practice marketing
3 Steps to More Reviews from
SATISFIED PATIENTS
by Marc Fowler
Today ’ s consumer is conditioned to seek out “ social proof ” prior to making a purchase or selecting a service provider .
The most important social proof for a dental practice is reviews posted online by patients . So , it ’ s not surprising that nearly every practice that contacts us wants to know how to get more reviews from satisfied patients .
According to a recent BrightLocal survey , 88 % of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations . In other words , nine out of 10 people trust reviews left on the internet by anonymous strangers as much as recommendations from their friends , neighbors or family members .
A lack of positive patient reviews poses several problems for a dental practice . Here are a few :
n If you only have a handful of positive reviews , a single negative review can have a big impact on your average rating score .
n If the practice down the street has a lot of positive reviews , you are at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to attracting new patients .
n Your star rating for your Google My Business listing isn ’ t visible in Google search results until you receive at least five reviews .
n Without reviews , prospective patients aren ’ t able to receive that reassurance of social proof that they seek .
n The number of reviews has been shown to be a factor in Google ’ s ranking formula .
Unless you ask , many of your satisfied patients will not even think to give you a positive review . And , you have to ask multiple
20 HOUSTON DENTISTRY | www . houstondentistrymagazine . com