Building GDP referrals – Part 2 – your web site

On the home page you are going to have to make it clear that there are two pathways for visitors:

1. For Patients

2. For Dentists

Today I want to focus on the message to patients, because they will represent the majority of your visitors.

Ask yourself a question – “what do they need to know?”

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that referred patients need to know how much you know – so we see sites that are full of clinical CV’s, post-graduate qualifications and explanations of complex clinical procedures.

In reality, a patient who has been referred away from their usual GDP will be feeling anxious about what is going to happen next and so will have the following questions in their mind:

1. Do people like me visit this practice?

2. Do the team at this practice look as if they will look after me?

3. Does the dentist seem nice?

4. Does the dentist know what she is doing?

Of course, there will be some personality types that want to study your CV in detail and test your knowledge but they will be in the minority.

So when I’m looking at a web site for a practice who want to encourage referrals, I’m asking myself whether the questions above are answered in the first few seconds.

There is only one way you can ensure that happens – by promoting a variety of patient testimonial videos right from the start of the visitors journey.

Then – the second most important point – give the visitor a free download in return for GDPR-consent to add you to their email patient newsletter – so that you can nurture them with further patient stories during the early days of their journey with you.

Here’s my favourite referral web site of all time – Norfolk Dental Specialists.

Tomorrow we will talk about what your web site needs to say to GDPs – and I’ll share with you some more of my favourite referral web sites and explain why I like them.