Six Ways an Old Dental Website Loses Patients

Your website looks fine to you because you see it every day. A new patient sees it once, on a phone, and decides in seconds. Here is what I would check on a dental site, from the patient's side.

1. It loads slowly

Google's 2016 research found that 53% of mobile visits are abandoned when a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Open your site on your phone using cellular data and count. If it is slow, run it through Google PageSpeed Insights.

2. The phone version is an afterthought

Many patients search from their phone. If they have to pinch and zoom to read, or the phone number is text instead of a button that calls, some will not bother.

3. There is no clear next step

"Welcome to our practice" is not a next step. Each page should end in one thing to do: book, call or request an appointment. The phone number belongs at the top of the page, not only in the footer.

4. Your reviews are hidden

If your Google reviews are good, show a few on your homepage with the star rating. Otherwise patients leave to look for them, and they see your competitors' listings while they are there.

5. There is no way to follow up

A visitor who is not ready to book leaves, and you never know they came. A short form for questions or a first-visit request gives you a name and a number to call.

6. You look like every other practice

A template site with the same stock smiling patient as the practice down the road gives people no reason to pick you. Real photos of your office and team do more than any wording.

What to do about it

Work out what one new patient is worth to you over the years they stay. Then ask how many you think a site like this turns away in a month. You do not need an exact number, only enough to tell whether it is worth fixing.

I build dental sites starting at $997 to set up and $79 a month. If you want to see how yours holds up first, run the free audit or book a call.