You just performed a clean on a patient, and they told you it was painless and fast. Great!
You let the patient walk out of the door feeling satisfied. But wait, you’re forgetting something important. Asking for a review from a happy patient would help tons of people see your hard work!
Every patient that walks out is a missed opportunity if you didn’t ask them for a review.
But do you know how to ask for a dental review?
It’s no secret that you need a constant stream of new patients for your dental practice to succeed. And to get new patients, you need good reviews.
If you’re struggling to get dental reviews, don’t worry. You’re not alone.
In fact, most dentists have a tough time getting patients to leave reviews. The good news is that you can adopt some easy ways to get more dental reviews.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to get more dental reviews in 7 easy steps.
But before we get into that, let’s take a step back and answer a few important questions.
What is the Importance of Dental Office Reviews?
Online dental reviews are among the most important factors new patients consider when choosing a dentist.
Dental reviews not only provide social proof of your business, but they also help increase patient trust. In fact, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
In addition, dental clinic reviews can help dentists to identify areas in need of improvement. By reading honest feedback from patients, dentists can find what is working well and what needs to be changed to offer the best possible care.
6 Best Review Sites for Dental Practices
A strong online presence is critical for any business, but it is especially important for dental practices. After all, potential patients are likely to do an online search before making an appointment.
It is essential to have positive dental reviews on popular review sites. Here are some of the best review sites for dental practices:
1. Google Reviews
Google is a popular search engine for people looking for healthcare information. In fact, 77% of people use Google to start their patient journey.
Claim your Google My Business profile and set Google reviews for your dental clinic if you want your practice to grow immensely.
Google reviews appear in both Google Maps and Google Search, making it a powerful tool for increasing your visibility and attracting new patients.
2. Facebook
Facebook is another powerful platform for promoting dental practices, with over 2 billion monthly active users. The 5 star dentist reviews of your dental office place you at the top of the list when patients search for local dentists on Facebook.
High ratings on Facebook are a sure way to become a reputable and successful dentist. Encourage your patients to leave detailed reviews of your dental services on Facebook, as each review matters.
3. Yelp
Yelp is another popular review site, with over 140 million reviews of businesses in more than 30 countries.
Yelp allows patients to search for practices by location and speciality. Dental practices can create a free business listing on Yelp and encourage patients to leave reviews there.
4. Healthgrades
Healthgrades is a leading source of reliable information about healthcare providers. It offers detailed profiles of dentists, millions of dental care reviews and an online appointment booking system.
Earning positive reviews here means you are destined to be successful as a dentist. By creating a profile on this site, dentists can attract more patients. Every positive dental review they leave there will boost your dental practice immensely.
5. 1-800 Dentist Review
1-800 Dentist is a popular dental referral site. They offer a suite of products and services for dentists to market their practice, connecting them with patients and helping them communicate with them.
Moreover, the site matches each patient with a suitable dentist based on the five questions they ask. After a dental visit, patients review their experience and services from the dentist.
6. Dentistry.com
Dentistry.com is another great site where you can list your practice and increase visibility and patient base.
Plus, you can interact with other community members, patients, and dental professionals. You can answer questions about dentistry, write dental-related articles, and encourage patients to book appointments and leave reviews through this site.
By listing your dental practice on reputable dental review websites, you cast a wider net and get reviews from various platforms. This will not only increase your visibility but will also help to build trust and credibility with potential patients.
Now that we’ve answered some of the most important questions about dental reviews, let’s get into how to get more dental reviews in 7 easy steps.
How to Get More Positive Reviews: 7 Easy Steps
1. Identify Happy Patients
Your happy patients are your biggest brand ambassadors. Start by identifying them through surveys, customer service feedback or even by analyzing which patients never miss appointments.
These patients are likely to be your most loyal fans and will be willing to write a review with little prompting from you.
After identifying your happy patients, dental review requests will become much easier. You can reach out to them directly and ask if they would be willing to leave a review.
If they agree, make it easy for them to review your practice via text marketing, social media, or in person immediately after their visit.
Dental practices that start with this strategy have the best chance for success because they’re getting reviews from their most loyal customers. These will undoubtedly be some of the most positive reviews you can get.
Text marketing for a dental practice is an effective and quick way to get dental reviews.
The average open rate for SMS is 99%, and the average click-through rate for SMS is 36%.
Source: G2
2. Create a Google Review Link with Your Google My Business Profile
Google has been the most popular review site for years. It is the first place patients go when looking for a new dental practice.
81% of consumers used Google to evaulate local businesses.
Source: BrightLocal
For this, you need to claim your Google Business Profile page and get as many reviews as possible. The more 5-star reviews you have, the higher you rank in Google search results.
With Google My Business, you can create a Google review link that you can easily share with dental patients. Here’s how to generate a Google review link:
Go to your Business Profile.
Select Customers > Reviews > Get more reviews.
A shareable link will appear.
Copy the link.
Then, add your Google review link to your website, or share it through SMS, email or even on your receipts.
With a customer experience platform like DemandHub, you can automatically send a text message to your patients with a Google review link, making it easy for them to post an online review right after their appointment.
3. Put Your Review Link on Your Business Card
Send your patients to Google Reviews by placing the link on your marketing collaterals, such as your business card.
Every time you hand out your business card, you have an opportunity to get a new review. Ensure the link is short and easy to type so they can review you on the go.
Image: Sample Business Card Example
You can even create a QR code for the review link and place it on your business card, so your patients can scan it with their mobile and leave a review.
