How to Get 5 Star Dental Patient Reviews

Many dental practices pride themselves on providing five-star customer service. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that patients are willing to write reviews about their experience.

And when they do, it’s important not to go overboard. Too many reviews posted on niche microsites like those created by patient communication software providers can actually backfire and cause prospective patients to question the authenticity of those reviews.

Reputation Management

When a prospective patient searches for “dentist near me,” they want to find a dental practice that has the best reviews. When they search, they look at the local listings and read the Google reviews attached to each. This is the social proof that reassures them that your practice is the right one.

You can’t control what other patients say about your practice, but you can influence how many new reviews you receive. The more 5-star dental patient reviews you have, the better. And that is the goal you need to work towards.

Your team members are the key to reaching this goal. Make it their assignment to ask every patient for a review at the end of their visit. If you have a HIPAA compliant texting system, they can send them the link directly to their mobile phone. If not, they can provide them with the link from your Google Business Profile (they just need to click it, touch the stars, and write their review). This super simple process is one of the most effective strategies for acquiring more reviews.

Social Media

Most of your patients will be willing to write an online review but they need to be asked. Most dental teams are not great at asking for reviews because they think it is annoying or that their patients are resistant to it.

One of the best ways to get more reviews is to provide your patients with a link that will take them directly to your Google Business Profile where they can easily write a review. You can find this link on your Google Business Profile under “Reviews” and then simply copy and paste it into a text to send to your patient (you will need a HIPAA compliant system that allows you to do this for patients). This is a simple, yet effective way to reach your review goals.

Online Reviews

When looking for a new dentist, most people do a Google search. When they see a practice listing with 35 raving reviews and another with only 10 mediocre ones, which do they choose? The one with the stellar online reputation. Getting 5 star dental patient reviews is the key to a great online presence and new patient acquisition.

Getting outstanding online reviews is not as hard as you might think. Most of your patients will be happy to write a review. However, they need to be asked. Using an email sent days after their visit is ineffective, but a text message from the dental office before or as they are leaving is effective. Studies by local SEO company Podium show that the conversion rate of sending a review link in a text is 50% higher than when a patient receives it in an email.

Online Marketing

If your dental patients love you and the work you do, they will most likely want to share their positive experience online. They just need to be asked.

When patients search for a dentist, they check out their Google maps listings and the reviews attached to each practice listing. They read the reviews to make sure they are making a smart decision.

You can encourage your patients to write a review by sending them a link to their business profile via text (only do this with a HIPAA compliant texting system). This link is visible on the owner and manager section of their Google Business Profile and they just click on it and touch the stars to leave a review. Make this a regular part of your practice’s routine and you will achieve your reviews goals. For more on obtaining online reviews, download the free guide from My Social Practice. It is full of tips and strategies to help you reach your goal.