4 Questions to Ask Before Buying Online Scheduling
Your patients do everything online. They can book flights, get rides, and even earn a degree without leaving the soft comfortable glow of their phones and laptops. So if your practice doesn’t offer a way to get a dentist appointment online, a new patient may pass you up for a practice that appeals to their sense of convenience.
Online scheduling is obviously important, but not all online scheduling platforms are created equal. How can you know which is right for your practice? Here are 4 things you should know before choosing.
1. Is it really scheduling, or merely requesting?
This is #1 for a reason. Most companies that offer “online scheduling” only go halfway to a scheduled appointment. They allow patients to request a timeslot, but that’s all. Your front desk still has to confirm the appointment. What if there is a conflict? What if two people request the same time slot over the weekend? Then your staff has to reach out and play phone tag until a consensus is reached. It’s inefficient - it takes time away from your patients and your front desk.
Real online scheduling integrates with your practice management system, which means you set certain times as available, and once a patient requests an appointment, they get that appointment. They don’t need to call. Your front desk doesn’t need to confirm (even though they still can). Real online scheduling is the difference between a fully booked appointment, and an email to your front desk.
2. How many places can patients schedule from?
The average appointment scheduling service puts a button on your website, and that’s a great start. It’s much better than having no online scheduling at all (if it really is online scheduling and not just a disguised contact form). But if your website is the only place the scheduling button lives, a lot of money is being left on the table.
Most patients don’t know your website URL off the top of their heads, so their journey to you doesn’t start at your website. Most often they’ll find you through Google, or an insurance directory. The best online scheduling services put buttons on those sites too, which means more routes for patients to end up in your chair. Convenience is the name of the game, and that’s especially true if a patient is comparison shopping.
3. How much manual maintenance will you have to do?
The ideal answer to this is “absolutely none.” And while we’re not quite there yet, we’re getting pretty close. Even the best online scheduling systems require some front-loaded setup work. But that should be all. After setting your schedule - availability, hours, appointment types, operatories, etc. - you shouldn’t have to touch your scheduling system except for when you want to make changes.
If a scheduling system requires you to manually confirm each appointment by entering requests into your practice management system one by one, it’s not an efficient use of your staff’s time (and it’s not really online scheduling either).
4. Does it work in real time?
When a patient clicks that final button, how long does it take before your practice can confirm that the slot is theirs? When scheduling is integrated with your practice management system, that appointment is theirs instantly, as soon as the request is received. With a manual request system, it can take hours, even days, for an appointment to be confirmed. That lag can really ruin a patient’s day, and it can complicate yours, too. Double bookings clog up your front desk, and it doesn’t make a great first impression when a patient who thought they had an appointment, doesn’t.
Before you buy any online scheduling service, ask their representative these questions. Of course, LocalMed’s answers are “it’s really scheduling, a ton, almost zero, and yes.” But if you want to learn more, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 888 (203) 7531.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
If you don’t already know the search terms that drive the most traffic for your website, you should register your website for Google Search Console and look at the performance dashboard. Inside of Google Search Console, you can find the search terms that new and existing patients most commonly search to find your practice. By looking through this data, you’ll find the keywords where you already perform well, as well as opportunities to capture more search traffic.
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We recommend analyzing your Search Console data to find high volume keywords where your website ranks well (inside the top 50), but does not capture a high percentage of traffic. These are the keywords you should start targeting with your SEO efforts to drive more traffic to your website.
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Examples of good keywords might be:
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Dentist near [your city]
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Best dentist in [your city]
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How much is a checkup in [your city]
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[Your city] root canal
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Create Authoritative Content
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Now that you understand the search terms that your target audience uses in your area, it’s time to create content that targets those search terms and improves your rankings.
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To create authoritative content that will rank well in Google, consider these tips:
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Create dedicated pages of your website where the URL and the page title target your specific search term
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Make sure that your page is at minimum 1000 words
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Use a table of contents and section headers similar to what you would expect from Wikipedia to help readers and Google understand the contents of your content.
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Include media files such as images or video
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Ensure your web page loads relatively quickly. Google PageSpeed Insights is a great tool for measuring your page speed.
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Use a tool like SEMrush to find related high-volume keywords that you should include in the content of your article.
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Go In-Depth. Don’t be afraid to write lengthy articles that demonstrate how much you know about your chosen topic. People searching to understand what a cavity is or the root canal process are looking for real answers. In addition, Google rewards web pages with authoritative content.
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Get Backlinks
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One of the most important SEO factors is backlinks. Although it seems like a technical term, a backlink is just another website that links to your webpage. There are numerous tactics you can use to get other websites to link to your content. Here’s three that work well for local practices:
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Partner with local businesses: Find other local businesses that are also focused on building their Internet presence. Partner with them on creating content, or create a case study of how your practice provides dental care to their business. Chances are that if you write about the business, they’ll backlink to your article and promote it through their social media channels.
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Offer a promotion: Let businesses in your area know that any patient who books an appointment through your web page receives a discount on their first appointment. Then encourage them to promote this benefit to their audience. If they advertise your promotion on their website, they’ll naturally link to your page.
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Get active in the media: Contact your local media to become a trusted source about dental care in your town. If the local newspaper or TV station comes to you as an expert on dentistry, you’ll get valuable backlinks.
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Manage Your Business Listings
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A recent study by Moz showed that the top SEO factor for the local pack is a company’s Google My Business signal. Make sure that your practice has accurate, up-to-date information on Google My Business and other business listings. This will help Google gain confidence in your local presence. If you have 1-2 locations, you can manage this yourself. If you are a part of a larger practice, check out services like Yext.
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Get Online Bookings
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Once you’ve done the work to drive Internet traffic to your website, you should be prepared to make it worthwhile. By partnering with a software business like LocalMed, you’ll be able to convert traffic into appointments. These systems help you add patients to your schedule, even when your team is offline. To maximize conversion, focus on making your call-to-action (CTA) clear, and ensure that your calendar is up to date.
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LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
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Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/29zVO8peK1Ti3XOvhVOpBA/07cc0b4362ceb159dd55d4e95a0abfe7/OnlineSchedulingHasaBadReputation-ButLocalMedFixedIt.jpg","blogImageTitle":"OnlineSchedulingHasaBadReputation-ButLocalMedFixedIt"},{"id":"6MgcSUiDOHr6Algbn2gMMI","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T15:08:28.357Z","slug":"know-your-neighborhood-how-dr-blackburn-built-her-practice","title":"Know Your Neighborhood - How Dr. Blackburn Built Her Practice","date":"December 12, 2019","introText":"It’s always a good idea to go the extra mile for a patient’s smile, but at Growing Great Grins Pediatric Dentistry in Spring, Texas, Dr. Leslie Blackburn and her team make it their mission to go an extra lightyear or two.","mainContent":"
It’s always a good idea to go the extra mile for a patient’s smile, but at Growing Great Grins Pediatric Dentistry in Spring, Texas, Dr. Leslie Blackburn and her team make it their mission to go an extra lightyear or two. They set their practice apart with clinical excellence and special needs programs, but the highest emphasis is placed on one area - customer service. Your average dental practice doesn’t look anything like this.
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Dr. Leslie Blackburn and her team at Growing Great Grins Pediatric Dentistry
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“We are ‘experience dentistry,’” Dr. Blackburn told us. “My whole vibe is I want people to feel taken care of. I want them to feel like we’re going as out-of-the-way as possible to make sure every aspect of the experience is positive, soothing, and wonderful. The whole emphasis is over-the-top customer service. Make everything easy and painless and fun.”
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Growing Great Grins has the usual amenities, like screens in the operatory. But they also have something you don’t see every day - a comfort menu. From it, the patients can choose from a wide array of extra comforts including blankets, heated wraps, Bose headphones, moist lavender towels, medicated lip balm… the list goes on and on. And that’s just what the patients get. Their parents get their own special treatment in the waiting room.
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“For the working parent we have lap desks and chargers, things like that. But we also have some stuff for them to luxuriate in. A neck massager. A list of healthy snacks and some drinks - Starbucks frappucino, Perrier, etc. There’s something for everyone. Something crunchy, something chewy, something chocolate for the moms. It’s all about making them as comfortable as possible.”
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A Nemo-themed operatory at Growing Great Grins Pediatric Dentistry
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But it isn’t just all about the trimmings and surface-level comforts. Dr. Blackburn makes sure all her services are top-of-the-line, and does it while specializing in cosmetic pediatric dentistry.
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“Cosmetic isn’t usually something you’d think of for kids - you usually think of adults for that kind of thing. Most of the time, it’s for kids who fall and break their teeth. Now, there are easy and hard ways you can fix that. I’m proud to do it the harder, better way to make it look as good as possible.”
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“The hard way” includes things like composite linears for kids - direct, not indirect - actually built in-house. It also includes aesthetic but adjustable light crowns using brand new fiberglass technology. But the tech isn’t just for cosmetic procedures, either. With laser dentistry, Dr. Blackburn can do both soft and hard tissue procedures, including releasing tongues or lips in neonates to facilitate better feeding. The lasers can even be used as anaesthetic, which means no needles are required.
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This is all to say nothing of their special needs program, which has been successful in getting nonverbal autistic children to sit for full exams, free of restraints or sedation. Like we said up top, this is not your average dental practice. Going above and beyond for their patients is the entire mission. And when that’s the case, convenience is key.
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That made online scheduling the next logical step in providing the best experience for their patients. “I found out about LocalMed through Golden Proportions, my marketing company,” Dr. Blackburn told us. “We were looking for a way to catch people that called after hours, and I’d contacted a few services. Didn’t think any of them were great. But LocalMed has been a completely different story.”
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“We’ve only been using LocalMed for about two months, but in that time the difference has been amazing. We’ve gotten 30 families through it. Within the first week and a half, we got ten new patients. Ten. We usually get between one and three per week.”
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Those are some impressive numbers. ...So how did they earn them?
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To learn more about how Dr. Blackburn is achieving such great marketing success, we spoke with Christina Sarge, Dr. Blackburn’s Marketing Strategist at Golden Proportions. She told us all about how they built their strategy.
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“When we build a marketing plan, it’s completely custom for every practice,” Sarge told us. “We won’t just build a website, or do Google ads, and hope they work. We dive deep into research. There are no off-the-shelf packages. So we started examining Growing Great Grins to figure out what would work best for that specific practice.”
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“First, we took a look at the last five years of the practice’s numbers in order to understand what challenges we were facing. Was the current marketing broken? Did something internal need revision? Maybe the practice’s market positioning didn’t align with the socioeconomic landscape of the neighborhood. There are so many angles to examine, and we wanted the complete picture.”
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After a SWOT analysis against other practices in the area, Sarge and Golden Proportions found that the practice’s high-end services and amenities were perfectly positioned. They deployed a comprehensive strategy which included SEO, a presence with Google My Business, Facebook & Youtube Advertising, Google Ads, and more, all of which were fairly sophisticated. The baseline for success was there, but there was still opportunity for improvement.
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“We found that the front desk was missing a lot of calls,” Sarge told us. “They were busy with patients at the front desk and letting calls go to voicemail, they were missing after-hours calls - things like that. And we told them, for the amount of money you’re investing in marketing, you really need to capture every lead possible. I suggested two options, online scheduling through LocalMed, or an answering service.”
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“We decided on LocalMed for a few reasons. First of all, I recommend that every practice with some baseline success should use it. But it wasn’t just that; the demographics of the area were perfect. There are a lot of people working in tech around there, and they’re used to that instant convenience. It takes them too much time to pick up a phone and answer a lot of questions - they just want to go online and get scheduled.”
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Because of LocalMed’s success, Growing Great Grins hasn’t had to look into an answering service. Within the first two to three months, Dr. Blackburn doubled the new patients from her marketing efforts.
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“That’s the average result our LocalMed clients see,” Sarge told us. ”It depends on the practice, of course. For instance, it’s easy to go from 5 to 10 new patients a month, but it’s a bit harder to turn 30 into 60. That said, it still works, and our average client does double their new patient numbers in a few months. Some even reach triple later on.”
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So what to take away from all this? First of all, know your strategy. Do some research about your area, and your own strengths and weaknesses. Then get real online scheduling. It’s an easy change that’s repeatedly been proven to generate results.
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If you’re ready to have your own marketing breakthrough, check out Golden Proportions.
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LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
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Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"exkceFIHzGWowoC6oIcCM","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:44:08.909Z","category":"LocalMed Success","slug":"testimonials"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4ebfYEHnSQVDCQYObNwVvf/f22e35f2f5765aac7d2e8e49ae624cf0/GGGStaff.jpg","blogImageTitle":"GrowingGreatGrinsPediatricDentistry_LocalMed"},{"id":"2xuSTtVmQJy24YN0SdmPdb","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:27:16.775Z","slug":"online-scheduling-that-works-offline","title":"Online Scheduling That Works Offline","date":"December 05, 2019","introText":"Here’s a fun little oxymoron for you - our online scheduling can get you patients who are not online. In some cases, they don’t even have to be anywhere near a computer. No, we’re not crazy, and we’re not trying to con you either. It’s true. After your LocalMed scheduling has been implemented, you can attract patients who aren’t online, or even looking for a dental appointment in the first place.","mainContent":"
Here’s a fun little oxymoron for you - our online scheduling can get you patients who are not online. In some cases, they don’t even have to be anywhere near a computer. No, we’re not crazy, and we’re not trying to con you either. It’s true. After your LocalMed scheduling has been implemented, you can attract patients who aren’t online, or even looking for a dental appointment in the first place.
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Attracting those patients does take a little creativity, and a bit of elbow grease to boot. But it doesn’t have to be difficult - it’s just a matter of seizing some opportunities that you might have been letting slip by. Here are our favorite ways to use online scheduling offline.
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Ground Marketing Enhancement
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Ground marketing is the biggest opportunity of all, and it’s a pretty simple idea. Get out there, in person, and start marketing your practice face-to-face with the people in your community. When patients hear about your practice directly, in a people-to-people kind of way, it immediately creates a connection that makes them more likely to remember you than the people they found during a Google search.
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It’s not as daunting as it seems; you can do ground marketing wherever people are. Many of our clients have found success with it at county fairs, PTA meetings, block parties, farmers markets, and even the openings of apartment buildings. The possibilities are almost limitless.
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Typically, you’ll have some kind of marketing material that you leave with the people you meet. That can be anything from a business card to a multiple-page brochure. They take that material home, and hopefully the next time they want to schedule a dental appointment, they’ll remember that material and have your contact information on-hand.
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Here’s where LocalMed comes in. Many of our clients do this type of ground marketing, but instead of just distributing pamphlets, they’ll take an iPad with them. When someone expresses interest, they’ll pull up their schedule, and the patient can book an appointment right then and there. The practice leaves with many leads and several fully booked appointments.
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LocalMed means you don’t have to distribute materials and then wait, hoping to eventually get a call back. You’re filling your schedule right then, in that instant. No other online scheduling technology can do that.
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Ground marketing is a highly effective strategy that requires minimal investment. And when you add real online scheduling to the playbook, it becomes a game changer. If you’re interested in learning more about ground marketing, give our friend Michael Arias the Dental Marketer a look!
