Hey dentists, do you want to get more new patient leads for your practice?
“Yes! We do!”
And do you know the best ways to use landing pages to get them?
“Ummm, no, we don’t.”
That’s what I thought.
In case your next response was “What’s a landing page?” they are standalone web pages used specifically for a marketing or dental advertising campaign. Most often, their purpose is to generate and collect new marketing leads.
If you are serious about attracting more new patients to your office, then it’s important to know the do’s and don’ts of creating effective landing pages that convert page visitors to patient leads.
Do Offer Something of Value
Landing pages are all about making a fair trade. You offer something of value in exchange for contact information from your leads. If you try to offer something self-promotional, like a downloadable dental brochure, nobody will be interested. That’s not to say that you can’t make online marketing materials available, you just shouldn’t be asking for anything in return. Your promotion can be a tangible item of value or free information about something the page visitor would be very interested in.
Don’t Use Your Home Page as a Landing Page
Home pages and landing pages have very different purposes. While home pages welcome users into your site and give them a lot of options for exploring and discovering information on their own, landing pages have a very specific purpose. Sending your leads to your home page can be like dropping them off in the middle of nowhere, leaving them confused about what they should do next. Guiding them to a landing page gives them a direct path to follow.
Do Include the Essential Landing Page Elements
At a minimum, every landing page should include an attention-grabbing headline, compelling copy that clearly presents the benefits of your offer, a direct call to action (CTA), and a simple submission form.
Don’t Include Navigation on Your Landing Page
When you bring people to your landing page, you don’t want them to get distracted and wander off to other parts of your dental office website. Remove any website navigation menus from that page so that their focus remains on your offer. It is, however, a good idea to include the navigation on the confirmation page you direct them to after they click to redeem your giveaway.
Do Use a Great Image or Video
Images are better than words (and videos are even better than images). The purpose of the visual you use may vary depending on your offer. Sometimes you want to show the benefit of the offer (e.g., a brighter smile for a whitening kit). Other times, you may be trying to increase clicks by choosing an image of an attractive person looking directly at the CTA button. (Try it, it works!) Whatever type of picture you choose, make sure it is high quality so your landing page has a professional look.
Don’t Ask for More Than You Need
An inverse relationship exists between the amount of information you ask for and the number of responses you receive. Limit your form to name and email address unless you absolutely need additional information like a phone number or mailing address.
Do Follow Up With a Drip Campaign
Once you have the email address for your lead, it’s a great idea to follow up with an automated email, or series of emails, to strike while the iron’s hot. Start with an immediate response to thank them for submitting the form, then continue communicating with them by sending additional messages spaced apart over days or weeks. These messages should provide additional value and encourage them to take the next step toward becoming a new patient.
Don’t Create Friction
To convert a high percentage of leads, you want your landing page experience to be as smooth as possible. Avoid cluttered layouts, needlessly long copy, and distracting elements that slow down the momentum between arriving on the page and clicking the submit button.
Do Use Social Proof
When possible, include testimonials from current patients. This type of social proof is a powerful influencer when visitors are deciding whether or not to click on an offer. Typically these would be placed near the bottom of the page, after you have presented the benefits of your offer and right before they decide whether or not to accept it.
Need Ideas for Promotional Landing Page Offers That Will Convert?
Download our FREE Dental Promotional Offer Idea Guide to find the incentive that will get new patient leads lining up at your door.
