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Six Reasons why dentists should really care about reviews online

With the growth of the internet, it has increasingly become crucial to have a respectable online presence for your business. This applies to dentists just as much as it applies to other businesses. The first thing that people do these days is to google a service provider when they are looking to work with one.

Alternatively, they hear a name and look up its reputation and what others have to say about it in the reviews they write. As of 2016, 90% of the consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. On top of that, 84% of the folks trust these reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations.

Consequently, maintaining a reputable online presence is essential for the progress of your profession. Reviews are often one of the leading ways to boost your online reputation, provided they are positive and responded well.

Here is more on why dentists should care about these reviews:

  •  Online reviews are often the first step in the buyer’s journey

The buyer’s journey begins with the awareness of a pain point. In your case, this pain point is the need for a dentist owing to any oral problem. More often than not, online reviews help guide your potential patient through the early stages of looking up and deciding to work with a dentist.

There’s statistical proof backing this up too. 51% of the individuals search for dentists via search engines. This means that once they get a hold of your name, their next step will be searching for what people have to say about your services in their reviews.

This sets up the ground for why online reviews matter so much because a negative review at this point will only discourage a person from availing your services.

  •  Reviews are the digital word of mouth 

In the present times, the internet is ubiquitous. What’s more, everyone rushes toward it for finding a solution to their problem including finding a dentist for the pain in their jaw. Gone are the days when sealing a business deal felt like throwing darts in the dark.

Instead, search engines have empowered people with awareness. In this context, online reviews have become the digital word of mouth that either navigates more business your way or takes it away from you.

Naturally, nobody wants the negative business. Therefore, here is another reason why you need to focus on your reviews.

  •  Reviews add the human element to your business 

One of the effective backings that can help your business grow is social proof. It is evidence that your work is as good as you claim it to be. The key differentiating factor is that social proof comes from others. Online reviews are a chief source of social proof, which reveals how good your services are.

Research suggests that product reviews (or reviews about your service) are 12 times more trusted than the sales copy and product descriptions that you provide.

Moreover, reviews add to the human touch of your business. In simple words, these confirm that your business is authentic and your business is reliable, which is why people are leaving positive remarks about it.

  •  They help market your work 

Importance of online reviews for dentists also grows as these aid in marketing your business. For instance, a positive review may talk about how effective your dental treatment was or how they enjoyed the way you treated them.

All these compliments serve as marketing vehicles that help your business grow. A simple example to understand this further entails comparing two dentists with reviews. Dentist A’s services are backed with a couple of positive reviews and 2-3 negative reviews. On the flip side, dentist B’s work is supported by a handful of reviews that praise his work.

The choice from there on is clear – the patients will head for dentist B, as his patients speak volumes of his services. Therefore, reviews make the decision easy for the customer who, in real life, has several options at his disposal.

  •  Reviews either attract or repel new customers 

As explained in the example above, reviews either attract or repel new clients. Studies confirm this role that online testimonials play. They point out that 94% of the people opine that an online review has convinced them to avoid service or business.

Not only do negative reviews work to repel your customers but reviews that you don’t respond to also work in the same way. About 89% of the people read your responses to reviews. So, by not acknowledging a review or not solving the problem presented in a negative review, you are possibly upsetting numerous potential clients.

In short, reviews either help get you more clients or send people away. Subsequently, you need to be concerned about not only getting reviews but also responding to them and handling any negative responses as well. All this goes a long way in multiplying your customers.

  • Educate others about your services

The chief reason why people believe in reviews is that they are written by other humans who have bought a product or availed a service. These ratings and words are not churned out by the business itself.

Review sites such as Yelp Reviews and Google Reviews do a good job at keeping the equation this way. Besides, the trusted content of reviews can talk about anything that a particular customer liked about you.

Consequently, he may talk about anything ranging from a good dental procedure or how nicely you treated your patients. Thus, such content assists in educating prospects about your services, adding to the growth of your work.

Bottom line

With over 70% of the folks trusting online reviews as recommendations, there is no reason why you shouldn’t care about them. In fact, ignoring reviews is only going to work negatively for your profession. Hence, pay attention to these marketing vehicles that help educate your audience and put you forward as an authentic dentist.

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Written by Ashley

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