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More Effective Print Materials
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Whether you’re using them as ground marketing collateral or in direct mail campaigns, printed materials are a staple in dental marketing. Unfortunately, they can feel a bit old fashioned nowadays. People are used to the digital world, and expect the convenience it provides. But when you have real online scheduling, your print marketing ceases to be junk mail and becomes something that appeals to that modern sense of convenience.
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All it takes is a URL, or even better, a QR code. Just put the code on your print materials, and label it clearly with something like “schedule an appointment online now!” Then, with one scan, prospective patients can see your schedule and book an appointment in just a few taps of their mobile device.
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It eliminates the need to call during business hours. It eliminates all the back-and-forth communication that patients simply don’t want to bother with. It’s simple. One scan, appointment booked. Once again, no other online scheduling technology can do that.
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\nSanto Dental Group and Elden Family Dental using ground marketing to drive patients to schedule online with LocalMed
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The print materials don’t even have to be outbound marketing. Some of our clients have found success simply by putting a “schedule an appointment now!” QR code in their window. Patients have walked by, scanned the code, and boom - they just turned a random passerby into a booked appointment.
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The LocalMed formula for success is a pretty simple one. Put yourself where your patients are, and make scheduling as easy and convenient as possible. Try these tips out for yourself - you’ll be surprised at how well they can work, and how little work they take.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
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Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/68zsxsn5GzopnKdhHRrv7/d0642097773b746eda80e808614c0a10/LocalMedSign.png","blogImageTitle":"LocalMed Ground Marketing Sign"},{"id":"1eEHYGM6tc0A24UT8MwEws","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:26:47.362Z","slug":"3-totally-wrong-reasons-not-to-use-localmed","title":"3 (Totally Wrong) Reasons not to use LocalMed","date":"November 21, 2019","introText":"Over the last 5 years or so, we’ve talked to thousands of practices about online scheduling. That means we’ve heard hundreds of arguments about why LocalMed “wouldn’t work” for their practice. And every time, we have to tell them why those reasons are wrong. ","mainContent":"
Over the last 5 years or so, we’ve talked to thousands of practices about online scheduling. That means we’ve heard hundreds of arguments about why LocalMed “wouldn’t work” for their practice. And every time, we have to tell them why those reasons are wrong.
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We’ve heard it all, but there are a few key “reasons” that bubble up again and again. Chances are you’ve already thought of one of these, so let’s break them down one by one.
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1. “We already have online scheduling!”
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This is the most common objection of all, and it’s wrong for one key reason - most companies play pretty fast and loose with their definition of “scheduling.” When we say scheduling, we mean it.
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When we say online scheduling, we mean a patient can click a few buttons and fully book an appointment into your practice management system. They are now in your schedule. The appointment is as officially booked as it is when your front desk does it, and looks exactly the same too. You can follow up if you like, but you aren’t required to do anything manually at all. New appointments get scheduled 24/7/365 (366 on leap years). Done.
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When others say online scheduling, they mean the patient clicked a few buttons that sent your front desk a message. Maybe it’s an email, maybe it’s a text, maybe it’s a push notification. Regardless, that “scheduling button” hasn’t actually scheduled anything. All it’s done is told you that a patient wants an appointment, and now the manual work to actually schedule that appointment begins.
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These practices don’t actually have online scheduling; they have online appointment requests. The difference is huge, and since LocalMed is fully integrated with your practice management system, it’s real scheduling, which removes hours of manual work from the process.
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2. Okay… but I don’t want to lose control of my schedule!
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Of course you don’t. Your schedule is sacred, and letting patients schedule appointments willy-nilly would be a catastrophe. They can’t be trusted to know how long a procedure will take, or which hygienist to choose, or any of a hundred other things. We built LocalMed so that you stay fully in control. How?
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It’s pretty simple - you set the rules, and we put them into action. We’ll discuss your rules over the phone, and set parameters to keep them in place. That means patients can only book appointments when, and how you want them to. No appointment can be offered online unless you’ve pre-approved it in every way you can imagine.
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3. But our scheduling is crazy, there’s no way it can be automated!
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You’d be surprised. In all our years doing this, we’ve seen all kinds of practices with all kinds of scheduling routines. Our clients include everyone from one-location practices with one doctor, to huge organizations with 300-some locations, and we have yet to be stumped.
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You only want returning patients on Mondays? Done. The specialist only comes in for a few days every other month? Done. The doc only wants to do crown work in his favorite operatory on days that fall on prime numbers? Sure, why not?
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You have reasons for scheduling the way you do. And so long as you can explain them to us, we can keep them in place. If there’s any kind of logic, we bet we can handle it. Give us a call and we’ll walk you through it!
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At the end of the day, we can understand where these objections are coming from. Changing something, especially something as important as your scheduling process, can be scary. But this technology is amazing. And so far, everyone who has insisted that it won’t work for these reasons has been wrong. It wouldn’t have been possible 5 years ago, but it is now.
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There are a few other common objections that we’ll cover in future posts. But spoiler alert… they’re all wrong too. Check back soon!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
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Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/7hz2HibVnLx1nkBQB9bi0t/1f42c0da293e9aba0ea3914249c708ce/LocalMed-Connect_Computer-and-Phone-1.png","blogImageTitle":"LocalMed-Connect Computer-and-Phone-1"},{"id":"12NzYiM7qWF3cdGNvOUFbv","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:23:25.126Z","slug":"gost-diaries-special-halloween-edition","title":"G.O.S.T. Diaries - Special Halloween Edition","date":"October 31, 2019","introText":"There’s no question about it; G.O.S.T. is the most fashionable goat around. ","mainContent":"
He’s not the type to just throw on whatever clothes are clean. No, when he chooses an outfit, he knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s the type to make a statement. And this year, he had so much to say that he couldn’t pick just one costume for the spookiest day of the year.
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Costume #1: LocalMed Integration Specialist
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At first glance, this looks like a pumpkin costume. ...And it is. But like all haute couture, there’s a deeper layer to it. G.O.S.T. isn’t just a pumpkin here. He’s a LocalMed Integration Specialist. Notice how effortlessly he integrates with those pumpkins - how flawlessly he blends in. Now imagine the pumpkins are your practice management system, and this suave goat is the best online scheduling software around. They’re perfect for each other - custom built for seamless, real-time performance. It’s truly a showstopping display. But the show can’t stop here - next down the runway...
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Costume #2: G.O.S.T. Lightning
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There he goes, burning up the quarter mile - G.O.S.T. Lightning! This ensemble of genuine leather and bespoke chucks isn’t just a nostalgic ode to '50s fashion, simpler times, and fast cars. This is a fashion-forward statement about today’s fast times and LocalMed’s even faster online scheduling. Since LocalMed works in real time, patients can book an appointment at lightning speeds - from zero to scheduled in under a minute. And since it only takes 2 short phone calls to set up, your practice will be up and running in the blink of an eye. But speed isn’t everything. Next down the runway we have something a little more methodical.
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Costume #3: G.O.S.T. the Gumshoe
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He leaves no stone unturned, no clue unnoticed, and no audience unimpressed - G.O.S.T. the Gumshoe is on the case! With his trusty sherlock cap and magnifying glass, this private eye can discover any hidden thing. That includes all the nooks and crannies of the internet where you can start earning new patients. After all, putting the LocalMed scheduling widget on your website is... elementary. There are so many other possibilities, from social media, to reviews pages, and everything in between. In this outfit, G.O.S.T. can find them all.
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Costume #4: G.O.S.T. the Offensive Coordinator
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Who says shoulder pads went out of fashion in the '80s? G.O.S.T. the Offensive Coordinator is here to prove them wrong. His favorite team might not be the monsters of the midway nowadays, but G.O.S.T. is still ready to bear down and help you get those patients. With LocalMed’s online scheduling, it’s easy to take your marketing on the offensive. Best of all, patients will start scheduling when you’re not in the office. Even on Sundays, when you’re taking a load off to watch the game. And last, but by no means least...
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Costume #5: G.O.S.T. the Superhero
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Bottom line - being able to earn patients 24/7 is pretty much a superpower, and G.O.S.T. is leading the charge against the evils of inconvenient scheduling. This is a bold fashion choice that says “LocalMed is the hero your practice deserves, and the one it needs right now.” He’s our caped crusader, ready to help you schedule appointments whenever, wherever. Even in the middle of a dark night.
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LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
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Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/QGhiYYX9WCaILE8q3urjr/7007a7f592fd186876a4eb69244dd597/gost_pumpkin.jpg","blogImageTitle":"gost pumpkin"},{"id":"r0pkAWVQ0PonVgFzzQxfY","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:23:04.860Z","slug":"tales-of-a-successful-startup-green-hills-pediatric-dentistry","title":"Tales of a Successful Startup - Green Hills Pediatric Dentistry","date":"October 11, 2019","introText":"Every day, you hear about how people don’t like going to the dentist. It makes them anxious, they’re nervous about the expense, they think it’s going to hurt; the list goes on and on. It gets exhausting after a while. But not everybody who spends time in the chair ends up with an aversion to the dentist’s office. Some people, like Dr. Brittany Adamiak, latch on to the field and make it their own.","mainContent":"
Every day, you hear about how people don’t like going to the dentist. It makes them anxious, they’re nervous about the expense, they think it’s going to hurt; the list goes on and on. It gets exhausting after a while. But not everybody who spends a lot of time in the chair ends up with an aversion to the dentist’s office. Some people, like Dr. Brittany Adamiak, latch on to the field and make it their own.
\n
Dr. Adamiak has an interesting dental history. “Congenitally, I’m missing 13 permanent teeth,” she told us. “When I was growing up, everywhere I went, from the dentist to the orthodontist, they were like - ‘wow, we’ve never seen this before!’ It was like they were seeing a unicorn or something.”\n\nDr. Brittany Adamiak, Green Hills Pediatric Dentistry
\n
“It gave me an interest in the profession because, well, dentistry is interesting. You see something new on a daily basis. Growing up, when people heard about how many missing teeth I had, they would jokingly say ‘oh, you better marry a dentist.’ And I thought, forget that, I’ll be a dentist!”
\n
Dr. Adamiak has more experience in the chair than 95% of the patients she sees. It started with braces, followed by extractions of baby teeth, a second round of braces, and then implants. Down the road, one of the implants failed, and she had to remove it, have a bone graft, and get it redone. It’s been a life of constant maintenance.
\n
“And in a way that hasn’t been all that negative, because I can really empathize with my patients. I’ve been in the chair, and I know how vulnerable it can be.”\n
\n
She started Green Hills Pediatric Dentistry after practicing for 5 years, and then returning to do her pediatric dental residency. With 10 years of experience under her belt, Dr. Adamiak decided she wanted to do things her own way. “When you’re an associate, it can feel like your main purpose is to answer ‘how much have you produced?’ I wanted to practice at a slightly slower pace. See less patients. GHPD has allowed me to focus more on relationships and quality of care rather than fixating single-mindedly on the bottom-line.”
\n
Before GHPD opened, Dr. Adamiak was part of a Facebook group called Making of a Dental Startup. She noticed many, many threads where people talked about their experience with LocalMed, and how it helped them as a start-up.\n\n“Before that, online scheduling wasn’t really on my radar. I’d never worked for an office that used it, and I’d never been to a dentist that offered it. But, it was reasonably priced and people seemed to love it, so it was kind of a no-brainer to give it a try.”
\n
That decision made Dr. Adamiak one of many startups who had online scheduling through LocalMed before they even had a physical office. It also made her one of many dentists who had appointments scheduled before their doors opened for business. \n\n“It’s really interesting - people want to do as much as they can electronically. We’ll have families schedule on LocalMed, do their paperwork online, and then email us if they have questions. It’s easier, and more convenient for their busy schedule to do as much online as possible, and that’s fine! It makes it easy for them and it’s one less phone call for us.”
\n
Dr. Adamiak finds further marketing success with a variety of strategies, including local magazines, review generation tools, and social media. But at the end of the day, it’s the relationships that prove the most fruitful. Focusing on referring offices and referrals from satisfied patients keeps Green Hills Pediatric Dentistry flourishing - proof that success isn’t measured only by your bottom line.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"exkceFIHzGWowoC6oIcCM","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:44:08.909Z","category":"LocalMed Success","slug":"testimonials"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1BsL93zFHae2i7b8ZGtlFi/56a37a1ad0d31063971d1fe7aa6f2009/DrAdamiak.png","blogImageTitle":"Dr. Brittany Adamiak"},{"id":"2XLGh7cZHB02fLQ6CT9h6i","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:28:08.923Z","slug":"making-the-big-decisions-with-dr-daphne-pierce","title":"Making the Big Decisions With Dr. Daphne Pierce","date":"September 20, 2019","introText":"This week we sit down with our friend Dr. Daphne Pierce to discuss some of the biggest decisions of a dentist’s career. Why choose general dentistry over orthodontics? How much will your choice of specialty impact your happiness? Here’s what one successful dentist has to say.","mainContent":"
This week we sit down with our friend Dr. Daphne Pierce to discuss some of the biggest decisions of a dentist’s career. Why choose general dentistry over orthodontics? How much will your choice of specialty impact your happiness? Here’s what one successful dentist has to say.
\n
You won’t want to miss this episode, especially if you’re still a dental student! Listen in for answers to some big questions, plus some insight into how LocalMed helps Pierce Family Dentistry achieve its goals.
What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
\n
LocalMed's new interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
\n
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"4FlRtUjIaQ2cxjQwHHHWJP","updatedAt":"2019-09-20T21:32:52.378Z","category":"G.O.S.T Stories","slug":"g-o-s-t-stories"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1Le3WGEi6g5z3tDdWOWRF4/d3199517b0e46ea83bf10eb175463265/GOSTStories-TitleSlide-Ch7-INSTA.png","blogImageTitle":"Dr. Pierce"},{"id":"7INyxK4hTsmbME1vZLA8S0","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:22:03.199Z","slug":"dental-intelligence-acquires-localmed","title":"Dental Intelligence Acquires LocalMed, the Leader in Real-Time, Online Dental Appointment Scheduling","date":"August 08, 2019","introText":"Earlier this month, LocalMed joined Dental Intelligence, the world’s smartest software used by thousands of dentists to manage and grow their practices.","mainContent":"
Earlier this month, LocalMed joined Dental Intelligence, the world’s smartest software used by thousands of dentists to manage and grow their practices. The two companies will remain independent solutions, and will continue to directly support their respective products. Going forward, they will collaborate to develop and implement new and innovative technology with the goal of improving patient care, team collaboration, and practice profitability.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2hVOgd2uopg1UsTZc8SucR/92b5f5300176ebd395ae8043d5cb32e2/dentalintel_localmed-600x400.png","blogImageTitle":"dentalintel localmed-600x400"},{"id":"38XQkeI9d4wApPLL4Rp4rf","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:22:32.112Z","slug":"tales-of-a-successful-startup-stonebrook-pediatric-dentistry","title":"Tales of a Successful Startup: Stonebrook Pediatric Dentistry","date":"June 14, 2019","introText":"“Be the change you want to see in the world.” You can see those words from Gandhi plastered all over motivational social media posts and bumper stickers, but it’s not so often that you meet someone who really lives by them.","mainContent":"
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” You can see those words from Gandhi plastered all over motivational social media posts and bumper stickers, but it’s not so often that you meet someone who really lives by them. And while he might not have liberated India, Dr. Abhishek Bhaumik puts those words into practice every day at Stonebrook Pediatric Dentistry in Frisco, Texas.
