A dental practice ought to look good, right? When someone drives past, they might notice the signage, the landscaping, the general look of the practice. Is it inviting? Is it dingy? These things matter!
But as a prospective buyer, you’re probably young enough to understand something instinctively: as much as the physical look of the practice matters, its online presence matters even more.
And it’s not just for patients. You can use a practice’s online presence to get a quick idea of what to expect from the practice more generally. The amount of effort put into a practice’s website and reviews can tell you how engaged the owner is in growing the practice and maintaining patient satisfaction. And while a bad online presence isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker (in fact, it could signal a big opportunity), it can still give you an idea of what you’re walking into as a buyer.
With that in mind, here are three areas to look at when evaluating a practice’s online presence.
The website
How is the general look and feel of the website? Do they even have one? (You might be surprised.) Does it look like it was made twenty years ago and never updated?
Ideally, the website should be modern, clean, and easy to navigate. It should include real photos of the practice (not stock photos), information about procedures performed, photos and short bios of the staff, and so on.
The reviews
If I see a practice with 100+ Google reviews, I know I’m dealing with a pro. Many selling dentists are older, and many of them are just coasting to retirement, not trying to actively grow the practice, so they don’t ask for positive reviews and they don’t get them.
A practice that actively cultivates online reviews is probably well-run, and is certainly on its best behavior with patients, so those reviews are positive. That could be a great practice to step into, with less to “fix” than the coasting practice. On the other hand, a lack of online reviews could be seen as an opportunity for you to make some simple improvements as the owner.
Scheduling & bill pay
Patients expect to be able to schedule appointments and pay bills online. They can do that with just about anything else in their life, so why not the dentist? If a practice you’re considering buying doesn’t yet have online scheduling and bill pay, you absolutely should get it set up ASAP once you’re the owner. That’s a significant financial investment, but you should also think of it as a significant opportunity to make your practice better and more attractive to potential patients.
Are you sensing a pattern here? If a practice you’re considering buying has an amazing online, great! That’s an indication of a well-run, modernized practice, and you won’t have to do much in this area right off the bat. If the practice’s online presence is lacking, no problem. If the rest of the practice is good enough to buy, then you have a clear and simple way to make some immediate improvements once you’re in the driver’s seat.
If you think you may have found a good practice to buy, let us know! Our amazing team help you do a thorough evaluation of all areas of the practice and help you through the entire purchase process. Let us get you started on the most important phase of your career.
