You hear the word “unprecedented” a lot these days associated with the COVID-19 crisis. But with unprecedented challenges come the equally unprecedented opportunities of how to prepare your dental practice to reopen when the time arrives. No doubt a disrupted routine has given you a useful amount of free time. Though you’re technically “closed for business” – with exception of providing emergency dentistry – you can keep your door “open” to increasing your practice’s viability when you and your team return.
Your future outcomes depend on how you prepare your dental practice to reopen
According to economist, Paul Romer, – “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.”
Additional insight from a relevant Harvard Business Review article agrees…
”Downturns can shine a spotlight on the long-term health of a business, revealing vulnerabilities that might not have been as visible in good times. Leaders should use the downturn as an opportunity to create a sense of urgency within their organizations, helping drive the large-scale change that will be necessary to succeed in the future.”
And a related thought…
It’s challenging to look beyond the short-term conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic. But there’s measurable hope if you pause (only briefly) and take a “long-term view” during this downturn season.
Actions you can implement now that support how you prepare your dental practice to reopen viable and strong
EVALUATE AND UPGRADE YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
BEGIN BY EVALUATING YOUR DENTAL PRACTICE WEBSITE.
- Explore your homepage as if you’re a first time visitor to your site. Is it easy to navigate and fast-loading? Does it contain compelling benefits that keep them reading?
- Briefly review each of your dental service pages. Observe and eliminate any dental-speak that could confuse and cause readers to click-away.
- Confirm that the copy is conversational (like you’re “talking” to one person).
- Check your site’s device-friendliness. Does it adapt to mobile devices? Is it easy to navigate on a smartphone or tablet?
- Review your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Are relevant industry and local keywords peppered throughout (without overstuffing)? Do your pages (e.g. blog pages) contain internal links to other relevant site pages?
- Look for clear, compelling, calls-to-action on each page. Are you asking your site visitors to “schedule,” “contact…,” etc?
- Re-energize your blog page. Are you answering real questions people have about their dental care? Do you publish solution-focused content on a consistent schedule (i.e. weekly or bi-weekly)?
MAINTAIN YOUR PATIENT AND PUBLIC RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH ENGAGING SOCIAL MEDIA.
- Stay consistently present and front-of-mind via social media. What insights do you gain by social-listening?
- Curate content that your patients would find useful. Share it (with necessary attribution) on your social media “channels” (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc).
- Increase your engagement by replying to likes, shares, and comments on your social media content.
- Keep your social content positive, helpful, and steered-clear of “tone-deafness” (especially during crisis or collective cultural events and circumstances).
INCREASE YOUR MINDFULNESS REGARDING ONLINE REVIEWS.
- Meet positive reviews with…