\n
\n(Stonebrook Pediatric Dentistry in Frisco, Texas)
\n
Stonebrook specializes in treating tongue-tied and high-anxiety children, and those niches weren’t chosen due to a vacuum in the market. Dr. Bhaumik chose them because he was one of those kids.
\n
“I love helping kids with high anxiety because that’s my background,” Dr. Bhaumik told us. “I went through depression myself. When kids come to my office that have issues similar to what I grew up with, I can feel that. When I get kids that are bullied at school, I understand that. When I get kids whose doctors don’t fully understand what being tongue-tied is, or how to diagnose it… that was me. I knew I wanted to help these kids before I even finished high school.”
\n
“For most of my life, I didn’t have much confidence because I was never really good at anything. That started to change when I got into martial arts. As I rose through the ranks, I got the opportunity to teach kids’ classes. And they always seemed to listen to me. I was good with kids, and I loved teaching them. During my senior year, one of the dads was a pediatric dentist. He offered me a job as an assistant in his office. That opened my eyes to pediatric dentistry, and by the end of high school, I knew what I wanted to do. Stonebrook is the culmination of the dream that started all those years ago.”
\n
Dr. Bhaumik’s practice is castle-themed, and kids love it so much that he says some kids have asked their moms if they can go to the dentist instead of going to school. Stonebrook has a play area, charming wall-art, and the kindness that can only come from someone who truly understands. It’s an ideal situation that was created under less-than-ideal conditions.\n\n(Interior of Stonebrook Pediatric's castle-themed office)
\n
When Stonebrook opened, Dr. Bhaumik knew there were 14 other dental practices within a 1.5 mile radius, one of which was a pediatric practice. But the combination of a growing area and determination led him to create a growing practice that defied the odds.
\n
Months before opening, Dr. Bhaumik posted videos of the practice’s construction on social media. He spent his free time going to local businesses, letting them know a new pediatric practice would be opening soon. The entire marketing operation was being run off a single laptop featuring OpenDental with LocalMed installed.
\n
\n
(Dr. Bhaumik pictured at his practice during construction)
\n
“Based off LocalMed alone, we had 10, maybe 14 patients scheduled before we even opened our doors,” Dr. Bhaumik told us. “We still get about a third of our new patients through it. Real online scheduling’s a very important piece of what we do, and I’d recommend it to any private practice.”
\n
\n
But it’s not just technology propelling Stonebrook to success. Dr. Bhaumik’s philosophy toward competition, and business in general, is a rare and refreshing thing. “I knew there were 14 practices in our area when we were opening, but I didn’t see them as competition. I saw them as colleagues,” he told us.
\n
“I’ve never seen anyone as competition because nobody can mimic your personality, your ethic, your team, the way you approach dentistry. I wish healthcare providers wouldn’t see each other as competitors. I genuinely believe that every practitioner is passionate about one or two things. You can’t be good at everything, and patients pick up on that.”
\n
“At the end of the day, patients decide who they want to go to. When you talk about what you love, patients pick up on that. If you’re passionate, word of mouth spreads pretty quickly.”
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"},{"id":"exkceFIHzGWowoC6oIcCM","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:44:08.909Z","category":"LocalMed Success","slug":"testimonials"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2iG01DpsHN80Rty5YaMA0R/23adeef59bb2907f70527eb76c57045e/39159136_435333243641412_2792915888540483584_o.jpg","blogImageTitle":"39159136 435333243641412 2792915888540483584 o"},{"id":"5dxGWhuBS3iV7DKiuKLf4a","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:48:31.476Z","slug":"wheres-your-shopping-cart","title":"Where's Your Shopping Cart?","date":"May 23, 2019","introText":"There’s something on the internet that’s even more powerful than Facebook or Google. Everyone has used it, even you. ","mainContent":"
The shopping cart button changed everything.
\n
Not only did it make Jeff Bezos the richest man in the world, it completely revolutionized consumer expectations, including yours and your patients’.
\n
Why? In a word, convenience.
\n
Think about the last time you made a purchase online. The process looked something like this, right?
\n\n
You put items in the cart.
\n
You clicked the cart and paid.
\n
You got what you needed delivered to your door.
\n\n
\n
Now think about this - would you have made that same purchase, with that same company, if the ordering process looked like this?
\n\n
You have to write an email or make a phone call to the selling company.
\n
You wait for a response (which might take a couple days if it’s the weekend or a holiday).
\n
The company either responds with an email, or a call during your work hours.
\n
You discuss the details with the company, perhaps going back and forward a few times, and then send payment.
\n
You get what you wanted delivered to your door.
\n\n
That would be a ridiculous way to do business in today’s economy, right? ...But if you don’t have real online scheduling (not just appointment requests), that’s exactly what you’re asking your patients to do.
\n
\n
Patients are consumers just like you.
\n
They want what you can provide, so they work their way through your painstakingly crafted marketing funnel. When they finally end up on your Google listing, or your website, or your social media pages, they’re ready to schedule an appointment…
\n
\n
...But there’s no shopping cart button. They have to go through scenario #2. And since they don’t want to do that, they’re far less likely to purchase - that is, they’re less likely to wind up in your chair.
\n
LocalMed is to your practice as the shopping cart button is to Amazon.
\n
THAT is what separates LocalMed from other so-called online scheduling services. They click a button, they choose an appointment time, they get that appointment time.
\n
Even though dentistry is far more important than whatever’s in their next Prime package, your patients (and maybe even you) are conditioned to want that instant convenience. It’s a trend that’s only continuing to grow.
\n
Over the last 9 years, e-commerce has seen 6-8 times more growth than traditional retail, and it’s all because of the power of the shopping cart. The trend shows no signs of slowing down, and probably won’t until we all have Star Trek-style replicators that can materialize products straight into our living rooms.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}]},{"id":"6qqGawyiLDRlMKC4Z6t2NH","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:19:58.642Z","slug":"tales-of-a-successful-startup-nautical-dental","title":"Tales of a Successful Startup: Nautical Dental","date":"May 15, 2019","introText":"Every practice has its challenges, but fee-for-service practices have challenges to spare. At Nautical Dental in San Antonio, Cheryl Cornelius is the one solving those problems. As the head of Marketing and Growth Development, she’s in charge of making sure there’s a steady influx of new patients, and she has a few tips to share about Nautical’s success.","mainContent":"
Every practice has its challenges, but fee-for-service practices have challenges to spare.
\n
At Nautical Dental in San Antonio, Cheryl Cornelius is the one solving those problems. As the head of Marketing and Growth Development, she’s in charge of making sure there’s a steady influx of new patients, and she has a few tips to share about Nautical’s success.
\n
\n(Nautical Dental and Braces staff at their grand opening)
\n
“As a fee-for-service practice, we’re not in-network with any insurance,” She told us. “In some ways that’s good, in some ways it’s bad. We have to work a lot harder to get our patients, because they aren’t coming from insurance sources. We really need to stand out in order for patients to choose us over an in-network practice.”
\n
How does she approach these challenges?
\n
First, with great doctors. That’s a given. But there’s another secret ingredient - a passion for customer service that focuses on removing roadblocks that would prevent new patients from booking.
\n
\n
Cheryl knows that most people don’t really enjoy going to the dentist. “In my own observations,” she told us, “I’d say 8 out of 10 people have some kind of anxiety about a dental visit. Even calling a dental office can trigger some of that anxiety, so lots of our process revolves around removing those anxiety roadblocks. LocalMed, in particular, is perfect for that.”
\n
“For example, this Saturday I was at a school, and I met a woman who told me a horrible story about her dental experiences. I tried to tell her - ‘just call us, we’ll take care of you!’ But even then, she still wasn’t sure. So I said, ‘you know what? You don’t even have to make a phone call. Let me show you how you can do this online.’”
\n
Cheryl pulled out her phone, went to Nautical’s website, and showed her how to schedule an appointment via LocalMed. The patient booked later that week.
\n
\n
Organic ground marketing like that is a large part of Nautical Dental’s strategy, but the biggest player is PPC (pay-per-click advertising). “We’re in a very competitive area,” Cheryl told us. “So we have an aggressive marketing plan in place to be in front of the potential patient when they need a dentist.”
\n
After doing this for over a year, Cheryl told us she knows the normal level of appointments that should be scheduled in a given month.
\n
So when something looked off a few weeks ago, she had a problem to solve. They weren’t getting as many appointments as they should have been getting, and at first, Cheryl thought that perhaps something was wrong with their website.
\n
It turns out that there had been a mistake with Nautical’s PPC. Their zip code was wrong, and their ads were appearing to people living over an hour away. After that got fixed, everything was back to normal.
\n
\n
“LocalMed gives me a pulse on my marketing. When it drops off and I realize it’s been a while since I’ve seen a LocalMed appointment, instead of calling you guys up and being like ‘You don’t work, nobody’s scheduling, what’s going on?’ I actually call my SEO guy and my pay-per-click campaigns and ask them what’s up. It’s a win-win for everyone!”
\n
Despite her success, Cheryl was initially hesitant to sign up for LocalMed.
\n
Nautical uses a very unique scheduling system that organizes time by individual providers, not blocks. Basically, each block has blocks within it that correspond to all their hygienists and doctors. That’s not a very common way of doing things. “I was concerned that it wouldn’t work,” she told us, “but after working with LocalMed to create a system that’s a better fit for our office, it works great!”
\n
Cheryl’s #1 tip for using LocalMed might seem strange: change your voicemail message.
\n
Why? Because some of their appointments come through after-hours. And that’s saying something, since Nautical Dental is open 12 hours a day, Monday through Saturday. Changing their voicemail message drastically changed the number of new patients they were able to secure.
\n
\n
“On Sunday, and when we’re closed, we don’t use emergency lines or give out personal cell numbers. Many times, what a patient calls for isn’t really an emergency anyway. Instead, we changed our voicemail message to say that you can schedule an appointment online. Just go to this address, and you’ll get your appointment. Then we show up first thing in the morning with emergency patients. Otherwise, those patients would be trying to get ahold of another office.”
\n
What’s next on the marketing plan for Nautical?
\n
Cheryl plans to work on their social media presence, and will be implementing LocalMed on their profiles to schedule new patient appointments from that channel as well! No matter what channels they choose, LocalMed will be there to schedule appointments 24/7.
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"exkceFIHzGWowoC6oIcCM","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:44:08.909Z","category":"LocalMed Success","slug":"testimonials"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/7JlKtHC65Z9ahQulXhfFxw/412f51c018b62a313d344272081f41ac/60146972_1045120929014287_8128150325493235712_o.jpg","blogImageTitle":"60146972 1045120929014287 8128150325493235712 o"},{"id":"3vsRcOBuLVFifLOjP7xy6f","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T18:21:18.169Z","slug":"do-dentists-actually-need-to-be-on-social-media","title":"Do Dentists Actually Need to be on Social Media?","date":"April 22, 2019","introText":"Every marketing blog on the internet will tell you that, as a dentist, you need to be on social media. But do you actually?","mainContent":"
Every marketing blog on the internet will tell you that, as a dentist, you need to be on social media.
\n
Now, I don’t know about you, but my personal social media feed looks like a strange blend of class reunion and awkward Thanksgiving dinner. My friends are posting pictures of their kids. That girl I knew in school is vacationing on a beach again. My uncle is ranting about politics. And hey, look - memes!
\n
What good is any of this to a dental practice? Do you really need a social presence?
\n
A decade ago, the answer might have been no. Back then, social media just wasn’t that ingrained into the way we interact with each other. In 2009, only 18% of people over 12 were using Facebook every month. Now it’s 62%. And since 68% of people get most of their news from it, it’s pretty clear that your patients are doing a lot of socializing online.
\n
\n
While memes and political spats might not have much to do with dentistry, there’s something bigger underneath all that noise. In its ideal form, social media is all about relationships. And that’s something that every successful practice should cultivate with its patients. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or whatever else, as long as you’re using it to create and maintain relationships.
\n
Social media is where your patients are spending their digital lives, and to consistently stay in your patients’ minds, you actually do need to be there engaging with them.
\n
\n
A good social presence = free word of mouth advertising
\n
It’s the oldest form of advertising, and it’s still incredibly important. We talk to dentists every day who rely on word of mouth to bring new patients into their chairs. But nowadays, word of mouth is more like word of keyboard.
\n
75% of people admit to purchasing something because they saw it advertised on social media. A dentist appointment is no different! Facebook can even detect when someone is asking their friends for a recommendation.That’s the kind of opportunity you don’t want to miss.
\n
If one of your patients tags your practice in a situation like this, you can jump in and immediately start welcoming a new patient to your practice. That kind of responsiveness will give you an edge and help you start building a new relationship. It’s an indispensable tool, especially when you’re trying to sell an experience that most people see as a necessity, not a desire.
\n
\n
Social media = free appointment reminders
\n
Even if you have automated appointment reminders, you can still get more value out of social media. The name of the game is staying at top of mind, and engaging with your patient base can encourage patients to return regularly in two main ways.
\n
The first way you can do this is the active route. Post, perhaps once a month, reminding people to come in. It’s not intrusive that way, and people will be less likely to get annoyed if they aren’t being constantly spammed by reminders. Many people will be more likely to reach out through social than through traditional means like a phone call or an email. Regardless, be sure never to solicit directly, or take any other action that may violate HIPAA.
\n
The other way to do this is passively. Whenever you post, whatever your post, patients who follow your practice will see it. Every time they see your name, it’s a sidelong reminder that they haven’t been to the dentist in a while. You don’t have to say anything direct like “schedule an appointment soon!” Just seeing your name will be enough to put the thought of scheduling in their mind.
\n
\n
Social media with LocalMed = fully booked appointments
\n
Inconvenience is one of the biggest barriers in scheduling an appointment. It takes time and energy - patients often have to call an office during business hours (which means they’re at work). With LocalMed, you can turn your social media into an actual gateway to a booked appointment. One button, embedded directly into your social media profiles or added to your posts, can allow patients to book an appointment with a few clicks. They don’t even have to leave the comfort of their screens.
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Our average client sees a website conversion increase of 35-70%. That’s what happens when scheduling an appointment is made convenient.
\n
At the end of the day, social is too valuable to ignore. That’s doubly true when you have a scheduling widget attached to everything you post there. Take some time to figure out the best social plan for your practice. It doesn’t need to be expansive, but without at least some form of regular social presence, you’re leaving value on the table.
