After this year’s Super Bowl, I ran across a recent post by Ron Ashkenas and Holly Newman on the Harvard Business Review Blog Network.  The topic was 3 ways that Super Bowl advertisers try to take advantage of very expensive 30 second spots to grab attention and impress viewers.

The same principals discussed in the post also apply to your orthodontic website and Internet marketing strategies.  Your website is the first contact with the majority of potential new patients who research online every day. Is your website a good representation of you and your business?

Capture Attention

• Design, emotion, humor, and surprise draw attention. Does your website grab attention immediately when a visitor enters your site?  It takes less than 10 seconds for a visitor to form an opinion.  Is your website old and outdated or a good representation of who you are and what you are all about?
• Imagery – The design choices for your site will focus the visitor’s attention on your marketing message.  Are you using stock images commonly found on orthodontic websites or personalized photos that are a true representation of your business and expertise?
• Content - Provide written content that draws in the visitor; easy to find, easy to read, and to the point. Use bullet points, photos, and styling to break up written content for easy reading.

Convey a Clear Message

More is not better when offering written content and can obscure the visitor’s ability to analyze what they are reading, what you have to offer, and how it differs from competitors.  Is your message simple and clear on the homepage and is the information throughout your site to the point on the different features and benefits of services you offer?

• Content Overload - It is easy to get carried away with detail and orthodontic jargon when you are a specialist in your field.  While I feel SEO friendly written content is important to be found in local search, don’t forget the user experience.  It won’t matter if your website is easily found if visitors are overwhelmed by too much content. Eliminate all the fluff. Adjectives and detail do not promote a good experience.  The goal of your website is to encourage visitors to contact your office and schedule an exam, not educate them on all the finer details of treatment. This information can be delivered first hand during the new patient experience.
• Positioning – What is the most important takeaway you would like your visitors to understand about your business? Make it clear and state it often. Keep in mind you are selling the doctor(s), team, and customer service that differentiates you from competitors… not focusing on products.

Focus on Differentiation

It is quite probable that prospective new patients will visit multiple orthodontic websites.  What makes your practice unique? Evaluate your competitor’s website like a consumer.  What can be done to make your message more concise and engaging?

Let’s review, in my mind, the most memorable statement from the HBR blog post.

“Our world is filled with noise, information, and distractions; so having someone’s undivided attention – even for 30 seconds – is an opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted.  If you can use those 30 seconds to capture their attention, deliver your message and distinguish yourself from others, you’re likely to be heard, understood, and remembered.”

Much like a Super Bowl Commercial, you can only have a short period of time with your website to grab attention, deliver your message, and differentiate your business before visitors move to the next competitor’s website in search results. Make the most of your website traffic by doing a self-assessment of these 3 key components and stand out from the crowd.

Signup for Part 2 of Mary Kay Miller’s Internet Marketing Series presented by Ortho2 on Tuesday, February 21st  at 5:30 P.M. PST.  Internet Marketing 101 (Part 2) – Correct Web Design Will Make or Break Your Web Presence" and Part 3 - Internet Marketing 101 (Part 3) – Google Places Visibility – The Gold Standard" is offered on Monday, March 26th at 5:30 P.M. PST.

About the Author

Mary Kay Miller is an internet marketing consultant for the orthodontic profession and founder of Orthopreneur Internet Marketing Solutions.   With over 30 years hands on experience in the field of orthodontics and certified SEO specialist, Mary Kay offers a unique perspective on how to integrate the internet marketing experience to attract more new patients and increase ROI of the latest internet marketing strategies. For a complimentary internet marketing evaluation, contact Mary Kay at 877-295-5611 or mk@orthopreneur.com.