Web site for my lab? Does it help?

[Ajels]

I know it cant hurt, but can you really land any new accounts with a web site?

 

[TheLabGuy]

I wouldn't say it get's you new accounts, but confirms a possible new account who and what you're about. Now you may get some differing opinions because some folks do use their website to get new accounts, but for me and my business model it isn't something I look towards getting new clients.

 

[Adigitalsmile]

Absolutely. Especially with all the advances with technology and being able to communicate through your website without having to wait for a case to be physically sent to you. Being able to showcase what your lab specializes in allowing the clients to see it before contacting you.

 

[DentureDude]

I know it cant hurt, but can you really land any new accounts with a web site?

i think it depends on what you have to offer.

but... the good thing about a website is unlike hard copy marketing you can show allot more of what you have to offer.
and you can change it up as often as you like.

if you do decide to use the web go with something like a word press style site.
you want it to be super easy for 'you' to log in and make changes. after you are setup you do not want to be tied to a web designer its a pain and can get costly.
if you don't need a data base (and i cant imagine why you would) its just a place to display words and images. and maybe allow them to print an Rx form.

this way you can just hand out something simple, like a business card with your labs website name on it. then.. they can go online and quickly see lots of stuff. and.. the most current stuff. in the past it would be all about handing out try fold brochures and marketing packs. much more expensive to produce and deliver. also gets outdated easily.

your going to need content.

best way to get started on this project is get yourself a good camera and just start taking nice pictures of everything you do.

good luck
and welcome to the www

 

[CatamountRob]

I know it cant hurt, but can you really land any new accounts with a web site?

Probably, but not without a fair amount of effort on your part. It needs to be kept current and interesting. I suspect if you want to go and start posting on DT so that your web adress gets seen by everyone that reads your posts, some of them will probably click on your site if they like what you have to say. If your expecting Drs. who are searching for a new lab to find your site and start sending you work, well I have a feeling that if they are looking for a new lab that way, you might not want them as accounts. I've thought about it and I don't want one.

 

[Ajels]

Thank you!!!

 

[CYNOSURER]

I made mine (http://CynosureDental.com) with Wordpress (free program at WordPress › Blog Tool, Publishing Platform, and CMS). It's been nice to have around. Install google analitics and you get this kind of info:



I really haven't used the website to it's best advantage. I just enjoyed tinkering around with it. It is fairly easy to do with Wordpress but to really tweak it you may need some help. Little things like swapping out header photos and such. So it helps if you have a twelve year old nearby for support.

 

[CYNOSURER]

Note: When you hover over the graph (one the real page) it tells you how many visits that day. Hovering at the end of the graph told me I had 14 visits yesterday.

Wordpress is free but they do offer webhosting services if you don't already have one. I have one now with my cable package but I had already piggybacked onto my son's service (he gets 5 sites).

 

[MAFCDL]

We have had some great results since we launched our site. If you spend some time and money of search engine optimization then local dentists will find your site more often/first when they search anything related to the keywords you associate with your site.

I haven't finished the work showcase portion of the site yet, but it will be nice to show current and potential clients the work we can do. Even without this kind of material on our site we have secured just over a dozen new accounts as a result of the site.

I saw a substantial increase in the website traffic once I put our "tooth-taxi" on the road...most of the traffic is just people trying to figure out what the car is, but i figure every singe one of those people has a dentist.

So a website can do great things, but it takes some work and some strategy. If you can make it fit in your budget and have some time to spend with it - its worth a shot.

 

[Ajels]

Thank you, I will check it out. I have a web designer coming over tomorrow. Might have to try and round up a teenager if the designer is too expensive.

 

[Core]

We had two websites done for our lab. One by an expert the other by me. The website done by an expert was okay (it looked better) but we had to wait for weeks to make any adjustments on the site (and had to pay per month).
The website I made was not as fancy but we could make adjustments at any time. The drawback was that when I tried to close the account, I couldn't get in touch with the company to close it. If doing yourself, research the companies with better reviews.
Good Luck! if you need any help I made a blog to help owners with their marketing efforts. Dental Lab Life Please feel free to write, ask questions, advice, etc.
P.S. We didn't get any new accounts just by the website, but it helped with awareness of the business. Also used a sales letter, brochure, that kind of stuff to support the website. I think it can be what you put into it. A blog (journal) could also be part of your online presence and they are free. May help clients to know what you are up to/whats on your mind.

 

[AJEL]

DLL newbie at least it was fun feeding yr fish for a min.

 

[shellbell12]

Great idea with the password protected fee schedule.

 

[Jo Chen]

Content is king! Develop great up to date content and links to great content on other sites. People on the net are mostly looking to find answers to their questions, hence the popularity of this site. Access to the most valuable content of your site should only be allowed to your customers (as mentioned above, you could use customers account numbers as passwords). A strategy like this might push visitors to your site to become customers.
Show off your great work and add incentive to visitors to give your lab a try.

 

[Core]

Thanks for the visit? Let me know if there is anything I can do to return the favor. My Uncle is also doing removables. You must have ESP to know the lab industry would progress in your direction. Don't think CAD/CAMs are going to go to your turf. Hope you have a great weekend.

 

[Ajels]

Thank You!!!

 

[CoolHandLuke]

heres what i find to be Wrong with most "corporate websites"

1. sport a Logo, fill page with contact details, links to materials used. this is a very boring page. this does not help anyone searching for specific information, or who even help people who may want to apply for a job / merge / partner / sell you cheaper product.

2. basic color backgrounds / printed tile background / dark black background. when in the dental world do we fill anything monochromatically ? never do this, it shows off NONE of your skill.

3. generic information / sales pitch. please, spare me the rhetoric. let me be the judge of that.

show me your kung fu. show me life at this lab; show me your smiling faces, your non-photoshopped generic crown ripped from another site. show me you are proud of your employees and feature one on your site once a month. show me why your lab is good at what it does. show me your pride in your pricelist. show me that your doctors trust you.

 

[CYNOSURER]

Great idea with the password protected fee schedule.

I have no problem sharing it with people in the profession (even my competition). I just don't think the public would be able to use the info in the proper perspective.

 

[Ajels]

Yikes , estimate from a pro web designer is $3500 with a $30 a month hosting fee.

 

[Core]

Wow, this sounds pretty expensive. I wonder if a simple website that communicates what your business is about or a free blog might be better? (You could do both, but will get busy). Let me know if you need help. Most of the things that worked for me was on communicating specials, new services, directions, that kind of stuff. Fancy things didn't really work to much. Happy Fourth of July!