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6jHXkZOwAPFf8PB3EHNl0U/299703ddd2f7cb1b2bcfb06b2ad25da9/ig-socialmedia.jpg","blogImageTitle":"ig-socialmedia"},{"id":"3dTYwMVVquyb2TGtPmLUOz","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T15:14:42.935Z","slug":"humana-announcement","title":"LocalMed, LLC Partners With Humana to Enable Seamless Dental Appointment Scheduling","date":"February 27, 2019","introText":"Today, LocalMed, LLC and Humana Inc. announced an agreement that will allow Humana’s dental members to choose a dentist in their network from an online directory and book an appointment from the same platform. ","mainContent":"
Today, LocalMed, LLC and Humana Inc. announced an agreement that will allow Humana’s dental members to choose a dentist in their network from an online directory and book an appointment from the same platform. LocalMed’s platform will provide a seamless scheduling experience for members and generate more appointments for providers.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/IdGAK0OzpvzRmQ8AHdTKV/b5266fbf2b81e68983d441119e699532/52835988_1911319658990860_797761313051770880_o.png","blogImageTitle":"Humana_LocalMed-Widget"},{"id":"LYS0uSuBwakdmX8NSHx5L","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T18:20:30.032Z","slug":"4-questions-to-ask-before-buying-online-scheduling","title":"4 Questions to Ask Before Buying Online Scheduling","date":"January 23, 2019","introText":"Online scheduling is obviously important, but not all online scheduling platforms are created equal. How can you know which is right for your practice?","mainContent":"
Your patients do everything online. They can book flights, get rides, and even earn a degree without leaving the soft comfortable glow of their phones and laptops. So if your practice doesn’t offer a way to get a dentist appointment online, a new patient may pass you up for a practice that appeals to their sense of convenience.
\n
Online scheduling is obviously important, but not all online scheduling platforms are created equal. How can you know which is right for your practice? Here are 4 things you should know before choosing.
\n
\n
1. Is it really scheduling, or merely requesting?
\n
This is #1 for a reason. Most companies that offer “online scheduling” only go halfway to a scheduled appointment. They allow patients to request a timeslot, but that’s all. Your front desk still has to confirm the appointment. What if there is a conflict? What if two people request the same time slot over the weekend? Then your staff has to reach out and play phone tag until a consensus is reached. It’s inefficient - it takes time away from your patients and your front desk.
\n
Real online scheduling integrates with your practice management system, which means you set certain times as available, and once a patient requests an appointment, they get that appointment. They don’t need to call. Your front desk doesn’t need to confirm (even though they still can). Real online scheduling is the difference between a fully booked appointment, and an email to your front desk.
\n
2. How many places can patients schedule from?
\n
The average appointment scheduling service puts a button on your website, and that’s a great start. It’s much better than having no online scheduling at all (if it really is online scheduling and not just a disguised contact form). But if your website is the only place the scheduling button lives, a lot of money is being left on the table.
\n
Most patients don’t know your website URL off the top of their heads, so their journey to you doesn’t start at your website. Most often they’ll find you through Google, or an insurance directory. The best online scheduling services put buttons on those sites too, which means more routes for patients to end up in your chair. Convenience is the name of the game, and that’s especially true if a patient is comparison shopping.
\n
3. How much manual maintenance will you have to do?
\n
The ideal answer to this is “absolutely none.” And while we’re not quite there yet, we’re getting pretty close. Even the best online scheduling systems require some front-loaded setup work. But that should be all. After setting your schedule - availability, hours, appointment types, operatories, etc. - you shouldn’t have to touch your scheduling system except for when you want to make changes.
\n
\n
If a scheduling system requires you to manually confirm each appointment by entering requests into your practice management system one by one, it’s not an efficient use of your staff’s time (and it’s not really online scheduling either).
\n
4. Does it work in real time?
\n
When a patient clicks that final button, how long does it take before your practice can confirm that the slot is theirs? When scheduling is integrated with your practice management system, that appointment is theirs instantly, as soon as the request is received. With a manual request system, it can take hours, even days, for an appointment to be confirmed. That lag can really ruin a patient’s day, and it can complicate yours, too. Double bookings clog up your front desk, and it doesn’t make a great first impression when a patient who thought they had an appointment, doesn’t.
\n
Before you buy any online scheduling service, ask their representative these questions. Of course, LocalMed’s answers are “it’s really scheduling, a ton, almost zero, and yes.” But if you want to learn more, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 888 (203) 7531.
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"6QPbndgmOWME4wuWAsUgk8","updatedAt":"2017-11-09T15:26:17.550Z","category":"Dental Software","slug":"dental-software"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/37vfHZ48x50iG9pcZotXVp/9bdd38088b666d29c5ef84a69f3c5336/localmed-connect-mockup.png","blogImageTitle":"localmed-connect-mockup"},{"id":"OygnXyOA8gqaC0a0W8omc","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:30:24.524Z","slug":"ground-marketing-tips-and-tricks-with-michael-arias","title":"Ground Marketing Tips and Tricks With Michael Arias","date":"December 03, 2018","introText":"We were lucky enough to chat with our friend, Michael Arias, better known as The Dental Marketer.\n\nIf you have a Starbucks, a hotel, an apartment complex, or even a gym near you, you’ll want to listen in to gain valuable insights on how to attract their employees and clients to your practice.","mainContent":"
We were lucky enough to chat with our friend, Michael Arias, better known as The Dental Marketer.
\n
Vanessa and Michael (and G.O.S.T!) discuss ground marketing, how to target local businesses, and how you and your employees can get the most out of just a little budget.
\n
If you have a Starbucks, a hotel, an apartment complex, or even a gym near you, you’ll want to listen in to gain valuable insights on how to attract their employees and clients to your practice.
What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
\n
LocalMed's new interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
\n
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"UDTOL8CJUa8G4WIEQsISy","updatedAt":"2018-05-23T15:39:48.623Z","category":"G.O.S.T. Stories","slug":"g-o-s-t-stories"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2L33iZy5e84EUsOcgamKia/b2c2557fc022970c1eddff11b7f0d001/GOSTStories-TitleSlide-Ch6-INSTA.png","blogImageTitle":"G.O.S.T. Stories - Michael Arias - Chapter #6"},{"id":"4S6x1aoTxC0KGEIiwCoCys","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T17:34:00.794Z","slug":"oaktown-dental-localmed-success-story","title":"Against the Odds: One doctor's Remarkable Success Story With LocalMed","date":"November 15, 2018","introText":"You may not know his name, but Dr. Zahid Ahmed is not your average dentist. He doesn’t headline conferences, write dental success books, or earn millions in the consulting business. Instead, he runs a 2-operatory practice out of a little medical suite in Oakland, California. And it’s flourishing (against all odds).","mainContent":"
You may not know his name, but Dr. Zahid Ahmed is not your average dentist. He doesn’t headline conferences, write dental success books, or earn millions in the consulting business. Instead, he runs a 2-operatory practice out of a little medical suite in Oakland, California. And it’s flourishing (against all odds) because of his ability to find a weak point in his practice, and his willingness to stop at nothing to fix it.
\n
Dr. Ahmed had been practicing in a hospital for 7 years before starting his own practice in 2016. When the tech industry of San Francisco and Silicon Valley started spilling into Oakland, he picked the rapidly gentrifying area specifically for its growth. And though that might sound ideal, the increase in population also brought competition.
\n
“I think, nationwide, the statistic is something like 1 dentist for every 2000 eligible adults,” said Dr. Ahmed. “In our case, it was 1 dentist for every 250. All our consultants said ‘what are you doing? This won’t work.’ But I had a wife and 2 kids. I needed to put food on the table. This had to work.”
\n
\n
So he followed the age-old #1 rule of marketing: know your audience. “Our demographic is very tech-savvy, and the traditional medical and dental models are archaic. Nobody wants to talk to anybody. They want to go online or text - to do things digitally. I knew I had to make it easy for people to schedule appointments online. Request forms wouldn’t cut it; I wanted something that worked just like booking a flight, or ordering a pizza. It’s all about removing barriers to entry. I couldn’t not offer something like that.”
\n
At the time, there wasn’t a service that could do what Dr. Ahmed wanted. So he built his own.
\n
“I used a plugin for OpenDental, exported our schedule into a Google calendar, and then synced up another service called Calendly. It was this complicated, unwieldy thing. ...but it actually worked quite nicely.”
\n
Patients loved the system he had created. Between it and having a call center, Dr. Ahmed didn’t have a front desk person for over a year. “It was just me and the system,” he said. Every month, 30-40 new patients came in, and his practice doubled its income. The growth was exponential.
\n
\n(Oaktown Dental is run by Dr. Zahid Ahmed in Oakland, California)
\n
But once they started to hit 70-80 new patients per month, the limitations of the system started to show. For one, it couldn’t handle different types of appointments.
\n
“So I started looking again, and found LocalMed. I tried other systems first. They weren’t working very well, but this did.”
\n
“The strength of LocalMed is being able to make all kinds of appointments. If it’s Friday and I see Monday is falling apart, I can just turn on LocalMed and I know it’ll be filled. It’s happened multiple times. A day before everything falls apart, I turn on LocalMed, and our schedule will be filled the next day. I’d say 75% of new patients come through them. It’s amazing, and I don’t have to worry about missing calls. I can’t praise it enough, really.”
\n
\n
Thanks to his success with LocalMed, Dr. Ahmed has stopped almost all other forms of marketing.
\n
“We spend about two thousand a month in PPC for dental implants, because that’s our biggest income center aside from routine PPO dentistry. That covers our overhead, but the implants are where the growth is. So we have a page about implants with the call-to-action of ‘schedule a free consultation,’ which goes straight to LocalMed.”
\n
“That’s critical because we find that leads on Facebook want that immediate confirmation. You must strike while the iron’s hot.”
\n
Dr. Ahmed’s practice is now at capacity, so what’s next for him? In his words, “I need hygienists for recalls. The only problem is our size.”
\n
To learn how LocalMed can help you achieve results like Dr. Ahmed’s, schedule a demo, or call (888) 203-7351.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"exkceFIHzGWowoC6oIcCM","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:44:08.909Z","category":"LocalMed Success","slug":"testimonials"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/31cbIyOKE0OMQQWwC2AY2a/07245169e0f7a22155e16e51123de4fd/Oaktown-Dental-Mockup.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Oaktown-Dental-LocalMed"},{"id":"2ryww0ib5SgqUEAicGSksg","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T17:33:30.465Z","slug":"the-easiest-way-to-get-google-to-notice-your-dental-practice","title":"The Easiest Way to get Google to Notice Your Dental Practice","date":"October 12, 2018","introText":"Google rules the internet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in on a share of their spoils. They’ve built a collection of tools to help local business achieve better search results, more hits, and ultimately, more patients for you. The best one is Google My Business. And with a little research, it’s easy to put it to work for your practice.","mainContent":"
Google rules the internet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in on a share of their spoils. They’ve built a collection of tools to help local business achieve better search results, more hits, and ultimately, more patients for you. The best one is Google My Business. And with a little research, it’s easy to put it to work for your dental practice.
Google My Business is the easiest, most powerful and free way for local businesses like yours to manage where you appear in searches, interact with customers, and effectively manage your online presence.
\n
Ever wonder how Google knows where to place businesses on Google Maps? Google My Business is the answer. And the reviews that pop up while searching? That’s Google My Business too.
\n
It’s one of the most important things you can do to ensure your dental practice appears online. Even Moz ranks Google My Business as the #1 factor in high local search rankings.
\n
How do I get started?
\n
Just visit this link, and click “manage now.” Enter the essential information, including hours, website, and phone number, and you’re well on the way to a boosted search ranking for your dental practice.
\n
Is that all?
\n
Yep! But also, of course not! There’s plenty more that Google My Business equips you to do.
\n
For instance, every month, Google will send you an analysis of your practices' performance. You’ll learn how many people have found you, for what search terms, your click-through rate, and plenty of other key performance indicators that will help you learn how your patients find you.
\n
You can also share information and updates about your dental practice through Google updates. Use updates to share promotions, a tour of your office, to introduce your staff, or even invite potential patients to schedule their appointment.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/68igUYq8gwg4GOCUCWy8yI/d5c6df48220002ebd2b7966a34672131/google-my-business-smile-and-co.png","blogImageTitle":"Google My Business for Dental Practices"},{"id":"7cYNcQX2Ja2YIiukKAiUeg","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T15:22:04.729Z","slug":"new-feature-the-blacklist","title":"New Feature: The Blacklist","date":"October 04, 2018","introText":"It’s a question we’ve been getting every week for as long as we can remember:\n\n*“What if a problem patient tries to book an appointment online and takes up valuable time on my schedule?”*\n\nNow, the answer is simple. As long as you’ve added them to your blacklist, they can’t.\n","mainContent":"
It’s a question we’ve been getting every week for as long as we can remember:
\n
“What if a problem patient tries to book an appointment online and takes up valuable time on my schedule?”
\n
Now, the answer is simple. As long as you’ve added them to your blacklist, they can’t.
\n
How Does the Blacklist Work?
\n
When a blacklisted patient tries to book an appointment online, they will be prompted to check their email for verification. But instead of the usual confirmation email, this will arrive in their inbox:
\n
\n
The appointment they tried to schedule will NOT be written into your system, and they’ll have to call your office to request an appointment the old-fashioned way.
\n
You will then receive an email notifying you that a blacklisted patient attempted to schedule with you. It will look something like this:
Select the appropriate office by clicking on its name, or on the pencil icon on the right
\n
Select “blacklist” from the left-hand side.
\n
Enter the email address of the person you want to blacklist
\n
Select a reason for your decision
\n
Click “add patient”
\n\n
And you’re done! Note that the patient will not be able to see the reason they’ve been blacklisted. To learn why, they’ll have to contact you directly.
\n
We hope this makes your life a little easier! If you have any questions, just email support@localmed.com.
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"},{"id":"1S4NnqTB6cQ2AoUaGS6qyI","updatedAt":"2017-08-10T15:14:49.780Z","category":"How To...","slug":"how-to"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1oEQVpjwOooCsskAAE244q/63b443f70b898243404222ada3c0235c/blacklist.png","blogImageTitle":"localmed-blacklist-feature"},{"id":"WtFY1auPM4AcsoGSOOA00","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T15:09:20.774Z","slug":"blue-ridge-family-dentals-founder-dr-rachael-schuette","title":"Blue Ridge Family Dental's Founder Dr. Rachael Schuette","date":"September 25, 2018","introText":"Please give a big welcome to our friend Dr. Rachael Schuette, a former midwesterner who gave up Spotted Cow and cheese curds to live out her childhood dream of living in North Carolina! ","mainContent":"
Please give a big welcome to our friend Dr. Rachael Schuette, a former midwesterner who gave up Spotted Cow and cheese curds to live out her childhood dream of living in North Carolina!
\n
After working as an associate, picking up different pieces of information along the way, Dr. Schuette formed the vision for her startup practice, Blue Ridge Family Dental. She shares that vision, her current marketing strategy, and what working mom’s love most about her practice in this episode of G.O.S.T STORIES!
