With the rise of the internet over the past thirty years, people are using it more and more to research companies before buying or committing to a service. Practices not keeping up with the trend can find themselves losing new patient starts without understanding why. To help you retain your patients and maximize internet reviews, Greyfinch has put together a guide to help you understand how lack of reviews could be killing your new patient starts.
Statistics show the benefits
According to invesp.com, 92% of internet users will use a local company if it has at least a 4-star review. Before people visit your orthodontic practice, they will be looking at Google reviews and other online sites to read about patients’ experiences. In fact, 90% of consumers look at online reviews before visiting a business. In the digital age, people want reassurance they are making the right decision, especially when it comes to choices they make for their kids. By taking five minutes to read through reviews, they can get a good feel for whether or not an orthodontic practice is worth their time.
Some insurance providers will also list reviews from Google, Yelp, or Facebook on their customer pages. Once patients log onto an insurance provider’s page to see which orthodontists are covered under their insurance, they will see reviews as well. You will want to make sure your reviews are positive so you draw in more patients.
Ask for reviews
The majority of patients will provide a review if asked, and perhaps gently reminded once or twice. The more positive reviews you have on Google, Facebook, and Yelp, the more new patients will want to visit your practice. It is also important to have recent reviews, as most consumers will look for reviews from the past 90 days or less.
Keeping your reviews current and positive doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. Encourage your staff to ask patients to leave reviews without being too pushy. At the receptionist desk, have a sign asking patients for reviews. Include a QR code that directs them to Google to leave a review. You could also give them an incentive for writing a review. For example, everyone who writes a review gets a $5 gift card to a local restaurant near your orthodontic practice. Sending out follow-up emails with the link to leave a review is a great way to encourage patients and patients’ parents to provide online feedback.
Once patients leave reviews, it’s important to respond to them. If they are positive, leave a thank you message. If they are negative, offer to make the situation right and follow up with the customer via a phone call or email. This will show you’re responsive to patients and are committed to making sure they have a positive experience.
Greyfinch also offers an excellent solution to gaining positive reviews. With our reputation management software, we automatically text patients and ask them how likely they are to recommend your clinic. If they rate it above a certain score, they are automatically prompted to review you on Google, Facebook, or Yelp. For ratings below a certain score, they are asked for feedback, which only your team will see, to deter them from leaving a negative review.
Greyfinch is here to help with all your patient and clinic management needs. If you are ready to explore everthing our software has to offer, contact us today!
