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6 Reasons Your Patients Aren’t Buying Cosmetic Dentistry

You’ve spent years (and thousands of dollars) training in cosmetic dentistry, invested in the right tools, and regularly talk to your patients about the latest cosmetic fixes – so why aren’t they investing in these procedures?

Like many dentists we work with, getting patients to sign up for cosmetic dentistry is one of the biggest challenges dental clinics face. They worry whether they’re marketing cosmetic dentistry enough (or in the right way) and aren’t sure why patients don’t choose them.

And seeing your competitors killing it in this booming industry is extremely disheartening, especially when you’re not sure what you’re doing wrong. That’s why in this blog, you’ll discover why your patients keep rejecting your cosmetic services sales pitch, along with our top tips for removing those conversion roadblocks.

1. You’re not speaking your audience’s language

With the market value of cosmetic dentistry expected to reach $32 billion by 2026 (GlobalNewswire) and a surge in influencers promoting it, the competition both online and on the ground is only going to get more heated.

It’s easier than ever for people to do a ton of research and choose the dental practice that best suits them. That’s why it’s vital your cosmetic dentistry marketing hits their key pain points, uses the right tone of voice, and draws them in with conversion-driven messaging.

If your marketing ads or materials aren’t compelling enough, too jargon-heavy, or irrelevant, they’ll probably forget you and move on. So make sure you know what makes your audience tick, what kind of people you’re speaking to, and that you’re addressing their unique problems.

2. Your website doesn’t reflect your true value

When was the last time you looked at your website with a fresh pair of eyes? Or updated the content, for that matter? Take a quick look, right now: you might notice your website doesn’t do your cosmetic dentistry talents justice. Maybe your website’s design is outdated, doesn’t have enough information about your services, or lacks inspiring before/after images.

If your website doesn’t reflect the quality of your work or the fantastic cosmetic procedures you provide, it’s more challenging to build trust with and convince your audience. This leads to a longer sales journey with fewer conversions. With the help of a marketing partner, give your website a facelift, and it’ll soon become your best marketing asset for cosmetic dentistry.

3. Patients don’t know you do cosmetic dentistry

This may seem like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised by how much of your patient base doesn’t even know you provide cosmetic dentistry services. If they aren’t aware, how do you expect them to buy? Some marketing tips for making sure your patients know you carry out cosmetic dentistry procedures include:

  • Market in your practice – decorating your dental practice with promotional posters on your walls, brochures in the waiting room, and before and after videos or testimonial videos playing on your TV.
  • Turn staff into sales people – Asking your reception staff and dental assistants to highlight any special offers you have running on cosmetic dentistry as they’re dealing with new or existing patients.
  • Focus your homepage – Make sure cosmetic dentistry is highlighted on your homepage as this is often the first (and sometimes only) page new and existing patients will check.
  • Promote on social media – Regularly post about your cosmetic procedures on social media – showing progress pictures and videos or dentists talking about the process for each one.
  • Update your Google Business Profile – On your Google Business Profile – add cosmetic dentistry as a service, talk about it in your bio, and make sure to include cosmetic imagery in your photos section.

4. Patients think cosmetic work is too expensive

Yes, cosmetic dentistry is expensive – there’s no hiding that fact. So, approach marketing cosmetic dentistry like you would any other luxury item. Take a car, for example. This is a big-ticket item and something people heavily research before they decide which one to buy, so car advertisers need to employ savvy marketing tactics like:

  • Highlighting benefits over features – focus on how much better your patients’ lives will be once they’ve invested in cosmetic dentistry like feeling confident, smiling more, looking younger, no longer feeling embarrassed, etc.
  • Offering finance options – make the cost of cosmetic procedures more manageable and affordable by allowing patients to pay in monthly instalments. You can also hook them in with an introductory offer for their first treatment.
  • Playing the long game – it can take weeks or even years for someone to make a luxury purchase, so if a patient isn’t interested now, don’t treat them as a lost cause. Instead, have patience and keep educating them on the benefits. Over time, their priorities might change.

5. You need to elevate the patient experience

A patient will often go to one dentist for monthly checkups, emergencies, and dental fixes, but another for cosmetic procedures. It’s usually the case that more “cosmetic-first” dental practices offer their patients a more luxe experience – from the interior decór to the style of consultation they receive.

To compete, it’s a good idea to evaluate your patient’s experience. Get them to fill in anonymous surveys answering questions about customer service, whether they felt at ease, what they think of your decór, etc. Creating a better patient experience by refreshing your practice interiors and giving patients more attention can go a long way toward getting more cosmetic clients.

6. You’re wasting ad budget on new audiences

Are you spending hundreds or even thousands on targeting new audiences online? According to Kensho, consumers are 70% more likely to convert when they’ve been retargeted. By spending more budget marketing to current patients or people who have sent in inquiries, you’ll have a much better chance of getting them on board.

Even if patients see you once a month, you’d be surprised how effective an ad targeted to them can be while they’re in a different state of mind. Perhaps they’re more on edge and less in the mood to purchase something extra in your practice. However, while they’re scrolling through Instagram, they may be feeling a little more purchase-happy and be easily swayed.

What’s holding your practice back?

We hope this blog has shone a light on those areas of your business that might be acting as hidden deterrents for potential cosmetic dentistry patients. From updating your website to making your patients more aware of your services via a strong marketing plan, there are so many things you can work on today that will make a huge difference, in the long run, to get those cosmetic dentistry sales hopping.

Need help selling your cosmetic dentistry services? At PatientBoost, we not only help you increase revenue in all areas of your business with world-class website design and engaging online ads, but we also guide you towards building a stronger, more efficient dental practice through strategic business consultancy. If you’d like to see how we can help you, please book a free 15-minute consultation.

CASE STUDY

Dickens Yard Dental

Meet Dr. Sahil Thakkar. Owner, founder, and principal dentist of Dickens Yard Dental, a dental practice based in West London. As a brand new business, the main goal was to increase the number of new patients to kick things off.