At Infinity Dental Web, we have a commitment to ongoing research into consumer behavior as it relates to choosing a dentist, particularly when that activity involves the Internet.
That history goes back to when Dr. David Hall, the founder of Infinity Dental Web, was still marketing his own dental practice on the Internet. By interviewing every new patient who came to him from the Internet, he discovered what we call “high-conversion search terms.” We maintain that as an ongoing research project to this day, and are constantly gathering data on the search terms people use when they are intending to make an appointment. They’re quite different from the search terms people use when they are looking for information. And if you’re looking for that list of terms, we’re not going to publish it, nor are we going to publish the innovative ways we conduct our research. But we will give you an idea of our current and completed research projects.
Another ongoing project is studying the use of online reviews in selecting a dentist. The percentage of people that are using online reviews to select their dentist is increasing rapidly, from 41% of respondents in August 2014 to 61% of respondents from September through November 2016.
We have also been surveying the number of websites prospective patients visit before selecting a dentist. It averages around three to five websites, depending on the type of services the patient is seeking.
Another study is the use of mobile devices when searching for a dentist. Only 55% of people are using a desktop computer immediately prior to making their appointment. About 30% are using a mobile phone and 15% a tablet device.
We’re not seeing much movement in the percentage of people checking the dentist’s Facebook page before selecting the dentist. That percentage has stayed steady at about 10% over the past year and a half.
We’ll post more detailed information about these various research projects in blog posts and separate articles.