What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
\n
LocalMed's new interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
\n
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"UDTOL8CJUa8G4WIEQsISy","updatedAt":"2018-05-23T15:39:48.623Z","category":"G.O.S.T. Stories","slug":"g-o-s-t-stories"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3cB2QBAtoQioM2qQ0u0YO8/09acf02c620996802863c13bd54caa4b/GOSTStories-TitleSlide-Ch5-INSTA.png","blogImageTitle":"Dr. Rachael Schuette - Blue Ridge Family Dental - LocalMed"},{"id":"Zpl0PriLgAK060EeYeuKe","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T15:15:52.731Z","slug":"how-not-to-get-better-online-reviews","title":"How NOT to Get Better Online Reviews","date":"July 25, 2018","introText":"You want patients to rave about your practice, but there's a right and a wrong way to get strong online reviews. Whatever you do, don't do this...","mainContent":"
84% of people trust online reviews as much as their friends’ recommendations, and about 91% of people have read reviews for local businesses in the last year.[1] Obviously, your reviews are important to the success of your practice. You probably already knew that. But what if I told you there was a way to guarantee that most of your online reviews were 4 or 5 star ratings?
\n
There is! Unfortunately, it might be the worst thing you can do for your online reputation. It’s called review gating, and it’s a very bad idea.
\n
What is review gating?
\n
Review gating is a technique that encourages positive reviews, and prevents potential negative ones. Here’s how it works:
\n
After a patient’s visit, your online reviews service sends them a message (usually a text or an email) that asks them to rate their visit on a 5-star scale. If the patient responds by saying they would rate you 4 or 5 stars, great! The service then asks them to leave their feedback online, and helpfully includes links to Google, Yelp, Healthgrades, and other online reviews sites. Voila, all your happy patients have been guided to leave their glowing reviews where the whole world can see them.
\n
If the patient responds negatively, then the service keeps their feedback private. Only you can see it, and they aren’t given links to reviews sites. So in order for someone to give you a negative online review, they’ll have to make the effort of finding your profile and posting it on their own. Thus, the good reviews come much more easily than the bad.
\n
What’s wrong with that?
\n
Though it’s a good way to give your practice a leg up on the competition, there’s a problem with it. Google, the de-facto rulers of the internet, have decided that they don’t like it. In April of this year, they added review gating to the list of practices that aren’t allowed. And if you want your business to be found online, it’s in your best interest to play by Google’s rules.
\n
\n
What if I still want to gate reviews?
\n
Maybe nothing bad happens, maybe Google deletes all your reviews overnight and makes you start from scratch. If someone reports you to Google, that’s exactly what could happen. And while someone reporting you may seem far-fetched, one complaint from a tech-savvy patient could be enough to start an investigation. For that reason, continuing to gate your reviews is like heading to Vegas and betting your entire online reputation on black. The risk isn’t worth the reward.
\n
How common is review gating?
\n
Almost every online reviews service worth its salt had been doing this for the last couple of years. Now, the opposite is true – any valuable online reviews service won’t touch review gating with a 10-foot pole. Ask your reviews service if they gate reviews. If the answer is no, good. If the answer is yes, run. If the answer is “what’s review gating?” then run even faster, because if they don’t know about this, they’re in the wrong line of work.
\n
LocalMed Reviews
\n
\n
If you want more reviews, and you want them earned the right way, LocalMed has you covered. LocalMed Reviews doesn’t use review gating, and instead sends review requests that are pre-populated with 5-star ratings. Patients are free to respond however they like, but rest assured, if they’ve had an appointment, they’re getting a review request.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4fj6JldgPCgm6oCKYmIKWq/89b26a6daf1a9230784a8096d93b8d96/reviews-01.png","blogImageTitle":"Online-Reviews"},{"id":"23xwZV2QE46MEkGmecyq42","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T15:08:18.229Z","slug":"solstice-dental-and-aesthetics-dr-krysta-manning","title":"Solstice Dental and Aesthetics' Dr. Krysta Manning","date":"July 03, 2018","introText":"This week, we were lucky enough to pick the brain of our friend Dr. Krysta Manning about starting a dental practice! ","mainContent":"
This week, we were lucky enough to pick the brain of our friend Dr. Krysta Manning about starting a dental practice! She launched 🚀 her practice, Solstice Dental and Aesthetics, in Louisville less than a year ago and so far is at a 100% retention rate! 🎯
\n
Dr. Manning shares what she attributes her practice’s success to (hint: t-e-a-m), her most successful marketing tactic, the Kentucky Derby’s 🐎 impact on her practice, and the very interesting story of how she heard about LocalMed (not what you would expect!) 🤓
What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
\n
LocalMed's new interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
\n
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"UDTOL8CJUa8G4WIEQsISy","updatedAt":"2018-05-23T15:39:48.623Z","category":"G.O.S.T. Stories","slug":"g-o-s-t-stories"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2hJB9WxDRucUYy8EeaCuCY/93c43d802ce31b4af6d118b68121466d/GOSTStories-TitleSlide-Ch4-Promo.png","blogImageTitle":"G.O.S.T. STORIES Dr. Krystal Manning"},{"id":"3ZX6jhYfRmKwoca2EYgIiY","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T18:22:03.901Z","slug":"late-night-shopping-and-creating-efficiencies-in-your-dental-practice-with","title":"Late-night Shopping and Creating Efficiencies in Your Dental Practice With Michael Lomotan","date":"June 19, 2018","introText":"Michael Lomotan of Divergent Dental and Dental Success Network fame is a self-proclaimed #Geek and #DentalSpouse. His San Diego-based practice, Dental Design SD, was an early adopter of LocalMed. \n","mainContent":"
Michael chats with us from the streets of San Diego in his “mobile office”🚙 (his trusty Subaru) about goat togas, his late-night 🛒 online shopping adventures and how he uses LocalMed to create efficiency in his dental practice. ✅
What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
\n
LocalMed's new interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
\n
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"UDTOL8CJUa8G4WIEQsISy","updatedAt":"2018-05-23T15:39:48.623Z","category":"G.O.S.T. Stories","slug":"g-o-s-t-stories"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2Bjb8UtHsECuqOeyaqYosk/2c8a49f938699270bc66227f88340a09/GOSTStories-TitleSlide-Ch3-INSTA.png","blogImageTitle":"Michael Lomotan - GOST Stories"},{"id":"1ifTDG3BiWAECaUmuOMOyi","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T15:12:59.930Z","slug":"the-start-up-journey-of-shania-holman-dds-phd","title":"The Start-Up Journey of Shania Holman, DDS, PhD","date":"June 05, 2018","introText":"Our friend, Shaina Holman DDS, PhD, is an award-winning family dentist who just opened her first practice.","mainContent":"
What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
\n
LocalMed's new interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
\n
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"UDTOL8CJUa8G4WIEQsISy","updatedAt":"2018-05-23T15:39:48.623Z","category":"G.O.S.T. Stories","slug":"g-o-s-t-stories"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2kJQlxAGece6eccm2ocay0/184adbf4dce242188f2ac4b69e579b98/GOSTStories-TitleSlide-Ch2_-INSTA.png","blogImageTitle":"G.O.S.T. Stories Shaina Holman DDS, PhD"},{"id":"56kbmPgyxikewuwU0qWAIs","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T17:33:00.835Z","slug":"the-digital-tradeshow-podcast","title":"The Digital Tradeshow Podcast","date":"May 29, 2018","introText":"A few weeks back at The Profitable Dentist conference in Orlando, we met up with John Stamper of The Digital Tradeshow to talk with him about the exciting things happening here at LocalMed!","mainContent":"
A few weeks back at The Profitable Dentist conference in Orlando, we met up with John Stamper of The Digital Tradeshow to talk with him about the exciting things happening here at LocalMed!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1dniLgP6RigKGgikwWqAKW/746849ca423d58f00bfcb55d6d2658be/the-digital-tradeshow.png","blogImageTitle":"the-digital-tradeshow"},{"id":"1G2j4xdEVaYEwSIUIGUMCE","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T15:14:12.838Z","slug":"the-disney-experience-in-dentistry-bitmojis-and-bentley's-with-andre","title":"\"The Disney Experience\" in Dentistry, Bitmojis and Bentley’s with Andre Shirdan","date":"May 15, 2018","introText":"Please join us in welcoming our friend, Andre Shirdan on the very first G.O.S.T. Stories! \n\nHe's an author, inspirational/motivational speaker, certified software trainer, CAD/CAM/CBCT training professional, the founder of The Crew Process and our inaugural G.O.S.T. Stories guest!","mainContent":"
Please join us in welcoming our friend, Andre Shirdan!
\n
Andre is an author, inspirational/motivational speaker, certified software trainer, CAD/CAM/CBCT training professional, the founder of The Crew Process and our inaugural G.O.S.T. Stories guest.
What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
\n
LocalMed's new interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
\n
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"UDTOL8CJUa8G4WIEQsISy","updatedAt":"2018-05-23T15:39:48.623Z","category":"G.O.S.T. Stories","slug":"g-o-s-t-stories"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5ViA3VeoHCGOK4YQsoimMS/e37e69c0f765723ea07362307f360ab7/GOSTStories-TitleSlide-Ch1_-INSTA.png","blogImageTitle":"G.O.S.T. Stories with Andre Shirdan"},{"id":"KC60WzQEeI4Y6yqoo4q0I","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T17:32:44.526Z","slug":"the-delivering-wow-podcast-using-online-scheduling-to-grow-your-practice","title":"The Delivering Wow Podcast: Using Online Scheduling to Grow Your Practice","date":"May 03, 2018","introText":"Recently our very own Tom Brown was featured on the Delivering Wow podcast, hosted by Dr. Anissa Holmes!","mainContent":"
Recently our very own Tom Brown was featured on the Delivering Wow podcast, hosted by Dr. Anissa Holmes!
\n
\n
“Some systems out that are out there make it look like they’re actually booking an appointment, and the closer it looks like they’re actually making the appointment - the worse it actually is.” - Tom Brown
Dr. Holmes and Tom also talked about how dentists can use LocalMed to grow their practices in tandem with their current marketing efforts.
\n
\n
“The reason why I think LocalMed is so awesome is that our dental practices typically are not open 24 hours a day. But when you have online scheduling, [whenever] someone makes a decision that they’re ready to book an appointment, they have the ability to do so.” - Dr. Anissa Holmes
\n
\n
Dr. Holmes also shared the unique ways that's she's currently using LocalMed in her practice, including adding call-to-action buttons on her landing pages, and allowing a virtual assistant to schedule appointments from inbound leads!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2dubMg6vL2uSaEUYCqO46Y/919535dc748c32096eaeae4f587c3677/DeliveringWowPodcast.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Delivering Wow Podcast"},{"id":"2i9wZAGACEWAA6suwsmwQy","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T17:30:29.102Z","slug":"your-patients-don't-want-to-request-an-appointment","title":"Your Patients Don’t Want to \"Request\" an Appointment.","date":"April 24, 2018","introText":"Here at LocalMed, we talk to dentists everyday. And 95% of the time, when we bring up the topic of online scheduling, most dentists are quick to say that they already have it. \n\nBut when we pull up their practice website, it's nowhere to be found.","mainContent":"
Here at LocalMed, we talk to dentists everyday. And 95% of the time, when we bring up the topic of online scheduling, most dentists are quick to say that they already have it.
\n
But when we pull up their practice website, we quickly discover that they simply have a contact form with a button to “request an appointment” or are using a “scheduling platform” that has the same functionality as the contact form - it simply submits a request.
\n
We’re here to tell you that there’s a better way to book appointments online - one that will convert more of your web traffic AND keep the extra work off your front desk.
\n
\n
When you focus on your patient experience, you win.
\n
Clinical skills are important, no doubt! But the reality is that when you create an outstanding patient experience, you’ll earn more positive reviews (which generate referrals and new patients) than by doing an excellent technical job alone.
\n
In a recent study of over 35,000 online healthcare reviews, clinical skills were only responsible for 4% of negative reviews (Becker’s Healthcare Review). The other 96% were customer-service related, and of those, 53% were related specifically to communication (Vanguard Communications 2016). In fact, one of the most commonly-used phrases among the unhappiest patients in the study was “... to get an appointment …”
\n
Creating a frictionless booking and follow-up process for your potential patients should be a priority for any office looking to improve their customer experience. And the patient process begins with booking an appointment - where a “request form” is not going to cut it.
\n
\n
Why is an appointment “request” option so bad?
\n
Glad you asked!
\n
Imagine trying to book a flight for your next vacation, and instead of a full list of available flights, times and seats, the airline just gave you a vague contact form to fill out and “request a flight”. Without any information as to when you might hear back, or any knowledge of what flights are even available.
\n
Or if you were trying to buy something on Amazon, and instead of being able to do choose your quantity, shipping method and payment method, Amazon gave you no idea what is available - only the option to “request a purchase”.
\n
You’d hate it. And that’s how your patients feel when the vague “request an appointment” form is on your website.
\n
Instead of allowing a potential patient who’s ready to choose your office a seamless way of getting on your schedule, you’re putting all sorts of barriers up when their only options are to “request” an appointment, or call your office during business hours. With today’s technology, removing those roadblocks has never been easier - simply let your patient book their own appointment, 24/7.
\n
\n
The infinitely better option: real-time online scheduling.
\n
This simple change in your patient onboarding process gives patients the ability to book an appointment with your practice just like they book flights, buy from Amazon, make dinner reservations and book rides.
\n
For the patient, it provides a frictionless transition from “I like this dentist” to “Great, I can book an appointment right now!” There’s no need for them to remember to call during business hours, and no need to submit a “appointment request” with unknown response times (Accenture 2013 consumer survey).
\n
For your practice, it means a higher conversion rate on all of your marketing efforts, less 8-minute scheduling phone calls and more fully-booked patients -- 100% of patients who schedule through LocalMed result in booked appointments.
\n
Additionally, real-time online scheduling improves the patient experience because your staff can focus their full attention on the patients who are actually in the office, resulting in even higher patient satisfaction.
\n
\n
LocalMed improves your practice reputation
\n
With LocalMed real-time online scheduling, your patients benefit from having a fully-booked appointment in under 2 minutes. From wherever they find you, at whatever time.
\n
At the same time, your practice reaps the benefits from an improved patient experience, which addresses the 94% of negative customer complaints, and results in an improved practice reputation (Becker’s Healthcare Review).
\n
Ready to make the switch from request to real-time?
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5PlsgHA7BKke8o8gCEIEY0/5a736ee47a1e15fa10847a48de51529d/ApptRequest-01.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Patients-Dont-Want-To-Request-An-Appointment"},{"id":"5RJU4FRl7OMcGsSS4mAG80","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T17:29:11.497Z","slug":"close-the-loop-on-instagram","title":"Close the Loop on... Instagram!","date":"April 03, 2018","introText":"If you use Instagram for your practice, we’ve got some good news for you!","mainContent":"
If you use Instagram for your practice, we’ve got some good news for you...
\n
\n
LocalMed is now instagram-ready!
\n
We’re ALWAYS looking for ways to help you meet your patients where they’re looking for you, and Instagram is our newest venture.
\n
When you add your LocalMed link to your practice’s Instagram, you can give anyone looking and interacting with your photos the ability to book directly from your profile!
