New Data on the Power of Online Reviews to Get More New Patients
Today’s Topic:
New Data on the Power of Online Reviews to Get More New Patients
How often do you look up online reviews of a local business you’re interested in before you make any decisions about products or services?
If you’re like most people, the answer is all the time. The first thing most consumers do after looking up a practice’s website is go straight to the online reviews left by other patients. Did those people have a bad or good experience? What was their reasoning behind the review they posted?
The 2016 BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey* was published recently, and had some key takeaways that we can learn from:
- 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation
- 7 out of 10 consumers will leave a review for a business if they’re asked to
- 74% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more
- 58% of consumers say that the star rating of a business is most important
- 90% of consumers read less than 10 reviews before forming an opinion about a business
- 54% of people will visit the website after reading positive reviews
- 73% of consumers think that reviews older than 3 months are no longer relevant
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These statistics show that a positive reputation is one of the most important and powerful marketing assets a dental or medical practice has to convince new patients to contact them. Asking your patients to leave a review of their positive experience is a simple marketing strategy that can increase your new patient numbers and provide potential new patients with a trust and confidence in your office before they even walk through the door. As you know, if a patient walks through the door with some trust already built up, then your job of treatment planning will be much easier.
Positive reviews are fantastic and make businesses looks great, however, there are always going to be patients who, no matter what you or your staff do, will never be satisfied. Fortunately, BrightLocal’s survey found that 90% of consumers read less than 10 reviews before forming an opinion about a business. And 73% of consumers think that reviews older than 3 months are no longer relevant. Therefore, it’s safe to say that one bad review with a 1 star rating isn’t going to ruin your business. It also means though, that you should have a consistent and ongoing system in place to generate positive reviews on Google, Facebook and Yelp.
How can you get more reviews? There are many ways, but that is a subject for another blog post. I will leave you with this important tip though… you must get them to leave the review before they leave the practice! Most people will forget or get wrapped up in their lives as soon as they walk out.
The team at Practice Treatment Plan can help you devise a strategy that can launch your practice to the next level. What are you waiting for?
888-412-8820.
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Quote of the Day
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change. ”
– Charles Darwin
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Practice Success,
Benjamin Suggs
New Patient Marketing Strategist
Practice Treatment Plan, Inc.
- Source: BrighLocal
