One-on-One An Interview with Dr. Paul Homoly Simply Beautiful A ...

Earth. Now, you don’t have to join numerous directories and be listed with ten other docs in your area. You can now
be listed with your own ad and link to your Website right in Google—and not in a directory. It’s a great way for you to
market directly to the local patient searching for a specific service without paying a directory service to be listed with
everybody else in your area.
MD: And as opposed to the “old school” Yellow Pages ad, where you listed every single thing that you did—extractions,
crowns, bridges, veneers, all these things that the average patient may or may not be interested in,—you now have the
ability to advertise specifically for the procedures that the doctor likes to do. There are usually two or three, maybe four,
procedures that the doctor really enjoys doing—the things that really make the practice fun and make it fulfilling to be
a dentist. So, beyond just the production and collection of numbers that come from these procedures, this type of specific
targeted marketing really stands to make dentists much happier in their own practice.
GL: Yes, that’s true. The key to this whole marketing process is that the Website enables you to do 24/7 marketing. For
example: it’s 2 a.m. and a spouse wakes up because his or her partner is snoring. The spouse goes online to find a solution
for this problem. With a Google AdWords campaign, you now have an opportunity to market to them at 2 a.m in
the morning. Sure, your practice isn’t open at 2 a.m., but you are offering the patient the ability to learn about possible
solutions for snoring on your Website and to take action by e-mailing your practice directly. It is truly 24/7 marketing!
Like you said, Dr. Michael, with an ad or a postcard there’s only so much you can tell them because of limited space.
But with a Website, you have the opportunity to expand on the topic and offer in-depth information about a specific
service. You can show pictures of different appliances. If it’s a cosmetic procedure, you can display before and after
photos. You have a much better chance at educating the patient right then, when they’re interested, which both attracts
them to the practice and increases your case acceptance.
MD: I recently had to find a dermatologist for the first time in my life. I asked a couple friends for a recommendation,
and one person liked their dermatologist but couldn’t remember the name. I did a Google search to find the person and
I found that some of the dermatologists had Websites and others didn’t. The one that I ended up going to had a Website,
had pictures of the doctors, included a picture of the staff—and I got the feeling by looking at their Website that I kind
of got to know who they were. I don’t know how much you can judge a business by pictures, but it made me feel more
comfortable; and that’s the person that I ended up going to. Have you noticed those same kinds of things with respect
to dental patients as they are looking to find a new dental office to go to, if they move to a new area, or something like
that?
GL: Yes, you have a much higher probability just from a referral standpoint. While everybody recommends a dentist
to a friend, the patient still may not be comfortable just going off of that referral. So, the Website is there to further
educate them, make them feel more comfortable, show them more pictures of the practice both outside and inside
the office, tell them a little bit about yourself on the Website—all of that helps the patient feel more comfortable. Let’s
face it: You know there’s a reason a good percentage of
the population doesn’t go to the dentist regularly. It’s the
“fear factor.” Your Website is only going to help them feel
more comfortable and increase the odds that they’ll set up
an appointment.
MD: Yes, that’s fantastic. I’m amazed that you can get
this kind of presence on the Internet so quickly. I mean,
it sounds affordable at $995. How long is the turnaround
time for someone to establish a presence on the Internet?
GL: Well, it’s amazing. Our clients typically have their Websites
up within a day, if not hours. And that’s completely
customized with all their information, logos, photos, everything
uploaded and ready to go. Then to set up a Google
AdWords campaign, a local search campaign like I talked
about, also takes minutes. We can get a practice up and
running within 30 to 45 minutes.
MD: That’s another huge advantage over an “old
school” example, like the Yellow Pages ad. <strong>One</strong> of the
things I love about the Internet is that the next day, or
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