\n
And just like everywhere else you put your LocalMed widget, you’ll be able to track all of the appointments that were booked from Instagram.
\n
Pretty cool, right?
\n
All you have to do is send an email to support@localmed.com and let them know that you want your Instagram link. Once you receive the link, just add it to your profile. Ta-da! You’ve just added yet another conversion-ready channel to your practice’s marketing portfolio!
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3jwIua0lwQikA2UgcaqAcI/29b4e0096e9020abbb309439c28f005e/instagram-localmed.png","blogImageTitle":"instagram-localmed"},{"id":"5zRaMvh53aOOgw64wwkEyS","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T17:28:37.823Z","slug":"have-you-seen-our-goat","title":"Have You Seen Our Goat? ","date":"March 06, 2018","introText":"... yes, really. We have a goat.","mainContent":"
He had a lot of fun meeting everyone, and telling them why they need to Get Online Scheduling, Today!
\n
To see highlights from all of G.O.S.T.'s adventures, follow LocalMed on Instagram or Facebook.
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2ERenXGDjSmgwyQcgI0keI/38d6042fb5fb6948a2d40593d5e5c510/Image_uploaded_from_iOS_copy_3.jpg","blogImageTitle":"GOST-Jamaica"},{"id":"cOimzkD6ISYiWy4w0suYe","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T18:19:47.331Z","slug":"the-best-way-to-handle-the-128-hours-your-dental-practice-is-closed","title":"The Best Way to Handle the 128 Hours Each Week Your Dental Practice is Closed.","date":"January 15, 2018","introText":"There are 168 hours in a week, and chances are, your dental practice is only available for 40 (or so) of those hours. That leaves 128 hours where patients aren’t able to talk with your trained front-desk staff members. \n\nHow do you deal with the calls that come in while your practice is closed? \n","mainContent":"
There are 168 hours in a week, and chances are, your dental practice is only available for 40 (or so) of those hours. That leaves 128 hours where patients aren’t able to talk with your trained front-desk staff members.
\n
How do you deal with the calls that come in while your practice is closed?
\n
If you’re like most practices, you probably do one of three things:
\n
\n
Let your callers leave a voicemail
\n
Send home a phone with a staff member
\n
Hire a third-party call center
\n
\n
Wondering how you can improve your after-hours method? Let’s take a look...\n
\n
Method #1 - “Please leave a message after the tone”
\n
Voicemail is traditionally the simplest and least expensive option up-front.
\n
However, since there’s no immediate action involved and patients can’t get an appointment scheduled, you’re likely losing business. Additionally, relying solely on voicemail requires your front desk to dedicate time to follow-up with patients, which can take multiple phone calls, especially if you’re limited to business hours.
\n
But don’t worry, if you want to rely on voicemail, there’s a better way!
\n
You can implement real-time online scheduling, and then direct prospective patients to your website from your voicemail message. From there, they can schedule their appointment on their time (whether that’s at 2 a.m. or 2 p.m.) and you don’t risk losing their business!
\n
Method #2 - The “on-call” staff member
\n
Some dentists want to offer a more personal touch for evening phone calls, so they pay a staff member to take a phone home and answer it. Some take it a step further and give the staff member remote access to the practice management system (PMS) in order to schedule appointments.
\n
Instead of simply taking a message, or allowing staff members to access your PMS from home (a privacy concern), you can utilize the LocalMed Call Center feature.
\n
If you have LocalMed, you have access to the call center feature! There’s no special setup required - you just click the tab called “Call Center” and you can book an appointment for the patient on the phone in real-time, without needing to access your PMS.\n
\n
Method #3 - Outsourced.
\n
Dentists that want to have that personal touch, but want to outsource after-hours tasks typically hire a call center.
\n
While call centers are great at providing a real person for your patients to talk with, if all they do is take a message, you’re essentially paying double.
\n
How? Well, the call center takes a message (that you’re paying for) but then your front desk (that you’re also paying for!) still has to call the patient back the following day (or week, depending on how hard it is to get in touch!). It can end up being a significant waste of investment if you’re not actively monitoring the ROI.
\n
Some call centers can actually schedule the appointments if the practice allows access to their PMS- which is a much better use of your investment. However, keep in mind that when you give the call center access to your PMS, you’re giving them access not only to your schedule, but to all of your sensitive patient records.
\n
There’s a better way to use your hired call center: have them schedule appointments using the “call center” feature included in your LocalMed service.
\n
If you’re paying for a call center to answer your phones after hours, allowing them to book patient appointments through LocalMed is the best way to optimize your investment, while limiting access to your patient data.
\n
LocalMed’s call center feature:
\n
\n
Requires no special setup or activation.
\n
Protects your sensitive patient data.
\n
Doesn’t require the call center to know how to use your PMS.
\n
Schedules a fully-booked appointment directly into your PMS.
\n
Maximizes your call center investment.
\n
\n
The best way to handle those 128 “after-hours”?
\n
If you want to grow your practice and maximize your profits, you can’t afford to lose 128 hours of opportunities every. single. week.
\n
There’s a lot of discussion on what the very best method is for answering phone calls after-hours - and to be honest, a lot of it depends on the practice. Test your options and track your ROI - you know your practice better than anyone!
\n
However, no matter which way you choose - LocalMed’s call center feature ensures you’re making the most of your investment.
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/37KHV4OGXSS4oA4U4oEIam/511d5bf2d2cc258e55fbfb5be761cd5c/128HoursPerWeek.jpg","blogImageTitle":"128HoursPerWeek"},{"id":"10KxeGi6X2CgMKwemm8uIi","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:31:32.874Z","slug":"localmed-and-the-dental-marketer-discuss-how-to-attract-new-patients-24-7","title":"LocalMed and the Dental Marketer Discuss How To Attract New Patients 24/7","date":"January 08, 2018","introText":"Looking for ways to attract new patients to your dental practice?\n\nKeith English, LocalMed CEO, talks with The Dental Marketer about how YOU can attract new patients 24/7 (even when you're not in the office)!","mainContent":"
Looking for ways to attract new patients to your dental practice?
\n
Our CEO, Keith English, had a chance to talk with with The Dental Marketer on his podcast, about how YOU can attract new patients 24/7 (even when you're not in the office)!
\n
They talked about...
\n
\n
What it took to build LocalMed 💻
\n
Fishing in the Caribbean 🐠
\n
How dentists can benefit from real-time online scheduling 📈
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1fGA0Sw3jawsWawU0wG0ES/887b75a0cc14a2f2a7bce2510faf7a7b/ScreenShot2018-01-04at3.37.35PM.png","blogImageTitle":"The Dental Marketer Podcast"},{"id":"4CsuXQIEMUSo6m2IGc6aoY","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T18:23:32.618Z","slug":"online-scheduling-has-a-bad-reputation-but-we-fixed-it","title":"Online Scheduling has a Bad Reputation - but We Fixed it.","date":"January 02, 2018","introText":"In the dental world, online scheduling has a terrible reputation. Tons of extra follow-up work, double- or even triple-booked appointments, inefficient scheduling workarounds and fake patient information among other things have marred dentist’s views on patients booking appointments online. ","mainContent":"
In the dental world, online scheduling has a terrible reputation. Tons of extra follow-up work, double- or even triple-booked appointments, inefficient scheduling workarounds and fake patient information among other things have marred dentist’s views on patients booking appointments online.
\n
It’s understandable - most dentists are wary of any sort of online scheduling system because they or someone they know have been burned in the past from issues caused by “online scheduling”.
\n
Here at LocalMed, we run into a lot of these objections day in and day out when we’re talking to dentists, office managers and other staff.
\n
We get it, 100%.
\n
But we also know that our platform is 100% different than all of the other ones on the market.
\n
We spent 3 years developing our platform to be a true online scheduling platform - one that works in the same way that booking a flight online or shopping online does.
\n
Our platform allows providers to maintain complete control of their schedules, while allowing patients to schedule a fully-booked appointment entirely online.
\n
\n
No manual follow-up work.
\n
No follow-up phone tag.
\n
No workarounds.
\n
No extra scheduling columns needed.
\n
No delay in reading your schedule.
\n
\n
Just a fully-booked appointment the second a patient confirms their appointment.
\n
How did we eliminate these concerns?
\n
Let’s talk about some of the most common ones...
\n
\n
1. Extra Work
\n
Most “online scheduling” platforms are simply appointment requests in disguise. That means there’s just as much work involved in scheduling an appointment as there would be if they called your office.
\n
In most cases, the time necessary to book these “online requests” is significantly more than normal appointments.
\n
That’s because once your front desk receives the request form, they need to reach out to the patient directly to schedule the appointment, which completely eliminates the point of online scheduling.
\n
Many times, the front desk needs to reach out multiple times in an attempt to reach the patient and schedule or reschedule their requested appointment time. Less than 85% of appointments requested actually make become booked appointments.
\n
LocalMed ensures that 100% of appointments scheduled online actually become booked appointments.
\n
Even better - you don’t need to do a single thing once a patient has scheduled an appointment through LocalMed.
With other systems, double-booking is a serious problem. Most are able to “read” a certain column in your schedule (that you have to set up just for the online scheduling platform) - but they don’t have the ability to read your schedule in real-time, up-to-the-second, and they definitely don’t have the ability to write the appointment back into your practice management system, saving the appointment for the online patient.
\n
Instead, the front desk gets an email that then needs to be put in as an appointment during business hours. This gap in systems results in a huge window of opportunity for double-booking.
Our platform reads appointments from any chair(s) you specify and then writes the appointment back into the practice management system, instantly.
\n
All of the information read and written is in real-time, just as if someone at your front desk was scheduling an appointment.
\n
\n
3. Fake Patients
\n
With many online “scheduling” systems, patients can put in any sort of information they want - a fake name, a birthday that makes them 200 years old, a fake phone number or email, etc.
\n
When your office tries to contact them to confirm their appointment, they prove impossible to track down, wasting valuable staff time.
\n
The LocalMed platform prevents this from happening through various forms of verification on all submitted contact information.
\n
Additionally, our product takes it one step further and uses contact information verification to prevent the same patient from mistakenly booking multiple appointments at once.
\n
\n
The LocalMed Difference
\n
LocalMed was founded and created in order to make scheduling a healthcare appointment easier for both the provider and patient. Through extensive research, years of development and successful deployment in dental offices across the country, we are confident that LocalMed Connect scheduling is what online scheduling should be.
\n
If you’re now reconsidering your opinion on online scheduling - give us a call today at (888) 203-7531. We’d be happy to walk you through our platform and answer any additional questions you might have!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"6QPbndgmOWME4wuWAsUgk8","updatedAt":"2017-11-09T15:26:17.550Z","category":"Dental Software","slug":"dental-software"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/20W5ZXIDju4uOOiM8koEow/4711e9ca2fc010415386ab31d93a0009/OnlineSchedulingHasaBadReputation-ButLocalMedFixedIt.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Online Scheduling Has a Bad Reputation - But LocalMed Fixed It"},{"id":"7sKlWaAhnUksw4Uy2wkkyc","updatedAt":"2017-12-19T16:37:36.956Z","slug":"highlights-a-sneak-peek-and-a-big-thank-you","title":"Highlights, a sneak peek and a big THANK YOU!","date":"December 19, 2017","introText":"It’s been an exciting year at LocalMed. \n\nOur goal has always been simple: improve the healthcare experience and make it easy for patients and providers to connect. ","mainContent":"
It’s been an exciting year at LocalMed.
\n
Our goal has always been simple: improve the healthcare experience and make it easy for patients and providers to connect.
\n
This year more than any other, we are seeing our vision catch on. Dentists are understanding that they can improve their marketing, and ultimately their bottom line, simply by providing a convenient way to for patients to schedule appointments 24/7.
\n
\n
2017 in Review
\n
Our development team has been tirelessly working to upgrade and add new features to LocalMed Connect, our core scheduling product. Here’s a few of the things we did in 2017:
Reviews product that enhances your online scheduling
\n
More practice management system integrations
\n
International compatibility - we’re now live in Canada, Australia, and Jamaica!
\n
\n
CORE PRODUCT UPGRADES:
\n
\n
Enhanced duplicate-checking
\n
Better source tracking analytics
\n
Increased call center functionality
\n
Updated widget functionality
\n
\n
\n
This year by the numbers:
\n
\n
🌟 1,218,723 patients have used the LocalMed platform
\n
✉️ 262,614 messages sent through Slack
\n
🏓 2834 games of ping pong played (approximately)
\n
👍 52 consultants recommending LocalMed
\n
🇺🇸 48 states represented (North and South Dakota, we’re waiting on you!)
\n
✅ 17 total LocalMed employees
\n
🌎 3 countries added
\n
🏢 2 offices - (Baton Rouge, LA and Schaumburg, IL)
\n
\n
\n
2018 Sneak Peek
\n
We’re constantly working to improve upon our core services and add new features - and take your feedback very seriously. We already have several things in the works for next year.
\n
UPCOMING IN 2018:
\n
\n
Even more practice management system integrations
\n
More partnerships with insurance and dental product companies
\n
A big announcement (or two) that will help even further streamline your office operations… stay tuned!
OUR CLIENTS. \nThe ones who joined us this year, and the ones who have been with us since the beginning. We’re grateful for the opportunity to help you grow your practice as we continue to grow and expand our product offerings.
\n
OUR PARTNERS. \nThe ones who are utilizing our product to the benefit of our clients and their patients. Thank you for your support.
\n
OUR SUPPORTERS. \nWithout you, we wouldn’t have gotten this far. Thank you for being passionate about our product and spreading the word.
\n
Thank you. Here’s to an even better 2018.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4q6LG1pU6A4emYSeyiQOeg/d1638f51ae90af0fdce4b58ab292c555/happyholidaysfromlocalmed.png","blogImageTitle":"Happy Holidays from LocalMed"},{"id":"1vAgaHDkhmWyIyOccymYea","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:28:59.011Z","slug":"implementing-localmed-real-time-scheduling-on-your-facebook-page","title":"Implementing LocalMed Real-Time Scheduling on Your Facebook Page","date":"November 28, 2017","introText":"When you join LocalMed, the possibilities for implementing real-time online scheduling across all of your practice marketing efforts are truly endless. You’ll be able to close the loop on your dental marketing funnel and grow your practice, effortlessly.","mainContent":"
When you join LocalMed, the possibilities for implementing real-time online scheduling across all of your practice marketing efforts are truly endless. You’ll be able to close the loop on your dental marketing funnel and grow your practice, effortlessly.
\n
Following the installation of LocalMed at your practice, our team generates several different widgets for your practice automatically: one for your website, one for Google My Business (Google Search) and one for Facebook.
\n
Once installed, the LocalMed widget will allow patients who find you on Facebook to schedule a fully-booked appointment right from your practice page. They can do this through a Call-to-Action (CTA) button located underneath your cover photo. You can even run a Facebook ad with your LocalMed widget as the CTA button!
\n
The “Book Now” Button
\n
Follow Facebook’s instructions for editing your CTA button. It should go something like this:
\n
Navigate to your practice’s Facebook page (make sure you have admin access), click your current CTA button, then select “Edit Button” from the drop-down menu.