The easier it is for them to leave a review for your dental practice, the more positive reviews you’re likely to get.
4. Create an Incentive For Your Dental Team to Get More Reviews
Your dental team is a powerful marketing tool that can help get more reviews for your dental practice.
Getting reviews doesn’t have to be a drag. Hold fun competitions monthly and offer incentives to your team members who collect the most positive reviews, such as gift cards or paid time off.
This way, you will get your whole team involved in getting more positive dental reviews and help increase your online visibility.
5. Use an Email Template
Emailing is another effective way to reach your entire customer base in one fell swoop.
An email has the features and flexibility to personalize your messages. You can even include images, PDFs, and instructions on leaving a review. Plus, you’re not limited by character count like text marketing.
When creating a dental office review template for emails to request dental reviews, make sure to:
- Include a Google review link to your business page.
- Say thank you for their visit and trust.
- Make it personal.
- Keep it short and sweet.
6. Run Contests
Who doesn’t love a good contest? Everyone loves winning, so use this to your advantage and get more dental reviews for your dental practice.
Every month you can offer a prize, like an Amazon gift card or free teeth whitening, to a random patient who left a new review.
This will excite your patients to leave feedback and get them to write more detailed reviews, which is great for your dental practice’s online visibility and rapport.
7. Use a Dental Reviews Software
If you’re looking for a stress-free and easy way to get dental reviews, you should consider using a dental review software like DemandHub.
They can help you get more reviews from your patients without asking them directly and keep track of your online reputation.
With DemandHub, you can also get alerted when someone leaves a review about your practice. This makes it easy to respond to any feedback quickly and effectively.
How to Respond to Dental Patient Reviews?
Dental patient reviews can be a valuable source of feedback. They can help you to identify areas where your practice excels and areas where there is room for improvement.
In addition, patient reviews can provide insights into the expectations of your patients and the level of service they expect from your practice.
As such, it is important to take the time to respond to dental patient reviews promptly.
If you see a negative review, express your regret that the patient had a negative experience. Invite them to reach out to you directly so that you can address their issues. Listen to their concerns and see if there is something you can do to improve their experience.
45% of consumers say they’re more likely to visit a business that responds to their negative reviews.
Source: ReviewTrackers
Even if you can’t change the situation that led to the negative review, you may be able to build a rapport with the patients and turn them into satisfied customers.
For a positive review, thank the patient for their kind words and let them know you appreciate their input.
Seven out of ten customers changed their opinion about a business after the business responded to the review.
Source: Marketing Charts
A personal response shows that you care about your patients and value their feedback.
You can show your commitment to providing quality care and enhancing the patient experience by responding to patient reviews promptly and effectively.
How Can DemandHub Help You Get More Positive Reviews?
Providing excellent customer experience and getting more 5 star dentist reviews is essential for the growth of your practice.
DemandHub is an all-in-one reputation management software that can get you more positive reviews and manage your online reputation.
By using DemandHub’s Reviews, Web Chat and Messenger features, all in one unified inbox, Brush Dentists increased their online reviews by 618%. Consequently, it builds trust and increases organic traffic to their website.
Our mission is to help local clinics prosper by streamlining communication with their patients. With DemandHub’s modern messaging capabilities, you can text review links directly to patients and enable them to post a review in just 30 seconds or less – all with just a few clicks.
Book a free demo today to learn more about how DemandHub can help you get more positive reviews for your dental practice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Dental Reviews
Why are dental reviews important?
Dental reviews are important because they give potential patients insights into your dental practice from people who have experienced your services first-hand. Good dental reviews can help to build trust and credibility, influence decision-making, and increase the visibility of your practice online.
How can I encourage patients to leave reviews for my dental practice?
Encourage patients to leave reviews by asking them directly after their appointment. You can also send follow-up emails or text messages to ask for reviews. Make the process of leaving a review as easy and convenient as possible.
How do I handle negative dental reviews?
Responding to negative reviews promptly, professionally, and politely is crucial. Apologize for any issues the patient experienced. If appropriate, offer to discuss the matter privately and take steps to resolve the problem.
Where should patients leave reviews for my dental practice?
Patients can leave reviews for dental practice on several platforms. Some of the most popular ones are Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, and healthcare-specific review sites. Before creating your listing, consider where your potential patients will most likely see them. Ensure to follow each platform’s guidelines on soliciting reviews to avoid any potential issues.
How do I know if my dental clinic is good?
You can assess the quality of your dental clinic through patient feedback. Other factors to consider are patient acquisition rate, patient satisfaction, and patient retention rate. Online reviews can provide valuable insights into patient satisfaction.
Additionally, staying up-to-date with the latest dental technologies and practices, and ensuring your staff is well-trained and professional, are signs of a good dental clinic.
What is a dental review?
A dental review is a feedback left by a patient about their experience with a dentist or dental clinic. It typically includes a rating, often on a scale of 1 to 5, and a written comment about the patient’s experience. A dental review often covers aspects like the quality of care, facility cleanliness, staff professionalism, and overall patient satisfaction.
How do I promote my dental website?
Dental SEO (Search Engine Optimization), content marketing, social media marketing, and paid online advertising are some of the best ways to promote your dental website. Regularly updating your website with informative and engaging content can attract leads and improve your search engine rankings.
Moreover, sharing your content on social media and engaging with followers can help to increase visibility. Paid online advertising, like Google Ads, can also help you reach a wider audience.
