Who should design your website? Working with a company, hiring a designer, DIY, or getting help from family or friends?
There’s no question that selecting a web design company for your dental practice is an important step in growing your business. A well-designed website isn’t only nice to look at and can be a powerful tool to convert visitors to new patients. It’s the first thing prospective patients will see when they discover you online, and it gives you a chance to show them why they should pick you as their dental care provider.
So who you bring on to design your dental website is an important decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. But with thousands of web design companies to choose from, it can be an overwhelming task. Which design firm is right for you? What signs can you look for that signal a company is worth hiring?
There are many questions to ask, but here are ten things you can look for when sifting through your options for a dental web design company:
1. An impressive portfolio and work history
The fastest and easiest check you can do when researching a web design company is to review their own website. If they’re good at their job, it should be both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Many will have case studies and live websites they designed previously you can check out, as well as testimonials from their prior clients.
But note this. Hundreds of “dental web design companies” have appeared online in the last couple of years. When you look a little more carefully, though, over 99% of them don’t have a single design in their ‘portfolio’ to show! If you come across such a company, run. These are mostly non-US-based companies run by teenagers that buy a mailing address and a template system and do not have a single client. They try to attract you with a low initial cost and many empty promises.
Find companies with proven track records that have been designing websites for a long time and show real practices websites with positive reviews nationwide. Here is an example of the top 10 dental website design companies in the US.
2. Specialization in dentistry
Selecting a web design company specializing in creating dentists’ websites will also be highly beneficial.
Given the sensitive information that many patients may need to provide through the website and billing information, the company you choose should be familiar with the security needs of a website built for the healthcare industry.
You’ll save a lot of time and money if they’re already familiar with HIPPA compliance and other common components of a dental website, such as patient forms and appointment booking tools.
3. Customization
When looking at the prior websites they’ve designed, note whether they’ve been customized to each practice or if many of them look the same.
Remember that your dental practice is unique, and your website should reflect that. Companies that obviously use templates to quickly turn out websites should be avoided.
If you still want a dental website template, check the top 5 companies that offer that here.
4. Expertise in patient conversions
As dental care is a service that must be provided in person, your website isn’t functioning at its full potential if it’s not driving new patients into your office.
During your initial conversations with your potential web designers, inquire about what strategies they employ to this effect. What design concepts have they implemented that resulted in more new patients requesting appointments?
Retaining visitors with captivating content, straightforward calls to action, and easy-to-navigate menus should all be part of their larger plan to get you more patients!
5. Up-to-date software practices and modern technical capabilities
A web design agency’s ideas are only as good as they can execute them. Be sure they use a responsive web design that will keep your site relevant on all devices and ranked highly in search engines.
Mobile compatibility should be a hard requirement, along with other additional elements a dentist might need, like a patient portal and integration with your billing system.
6. An experienced marketing team
The best dental web design companies will have a highly experienced marketing team with in-depth knowledge of dental marketing practices.
Your website can’t drive patients into your office if it’s not being seen online. A marketing team will be able to optimize your SEO, streamline your UX, and ensure that your Google ranking is as high as possible.
They’ll also be able to engage your target audience by creating custom content for your blogs and social media. Ask if they’re experienced in eliciting patient testimonials and reviews.
7. Ongoing maintenance services
If you can find the perfect match, you’ll hopefully be entering into a year-long relationship with the dental web design company you choose because not only will they design the website for you, but they should also offer to maintain it over the course of their lifetime.
Perhaps some updates need to be made: changes to your patient forms, new special procedures you offer, a promotion you’d like to advertise – these changes to your practice need to be reflected on your website, and it’s best you leave it to the pros.
8. Reasonable timelines and contract terms
An experienced dental web design company should be able to tell you how quickly they can move and what the payment schedule will look like, clearly and upfront. Manage your expectations by being upfront about your needs. Read contracts thoroughly before signing to know what to expect and when.
9. An open-door policy that gives you transparency
Nothing tells you a company values its clients more than their time interacting with you. Take note of how they plan to keep the lines of communication open during your ongoing relationship.
Is it easy for you to get in contact with them? Will you be assigned an account manager to address your questions as they arise?
Be sure you’re selecting a company that invites your input and gives you expert feedback on what will work and what won’t.
10. Pricing appropriate to the work
Finally, pricing. The perfect dental web design company for you must be one that also fits into your budget.
Do they have contingency plans? What’s their policy on refunds if they don’t deliver?
Ensure all the services you’ve discussed are included and that the quality of their portfolio is worth what they’re charging.
Closing thoughts
The main headline here is that who you choose to design your website is a critical component of your dental practice’s success. The time you invest in vetting the ones you’re considering will pay off in dividends.
The best ones will be able to execute your vision while also optimizing their design to drive more patients into your office.
Lay out your goals and ask lots of questions. Using the tips above, you should be able to find a dental web design company that is perfect for you and your practice.