\n
\n
\n
From there, select the “Book Now” button option under “Book Services”. When prompted to select a booking tool, select the “Link to Website” option.
\n
\n
In the URL field, simply copy and paste the widget link from your LocalMed email, save and voilà!
\n
Bonus Points: Facebook Ads
\n
Before you place your Facebook ad, email our customer support team (support@localmed.com) with the name of your campaign, and they’ll happily generate a custom widget code for your ad so you can track exactly how many appointments originate from that campaign.
\n
Once you have the code, choose the “Book Now” button for your ad and place the newly-generated widget link as the destination.
\n
\n
\n
Questions?
\n
Current customers can email support@localmed.com or call 888.203.7531 x2, and our team will be happy to assist.
\n
If you're interested in implementing real-time online scheduling on your Facebook page, our team would love to talk with you!
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"1S4NnqTB6cQ2AoUaGS6qyI","updatedAt":"2017-08-10T15:14:49.780Z","category":"How To...","slug":"how-to"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6CfT6XFjvGYUiQggsciQ4I/5b7ad27e6597135d0b73242ca2dac0e3/ImplementingRealTimeOnlineSchedulingonFacebook.png","blogImageTitle":"Implementing Real-Time Online Scheduling on Your Dental Practice Facebook"},{"id":"6x5Z7Zu6AMckMkgoeseqq0","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T18:18:10.871Z","slug":"how-to-create-your-own-dental-marketing-strategy-and-attract-new-patients","title":"How to Create Your Own Dental Marketing Strategy and Attract New Patients","date":"October 31, 2017","introText":"Is your dental practice growth stagnant, or worse, falling? Do you need to figure out how to attract new patients ASAP? Have you invested a lot into “some marketing stuff” but now you’re not seeing the expected flow of new patients?","mainContent":"
Is your dental practice growth stagnant, or worse, falling? Do you need to figure out how to attract new patients ASAP? Have you invested a lot into “some marketing stuff” but now you’re not seeing the expected flow of new patients?
\n
Either way, we’ll guide you through the steps to figure out a marketing strategy that will attract the new dental patients you’re looking for.
\n
\n
#1 - Start by evaluating
\n
What makes your dental practice different than the one down the street? Before you can successfully market to anyone, you need to know WHY they would want to choose you over a similar dental practice in the area.
\n
Knowing your unique service proposition is the first step in developing a solid marketing strategy for your dental practice.
\n
Think outside of your clinical expertise and dental terminology. Obviously, your level of experience is important, but the truth of the matter is, that’s not going to be what actually gets potential patients to schedule an appointment with you.
\n
Here’s some ideas to get you brainstorming:
\n
\n
Do you offer a extremely close family-centered atmosphere?
\n
TV’s or music in your chairs?
\n
Easy communication with the office?
\n
Painless techniques or sedation?
\n
\n
What does your dental practice offer that differentiates you from every other practice in your area? Think outside the box.
\n
\n
#2 - Identify your target audience
\n
What kind of dental patients are you looking to attract?
\n
Is there a certain insurance plan you’d prefer, or are you looking for more fee-for-service patients? What neighborhoods and areas of town do your potential patients live? What do they do for a living, and what is their family situation? Long-term patient, or one-hit-wonder patient?
\n
If you have multiple target audience segments, that’s perfectly ok! There is no right or wrong answer to who your target audience is. As long as enough people exist within your target audience to sustain your desired practice growth, you can make it work!
\n
\n
#3 - Craft your message
\n
Think about your unique service proposition (USP) and your target audience.
\n
What USP’s will resonate best with each audience segment? Craft a message and a call-to-action for each, ensuring that your marketing message is relevant and interesting to your target audience.
\n
For instance, you wouldn’t want to focus on how family-friendly your practice is for unmarried, young professionals. You’d want to focus on how convenient your hours are. If you’re targeting high-income households, your messaging doesn’t need to focus on how convenient your in-office payment plans are. Instead, you’d focus on the upscale features in your office, like the ability to watch a show of the patients’ choosing during their exam.
\n
\n
#4 - Choose your channels wisely
\n
With your target audience in mind, do some research and brainstorming on advertising channels. More than likely, different platforms and methods will work better on one audience than another, so you’ll need to spread out your efforts. Consider digital advertising like Facebook ads and Google AdWords, as well as traditional methods like direct mail and local community fairs.
\n
Additionally, don’t forget about free or low-cost channels like implementing good patient referral program, a review generation system, participating in local community groups on social media and partnering with other local businesses.
\n
\n
#5 - Make it easy for potential patients to convert
\n
As you begin investing time and effort into your dental marketing plan, make sure you’re making the most of every opportunity by enabling real-time online scheduling. That way, when patients find your practice through your amazing marketing efforts, they’ll be able to book an appointment instantly, 24/7.
\n
In doing so, you’ll convert more patients and increase the ROI of your marketing by removing the need to call your dental practice during office hours.
\n
LocalMed is the only provider of real-time online scheduling specifically for dentists. Schedule your FREE demo today and see how our platform works to close the loop on your marketing efforts and grow your practice!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5ojxRNhQEoOoWKi8KImIGg/fe21ab7eadf55983d6c6b534d5986f29/startbyevaluating.jpg","blogImageTitle":"startbyevaluating"},{"id":"4zxTHakouAaaAaaAoEUQWI","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:16:14.356Z","slug":"7-tips-for-successful-dental-marketing-on-facebook","title":"7 Tips for Successful Dental Marketing on Facebook","date":"October 24, 2017","introText":"If you’re looking for advice on growing and marketing your dental practice, you know that creating a Facebook business page is a common suggestion. ","mainContent":"
If you’re looking for advice on growing and marketing your dental practice, you know that creating a Facebook business page is a common suggestion.
\n
Why?
\n
It’s because Facebook has the most extensive audience of any social network: nearly 70% of the entire United States population has a Facebook account, and 76% of them are checking in daily (Pew Research).
\n
That’s an incredible amount of people you can potentially reach through the Facebook platform! That’s why it’s good advice to set up and leverage Facebook business page for your dental practice.
\n
Great! You made one. Now what?
\n
\n
#1 - Ensure your practice information is always correct.
\n
Make sure there’s no confusion for potential or returning patients. There’s nothing more frustrating than struggling to figure out what number to call or hours your practice is open.
\n
Make it easy for your patients - keep your “about” section updated at all times. Here’s a quick checklist of the information you should keep updated on Facebook:
\n
\n
Practice Address
\n
Phone Number
\n
Email Address
\n
Website
\n
Office Hours
\n
\n
#2 - Posts that actually engage.
\n
Too often, dental practices Facebook engagement suffers because their posts aren’t resonating with their audience. Figure out what demographic you want to target, and post things that will interest and engage them!
\n
Depending on your audience, You can ask a question. Post a funny meme. Share a link to a genuinely interesting article. Post a discounted offer every so often. Dress-up day in the office? Share a photo! Which brings us to the next point...
You don’t need to buy a thousand-dollar camera - you just need to be authentic. Stock photos aren’t going to cut it forever. At a minimum, take and post some pictures of the inside and outside of your office space, and make sure there’s at least one of you, the dentist!
\n
It’s okay to move beyond the stiff professionalism - this is social media! Patients want to know that their dental practice is made up of friendly people.
\n
If you want to step out of the box, you can take some photos of your staff members at their station (front office staff behind the counter, hygienist next to the patient chair…), or a staff photo on a fun theme or dress-up day.
\n
If you want to post pictures of happy patients, awesome! Just make sure to tread carefully, know what the HIPAA laws are and ensure that you have all the legal boxes checked.
\n
\n
#4 - Cost-effective advertising.
\n
If you’re looking to get new patients, Facebook Ads can be a cost-effective method of doing so. Once your page is developed and you’ve got some content, create some targeted ads for people in your area!
\n
Facebook has made it pretty simple for local businesses to reach their community, so take advantage! You can make your ads even more effective in bringing you new patients by allowing them to schedule directly from your Facebook page.
\n
\n
#5 - Make good use of your practice’s free wi-fi.
\n
To increase your practice’s visibility on Facebook, encourage your patients who are physically present in your office to check-in on Facebook. Facebook works like this: the more people share your practice page through checking-in, the more other people will see it. Simple, right?
\n
To make it easy for your office and your patients, you can implement Facebook Wi-Fi at your practice. To use your free wifi, patients don’t have to have a password; they just have to check-in on Facebook. It’s a win-win scenario all around.
\n
#6 - Reviews
\n
There’s three places most people are looking for reviews: Google, Yelp and Facebook. Consumers are choosing where to go based on these reviews, so if you’re truly looking to grow your practice, you need to start soliciting patient reviews on these platforms, including Facebook.
\n
Still hesitant? Consider this:
\n
\n
Star rating is the #1 factor used by consumers to judge a business (BrightLocal)
\n
92% of consumers read reviews (BrightLocal)
\n
80% of consumers trust reviews more than personal recommendations (BrightLocal)
\n
Having 50 or more reviews can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rate (Econsultancy)
\n
\n
Do you really want to miss out on the impact of this social proof?
\n
\n
#7 - Be open 24/7 with real-time online scheduling.
\n
If you are putting time and money into funneling potential patients to your Facebook page, you want to get as much return on investment as possible, right? That’s where LocalMed real-time online scheduling comes in - patients can schedule an appointment with your dental practice directly from your Facebook page (as well as your Google listing, our Insurance Partner listings, the Six Month Smiles directory, etc.).
\n
Consider this:
\n
\n
81% of patients would prefer to schedule their appointments online (Decipher Research / Intuit Health)
\n
77% of patients search online before booking an appointment (Pew Research)
\n
38% of all appointments are scheduled after hours or on weekends (Accenture 2013 Consumer Survey)
\n
\n
Closing the loop on Facebook and all of your other marketing channels can increase your ROI and ensure that you’re open for business whenever a new patient finds you, 24/7. Interested in learning more? Schedule your free demo today.
\n
And there you have it.
\n
Now you know why everyone recommends Facebook when you’re looking to grow your dental practice.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6r4psbx7i0YkMIOkW4aoCk/ee900c63b3890a3bb4c315f63bf36e8c/about-section.png","blogImageTitle":"facebook-about-section"},{"id":"3y2wjcZuzKEkAieWqcMEcK","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:13:02.200Z","slug":"planes-trains-and-dental-scheduling","title":"Planes, Trains, and Dental Scheduling","date":"October 12, 2017","introText":"Let’s all take a minute and think back to your last vacation. (Ready? Go!)","mainContent":"
Let’s all take a minute and think back to your last vacation. (Ready? Go!)
\n
Mine was a trip to Northern California that involved two flights and a rental car that my family drove from San Francisco to Yosemite to Redwoods and then all the way back down the coast.
\n
A few months before leaving, my dad and I had carefully planned out every aspect of that vacation beforehand. We had to plan:
\n
\n
Flights to take us from Chicago to San Francisco
\n
A rental car that was road trip worthy for five full-grown adults (plus luggage)
\n
Hotels along the way (with free breakfast, obviously)
\n
A rental cabin in Yosemite
\n
Scope out restaurants along the way that would accommodate varying dietary needs.
\n
\n
My dad found and scheduled flights that fit our itinerary online through Kayak. I reserved a rental SUV through Avis’ website. We did some googling and found a little cabin tucked away in the woods (with air conditioning!) for our stay in Yosemite and reserved it online. Then my dad booked our tried-and-true hotel brand along our route, online. We even found some restaurants that would satisfy both gluten-free and vegan needs, and I saved the links to order on my phone for easy ordering while we were there.
\n
I’m sure at this point, you’re wondering - why are you giving me a recount of your entire vacation planning process on a blog that exists to help dentists grow their practice?
\n
Answer: Because NOT ONCE during this process did my dad or I pick up a phone to call to book a hotel room. Or our flights. Or a cabin. Or our rental car. We even mapped out restaurants with online ordering!
\n
Maybe you’re not as anti-phone as my dad and I. But, I’d bet that at a minimum, you found and booked your flight for your last vacation online.
\n
So let me ask you this…
\n
If we’re booking all of this online, why are we still forced to call our dentists office to schedule an appointment?
\n
The benefits of enabling online scheduling at your dental practice are immense. When you consider that over 287 million people in the United States are active internet users (Statista) and that 77% of people search online before booking an appointment (Pew Research), you can see that we are talking about an incredible opportunity to reach people and grow your dental practice.
\n
Real-time, online scheduling from LocalMed allows potential patients to schedule an appointment with your dental practice wherever and whenever they come across your office online, just like they’re used to in every other industry.
\n
\n
LocalMed can increase your current web traffic-to-patient conversion rate by 35-70%, just by being available 24/7 in the places where patients are looking for a dentist. This means that you’re capitalizing on your marketing investments, and you can get more new patients without additional ad spend!
\n
There’s a reason other industries are doing it.
\n
And the reason is: IT WORKS.
\n
If you want to stay ahead of the curve and grow your dental practice, we’re happy to help! Reach out to our team today!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2ibj2KW2KgkWmKg0Y6S6M2/cbd59d7e9fea0e93c706236bb842466f/PlanesTrainsDentalScheduling2.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Planes, Trains, and Dental Practice Scheduling"},{"id":"6hamhQcRgsw4Mu8s4IESWy","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:20:40.284Z","slug":"dear-dentist-from-a-millennial","title":"Dear Dentist, From a Millennial","date":"October 03, 2017","introText":"A lot of businesses simply scratch their heads in confusion when it comes to Millennials, so I’m here today to let you in on three (not-so-secret) secrets that can help you attract Millennials to your dental practice.","mainContent":"
I’m one of the 75.4 million Millennials in the United States. Since we’re the largest living generation, I’m guessing you probably are trying to get me and my peers to become your patients (Pew Research).
\n
A lot of businesses simply scratch their heads in confusion when it comes to Millennials, so I’m here today to let you in on three (not-so-secret) secrets that can help you attract Millennials to your dental practice.
\n
\n
If you’re not online, you don’t exist.
\n
Truly.
\n
In my adult life, I have never gone to a healthcare provider that didn’t have an online profile and at least couple positive reviews. Seriously - never.
\n
And I’m not the only one - 97% of 18-34-year-olds read local business reviews, and 89% trust them (BrightLocal).
\n
So… if you’re not online, get online. Build a website, claim your Google My Business page, and check the directory listings on your in-network insurances and larger provider directories like HealthGrades. Your practice’s online presence doesn’t have to be perfect, but it’s got to be there for Millennials like me to even consider your practice.
\n
On a similar note, if you don’t currently ask for reviews, start! Google, Yelp and Facebook reviews are the most popular and will be worth the investment - having 50 or more reviews can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rate (Reevoo).
\n
\n
Convenience is everything.
\n
To be honest, I haven’t had a regular dentist (or any healthcare provider) since I moved out of my parent’s house almost a decade ago! Moving several times has certainly been a contributing factor, but no matter where I live, finding a convenient dental practice is always a challenge!
\n
These questions are always in the back of my head as I’m researching a provider in my area. Does your dental office have these things implemented?
