Buyer's Guide Update: Website design and practice management software

Dear Buyer's Guide Update Member,

With all the buzz about social media, search engines, and Google rankings these days, this Buyer's Guide Update will focus on three components that are key to expanding your practice online: website design and consulting, practice management consulting, and practice management software.

According to the Madow Group, last month 5.4 million people used Google to find a new dentist and more than 1 million patients stayed in touch with their current dentist via the Internet and social media.

It is more than just designing a nice-looking website, however; potential patients have to be able to find it. This is where Google and search engine optimization (SEO) come in, right? Well, these days it is much more than that. Likely you already have at least one computer in your office that enables you to do scheduling and billing. You may already have a website as well, and even be providing your patients some online services.

But according to some forward-thinking practice-management software providers, it is the patient-doctor relationship that is driving new software development that leverages the Internet and social networking sites such as Facebook,Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. As the Madow Group recently noted:

"Most social media experts predict that the stand-alone website as we know it is becoming a thing of the past. Most of your patients and prospective patients will be getting their information about you through various other online methods. That's not to say you will be losing your regular website. You will still have it, but it will simply be one piece of a much larger picture."

For more information on website design, SEO, and social media trends, check out these manufacturers and their products and services in the DrBicuspid.com Buyer's Guide:

Website design, hosting, and consulting
Practice management consulting
Practice management software