Dental Marketing Patient Tracker System

3 Misconceptions About WordPress Web Design

WordPress has altered the world of web design. For designers, it provides a scalable framework for developing and deploying websites. For clients, it permits them to edit and update their own websites without picking apart the HTML or compromising the fundamental code. There are dozens of good reasons why WordPress has become one of the most popular content management system (CMS) on the planet. But in spite of the worldwide success of WordPress, there are still a number of persistent misunderstandings about this platform that stop clients from appointing the full potential of this outstanding piece of software.

#1 All WordPress Websites Appearance the Identical

Even if you don’t have hands-on experience with WordPress, you’ve perhaps heard about WordPress themes and templates. For more than a few spectators, this has led to the misunderstanding that WordPress is essentially a “paint by numbers” web design; you can tweak the colors and font a bit, but for the most part, you’re stuck with two columns and a header on a grid. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

WordPress is a website framework. That is, it’s the foundation of a website–the underlying structure the gives it stability and scalability. This strong starting point that WordPress provides is the opposite of limiting. How a WordPress website looks when it’s up and running depends solely on what the designer builds on top of it.  The culprit for a cookie-cutter WordPress site is a lack of creativity, not a lack of possibilities.

#2 WordPress is Only a Blogging Platform

It’s true that WordPress was originally developed as a blogging platform, but it has since progressed far beyond its original abilities. WordPress now powers highly complex and functional sites, including

• Social media hubs,
• E-commerce storefronts,
• Real estate management platforms,
• City guides,
• Artist and Designer portfolios,
• Online magazines,
• Project management suites for businesses,
• Forums,
• Directories, and much, much more.

You’d be hard pressed to find something WordPress can’t do.

So don’t be shy about asking your web developer, “Can you make my website do x?” If your website is powered by WordPress, the answer will 99 out of 100 times be: “Of course.”

#3 WordPress is Considered for Non-coders and Web Novices

It’s extremely easy to install WordPress and publish a blog. Depending on your web host, getting started with WordPress requires no more technical skill than operating a mouse. But just because WordPress is designed to be easy for novices to use doesn’t mean that WordPress is a tool solely for beginners. WordPress is equally as instinctive and valuable in the hands of an expert programmer or web designer as it is in the hands of a beginner. In fact, that’s what makes it such an exceptional tool.

It’s a bit like an artist and his pen. Any human being can use a pen and paper–we do it everyday to

• Sign contracts,
• Jot down shopping lists and
• Record notes for a meeting.

But an artist with that exact same pen and that exact same pad of paper can do far more, from portraits and landscapes to poetry and calligraphy.

WordPress is the same way. It’s a blank canvas for programmers and designers to bring their visions–and your ideas–to your life.

Super Guide on How to Respond to A Negative Review

Every now and then one of our clients ask us about how to get rid of a negative review online. It’s apparently not a fun experience to get negative feedback, but of course it needs to get addressed. Through partnership with the doctor, we respond to these negative reviews for our clients. I think it’s a positive thing that we adviser these responses on behalf of the clients as it takes the desire for a knee-jerk reaction out of the equation.

If you don’t have a dental marketing agency around to help you out in writing these response to negative reviews, here’s our step-by-step guide that can give you chance to convert your negative reviews into satisfying experience for your patients!

Take A Minute & A Deep Breath.

Walk away from the keyboard if need be! You do NOT need to respond immediately, though a timely response is crucial – within 24-48 hours.

Read The Negative Review, In Full, 3-4 Times Before Addressing.

Make sure you pick up on any distinctions because that will help you in responding to the negative reviews.

Investigate The Problem.

If you don’t recall this patient, look up their record and any notes you may have in your data. If the review calls out any other office employees, make sure you gather information and their side of the story as well before addressing to review.

Step Out of Defensiveness & Into Self-Realization.

Try and be unbiased. Take a step back from the instantaneous need to defend yourself, your dental practice, or their opinions/allegations. With all of your information from Step 3, take a moment to see what YOU could have done contrarily. Sometimes the answer is nothing. Sometimes the answer may result in a shift or change of the way things happen at your dental office. This could be process, procedure, staff, language, etc. Billing and financial frustrations are the leading generator of negative reviews. Make sure you protect yourself by communicating clearly to patients and setting expectations!

Please keep in mind that you are NOT answering this review to provide an explanation or defend your dental practice. Sometimes, doing the right thing for your business is not always the thing you want to do or feel is fair.

Call Them To Address Negative Review.

Any time somebody raises concerns about you or your dental practice, the most considerate approach can be to reach out directly to address their concerns. Read the rest of this blog to make sure you solidify an approach first! Calling a patient who is upset is the best course of action.

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Be a good listener and see if you can professionally settle the matter. If it gets settled, skip to GENTLY ASK FOR RECONSIDERATION, IF APPROPRIATE. If it doesn’t or they don’t comply with GENTLY ASK FOR RECONSIDERATION, IF APPROPRIATE, continue down this list to craft your reply.

Be An Active Listener.

This is the most important and hardest to do. Acknowledge their review. Apologize for their negative experience and let them know it’s certainly not what you intended or how you like to run your business. **I want to be clear here, you are not apologizing for anything you did wrong, simply for their experience. Wording here is EVERYTHING!** Provide additional context where necessary, without violating HIPAA compliance. Don’t talk about the specifics of their treatment plan, even if they do!

Offer To Make It Right.

This doesn’t mean giving away the farm, but what it does mean is extending an invite for them to come to the office to see a better side of you and the practice if they are up for it. Even if you gave them the best side to begin with, they obviously don’t feel that way! Sometimes this may mean offering a full or partial refund. That’s okay, too. Even if it doesn’t feel great.

Gently Ask For Reconsideration, If Appropriate.

If a dissatisfied patient takes you up on making it right, you may want to try and subtly say something like, “I’m a small business owner and reviews have a big impact on me and my business. I hope you can see my desire to refund the difference to you as a step forward to make things right and I hope that you will consider updating your review and rating to reflect that.” If said patient doesn’t do it, don’t push again. Asking once is enough and pushing may make things worse.

Be Proactive.

At some point, you will receive a negative review. As my mom says, you can’t make everyone happy all the time. It’s going to happen, so be ready when it does and make sure you have a plan in place to be generating positive reviews across multiple valuable places. (Google, Yelp!, Facebook.) The best approach to beating negative reviews is to dilute them with positive ones! Generating positive reviews isn’t something you have to sit around and hope for. Using a review generating platform make sure you’re asking patients who you know had a great experience to leave you a review.

If you have any additional questions or want to learn more, visit our blog: ibisinfotech.com/blog or Contact Us.

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