their teeth, rather than just carrying research on whitening in general. These ‘long-tail’ terms are also less competitive, giving a higher chance for your site to rank well.
Building credibility with your website visitors will help increase trust, resulting in more conversions. Show off your affiliations – are you a member of organisations such as the BDA? Are you accredited with particular organisations? A registered supplier of a particular treatment? Won any awards? If so, clearly display this on your landing page. Even having active social media accounts and online reviews will build credibility and trust with your website visitors.
Website visitors need clear instructions on what to do and the next steps. With all the noise out there in the digital world, clear messages are essential. Your landing page should have one clear call to action to avoid confusion and should drive potential patients to contact you. Think along the lines of ‘Book your appointment today’ with a short contact form. Don’t ask for too much information initially as this can put visitors off!
Conversion optimisation is an ongoing process and should be continuously tested and trialed. Keep working on your website landing pages and you will see results.
Measuring conversions is essential to monitor the effectiveness of your website.
Our contact form system gives a simple way to see exactly how many enquiries your website is generating. We can see how many you receive each month, which page they submitted the form on, as well as the time and day of the enquiry, making it a great way to monitor the kind of enquiry you are gaining.
Many potential patients will want to speak with you directly over the phone. This can be a hard conversion to measure without installing call tracking onto the site. This service will provide valuable insight into the calls your practice is receiving, giving data on the call numbers, length, time and day. It even shows how many missed calls you had and the option to record calls, which can be very useful during staff training.
Google Analytics allows us to monitor the clicks a particular button gains on your site. For example, we can track how many visitors click on your online booking button to give an idea of the numbers of visitors engaging with this method of contact.
If you want to discuss conversion optimisation or need help with your site, give us a call on 01202 677 277.