This is part two in our series of common dental marketing FAQs — and awesome answers. Feel free to add your own comments and stories to the posts, or if you want more info, just email info@moderndentalmarketing.com.
1) Yesterday! How does a new dental practice get a foothold in an area where there are many dentists?
2) Today! How does a dentist get started building a website? Are there templates?
3) Monday! Can you suggest a good dental blog to read and follow?
How does a dentist get started building a website? Are there templates?
First, decide what’s more important to you – time or money. Also weigh whether you need a custom design with bells and whistles or just a webpage with some basic information.
“I have a lot of time!” + “I just need a basic webpage.” If you are short on cash, but have the time, energy, and desire to build your own website, you can make do. Be sure to check out your competitors’ websites before you begin. Decide on elements you like, then find a free WordPress blog template (wordpress.com), purchase a domain name at GoDaddy, and get started. If you know html, you should use wordpress.org instead of .com. There’s more flexibility, but you need to know minimal html. Total cost will be under $100 a year, and that will include domain name, hosting, and the special features from WordPress, like No Ads and Domain Mapping. There are other services you can use outside of WordPress, but WP is my favorite. Many professionals use WordPress blogs as websites.
“I don’t have time to breathe, much less to learn html!” + “To attract high-end clientele, I need a high-end website.” If you just want greatness to happen when it comes to marketing your dental practice online, hire an expert. You can have as little or as much input in the process as you like. Some dentists have ideas about their logo and brand, how they want their website to look, and which cool features are a must. Others hate the idea of marketing and hand off all decisions to a trusted dental marketing consultant.
- To learn more about custom dental websites vs. templates, read this blog.
- To learn more about a dental blog as a dental website, read this post.
- To learn more about how to make the most of your dental website, click here.