\n
\n
Does the office has convenient hours, or are appointments always going to conflict with work or other responsibilities?
Is it easy to get in touch with the office, or do I have to deal with a never-ending phone tree, holds and voicemails?
\n
Can I pay my bill online, or do I have to dig out my one box of checks and run to the post office for stamps?
\n
\n
\n
Technology is crucial.
\n
Growing up, I remember checking in at the orthodontist and being in awe at the endless shelves of manila folders holding patient records behind the desk!
\n
Today, I would take that same office feature as a sign that offices have not fully-embraced the technology available to them.
\n
I prefer healthcare providers that are embracing technology, including advanced dental technology and up-to-date patient-facing technology like online scheduling and appointment reminders.
\n
This isn’t just my personal preference; it’s a generational value. When asked about different factors in choosing a dental office these were factors Millennials named as “very” important (Lincoln Financial Group):
\n
\n
55% - Use of advanced dental technology
\n
34% - Appointment reminders
\n
30% - Ability to book an appointment online
\n
\n
So, there you have it.
\n
Three “secrets” in attracting Millennials to your dental practice. Have an online presence so I can find you. Do your best to make seeking dental care with your practice convenient - real-time, online scheduling with LocalMed is a good first step! And finally, if you’ve got manila folders lying around, find a new system (or at least keep them out of sight!) :)
\n
Sincerely,
\n
A Millennial
\n\n
\n
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//downloads.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/13mV7PfZVSwwIwEOE4iKyA/c9dac2d5b24f61ac02705f77cd437a91/millennial-letter2.png","blogImageTitle":"millennial-letter2"},{"id":"5qomgc4FocaiUCCs8yQcYo","updatedAt":"2020-03-20T17:21:02.255Z","slug":"4-ways-to-exceed-patient-expectations-before-they-even-walk-in-the-door","title":"4 Ways to Exceed Patient Expectations Before They Even Walk in the Door","date":"September 11, 2017","introText":"When it comes to their dental care, your patients have options. Depending on your location, they might have a lot of options. ","mainContent":"
When it comes to their dental care, your patients have options. Depending on your location, they might have a lot of options.
\n
Case in point: I just moved to a new suburb and consequently, am in the market for a new dentist. Within 3 miles of my new place, Google Maps shows over 40 dental practices for me to choose from.
\n
How can your practice stand out in a (very!) crowded marketplace and win the battle for new patients?
\n
Ultimately, it comes down to how well you’re meeting and exceeding patient expectations. If you can do that, you’ll be well on your way to becoming the dentist of choice in your area.
\n
\n
#1 - Have an informative, modern web presence
\n
If your website feels outdated, your content is generic (think stock images of smiling dentists that aren’t you and bland blog posts stuffed with keywords) and your social media presence is non-existent (or worse, outdated!) you are not representing your practice in a way that will attract patients to choose you. Your web presence is your practice’s digital billboard - it needs to attract and inform to convert!
\n
A modern, mobile-friendly site design with easy navigation, paired with real photos of your office and a short hello from each of your staff members goes a long way. Drop the stiff professionalism and show your practice’s personality through a recorded office tour, a regularly updated blog with relevant and informative topics, and social media that actually engages your followers!
\n
It doesn’t take much to exceed your client’s expectations in the digital realm. Friendly and approachable beat stock photos and fancy welcome letters any day.
\n
\n
#2 - Availability is key
\n
If your dental practice has hours beyond the traditional 9-5, highlight that in every single avenue you use to market your practice. Patients who work similar hours might take off work to come in for an appointment, but others can’t or simply aren’t willing.
\n
If you aren’t highlighting your extended hours in all of your marketing channels (website, social media, print materials, etc.), you’re missing a valuable opportunity to exceed your patient's expectations. Don’t let your accessibility and dedication to working patients go unnoticed!
\n
\n
#3 - Be easy to communicate with
\n
For patients with questions, provide an email address next to your phone number in your online listings. Many times email is simply an easier channel to fit conversations into your patient’s day.
\n
Respond to all emails as soon as humanly possible, and don’t simply use it as a channel where you just direct people to call the office. Actually answer their questions through email.
\n
For patients who do call the office, ensure that the person charged with answering the phone is welcoming, friendly and does their absolute best not to put the patient on hold for more than a few seconds.
\n
When you respect your patient’s limited time and heed their communication preferences, you’ll quickly become their dental practice of choice.
Real-time, online scheduling from LocalMed will give your patients the instant results they’re looking for without needing to burden your staff with additional software training. When you implement LocalMed, your office will be available to patients looking to schedule an appointment, 24/7. It’s a win in your patient's book, and I’m betting that effortlessly filling empty chairs is a win in yours, too.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1UIhDzv6hGKuYmeoAAyCiw/bfc46e23c12b47f1b4376ffd5a9e7907/person-2385787_1920.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Exceeding Dental Patient Expectations"},{"id":"2HoK216ZkcKYy82KYmgUKM","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:55:18.653Z","slug":"what-patients-are-saying-about-scheduling-their-dental-appointment","title":"What Patients are Saying About Scheduling Their Dental Appointment","date":"September 05, 2017","introText":"We asked 3,124 patients who scheduled a dentist appointment through LocalMed one simple question: Why did you schedule online rather than call the practice? \n\nUnsurprisingly, they had a lot to say.","mainContent":"
We asked 3,124 patients who scheduled a dentist appointment through LocalMed one simple question: Why did you schedule online rather than call the practice?
\n
Unsurprisingly, they had a lot to say. Here’s their thoughts:
\n
\n
They’re just too busy to call your practice.
\n
“I am a second grade teacher - I am super busy on the weekdays. I had time to sit down and look at my schedule on the weekend.”
\n
“I am currently at work and cannot talk on the phone, so being able to schedule appointments, book reservations, order food online is always the most convenient route for me.”
\n
“I work in an open floor plan, so any calls I make can be heard by coworkers. Being able to schedule online lets me avoid announcing to everyone that I'm making a dental appointment.”
\n
\n
They tried to call and they ran into a problem.
\n
“No one picked up at any of the 3 numbers listed during the 2 separate times I tried.”
\n
“I have called 3 times and get voicemail. It's very frustrating.”
\n
“Called the office initially and was on hold for 10+ minutes, so I decided to cut the middleman and get right to business.”
\n
“I called the office earlier and waited on hold for a significant amount of time. After leaving a message, I haven't received a return call.”
\n
\n
By and large, they prefer to scheduling online.
\n
“I like to SEE other choices instead of having someone list them off to me on the phone.”
\n
“Booking an appointment online is successful. In the past, I have struggled with trying to connect with an office or playing phone tag.”
\n
“I could view the appointment book and choose my own appointment instead of having to try to verbally communicate my schedule to a person.”
\n
“I like being able to see all of the options and choose what best works for my schedule rather than trying to keep the dates/times in my head while talking to someone.”
\n
“Calling often included a wait time, I can be interrupted without issue when scheduling online, and it gives me the freedom to consult my personal calendar without wasting someone else's time.”
\n
“Simpler, easier, only takes a minute or so. Unlike calling the office which usually takes 5 minutes or more.”
\n
\n
…Especially the parents.
\n
“It's easier to schedule online with a toddler loudly singing along to the tv and feeding an upset newborn.”
\n
“It was easier, and kids are loud. :) I was sparing your ears!”
\n
“Easier - I have a child you insists on talking on phone when I'm on it.”
\n
\n
LocalMed makes the process easy and convenient
\n
“More convenient...Don't have to wait to speak with someone....fast and easy!👍”
\n
“I saw it was an option and it was really easy to use.”
\n
“Can easily see the appts available instead of the back and forth of 'Does this day work?... No, what about this day?'"
\n
“I can make an appointment anytime, anywhere. Easier than calling.”
\n
“It was so ridiculously easy. 100% awesome.”
\n
So, what are patients saying about YOUR scheduling?
\n
When you sign up for LocalMed’s real-time, online scheduling platform, you can rest assured that it’s a positive experience for your patients AND your front desk.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/668jYjJAjKQCQwC0maugs0/331178a6456b02fb38a3d6ef0bc2dd25/WhatPatientsAreSaying_copy.jpg","blogImageTitle":"What Patients Are Saying About Booking An Appointment"},{"id":"36cXigS3ReWY0WsUWeqkIC","updatedAt":"2020-04-06T17:35:35.440Z","slug":"wonderist-recommendation","title":"Wonderist recommendation","date":"August 24, 2017","introText":"\"The product is easy to use, doesn’t take away from the patient experience on a practice’s website and is just generally a great tool to get both current patients and new patients to make appointments.\" - Wonderist Dental Marketing","mainContent":"
Wonderist Dental Marketing recently posted an overview and their recommendation of LocalMed's real-time online scheduling for dental practices. You can read the full review here! Thanks for the kind words, Wonderist!
\n
\n
"We really enjoy the team at LocalMed and think they have a fantastic product on their hands! The product is easy to use, doesn’t take away from the patient experience on a practice’s website and is just generally a great tool to get both current patients and new patients to make appointments. Practices also have the option of adding a pop-up to the site letting patients know LocalMed is available to them. For an office looking to make appointments online, LocalMed is a great choice."
\n
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"exkceFIHzGWowoC6oIcCM","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:44:08.909Z","category":"LocalMed Success","slug":"testimonials"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/75XVEuWw5qaicOwkgYQCeQ/45c40d0b743f55951d333000b1417928/wonderist-agency-localmed.png","blogImageTitle":"Wonderist Agency - LocalMed Recommendation"},{"id":"5JTr7SoV56MmgCmwswAS4s","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:51:22.571Z","slug":"infographic-does-your-dental-practice-need-online-scheduling","title":"Infographic: Does YOUR Dental Practice Need Online Scheduling?","date":"August 22, 2017","introText":"Short answer: YES.","mainContent":"
\n
If you want to schedule a demo of LocalMed Connect, the only real-time, online appointment scheduling platform, our friendly team would be happy to help!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"6QPbndgmOWME4wuWAsUgk8","updatedAt":"2017-11-09T15:26:17.550Z","category":"Dental Software","slug":"dental-software"}]},{"id":"4BUrWge3cIyioeqSw266Gy","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:21:31.629Z","slug":"localmed-and-google-the-perfect-match","title":"LocalMed & Google: the Perfect Match","date":"August 17, 2017","introText":"LocalMed is excited to announce that our dental providers now have another opportunity to capture potential patients and grow their practice: Google’s search results!","mainContent":"
LocalMed is excited to announce that our dental providers now have another opportunity to capture potential patients and grow their practice: Google’s search results!
\n
77% of patients search online for a healthcare provider before they book an appointment (Pew Research). When you take the world’s largest search engine and combine it with the power of the only fully-integrated, real-time online scheduling platform on the market (that’s us, hi!) - your dental practice stands out among your competitors.
\n
Patients who search for your practice on Google will see an “appointments” link below your phone number on both search results and the expanded map results! When they click the link, patients can immediately book a confirmed appointment in real-time through your practice’s LocalMed widget. As always, our fully-integrated platform will add the patient’s appointment directly into your practice management system, no front desk follow-up required.
\n
Enabling LocalMed scheduling on Google is easy.
\n
If you’re a current LocalMed client, all you need is access to your practice’s verified Google My Business profile and a custom LocalMed link. Just shoot us an email at support@localmed.com and we’ll send you your specialized link.
\n
\n
Once you have your LocalMed link, all you'll need to do is:
\n\n
Sign in to Google My Business and select your location.
\n
Click into the URLs section
\n
In the “Appointment URL” field, paste your specialized LocalMed link
\n
Click “Apply”
\n\n
\n
Not yet using LocalMed?
\n
No problem - give us a call at (888) 203-7531 and we’ll be happy to show you how our real-time online scheduling platform can increase the ROI on all of your marketing efforts and ultimately grow your practice.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"},{"id":"1S4NnqTB6cQ2AoUaGS6qyI","updatedAt":"2017-08-10T15:14:49.780Z","category":"How To...","slug":"how-to"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6fHR2DNYBi600aq66IeGc6/ef6a3b5999e7e6093a9fc0aac01d6ee7/googlemybusiness-mockup-2_720.png","blogImageTitle":"Google and LocalMed, the perfect match."},{"id":"3YeV7zUn0cOAWUEKyKEmWO","updatedAt":"2020-03-20T17:07:17.161Z","slug":"11-ways-to-get-the-most-of-localmed-online-dental-scheduling","title":"11 ways to get the most out of LocalMed's online dental scheduling","date":"August 08, 2017","introText":"You’ve signed up for LocalMed, our team customized the platform specifically for your practice according to your scheduling rules, and have received the code for the website widget. Now you’re wondering… what now?","mainContent":"
You’ve signed up for LocalMed, our team customized the platform specifically for your practice according to your scheduling rules, and have received the code for the website widget. Now you’re wondering… what now?
\n
\n
1. Your Practice Website
\n
Before doing anything else, get the widget up on your site! Send the code to your website company and make sure it gets posted ASAP. Once the widget is up, patients can start booking directly from your site. We typically see a 35-70% increase in website conversions once you’ve added the scheduling widget.
\n
2. Update Your Accepted Insurance List
\n
Select the insurances you accept so that potential patients know what to expect when they walk in. You can also set up LocalMed to collect insurance information prior to the appointment.
\n
3. Link Your Patient Forms
\n
Link to your new patient forms on the LocalMed dashboard. When we send a confirmation email to the patient, we’ll include a link to your forms.
\n
4. Add to Your Google My Business Account
\n
Add your appointment link to your Google My Business page. Patients will be able to schedule an appointment with your practice directly from their Google Search.
Send an email blast to your existing patients and let them know that scheduling with your office just got more convenient!
\n
7. Update Your Voicemail Message
\n
Update your answering machine message and direct patients to schedule online when they can’t get a hold of you, during the day or after hours.
\n
8. Announce on Social Media
\n
Announce your 24/7 online scheduling capabilities on your social media feeds. If you have a blog or a newsletter, mention it there too!
\n
9. Update Your Advertisements
\n
Update your ad copy to capitalize on the convenience of scheduling instantly with your practice. You’ll help compel potential patients to immediate action around the clock. Remember to update any pay-per-click, social media and banner ads.
\n
10. Complete Your LocalMed Profile
\n
Upload your headshot, office photos and a short bio to your LocalMed profile. It gives off a professional image and allows you to show off your office personality to your potential new patients.
\n
11. Update Your Paper Touchpoints
\n
Mention your 24/7 online scheduling on all of your paper touchpoints. This includes practice brochures, business cards, checkout paperwork, your new patient packets and so on.
\n
At LocalMed, we’re excited to help you close the loop on your patient acquisition process! If you’d like to implement one of these suggestions but aren’t quite sure how to add something to your LocalMed dashboard, our friendly customer support team would be happy to assist. Just send an email to support@localmed.com.
\n
If you’re not taking advantage of the LocalMed real-time online scheduling system, we’d be happy to walk you through a demo and show you how we can help grow your practice.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"1S4NnqTB6cQ2AoUaGS6qyI","updatedAt":"2017-08-10T15:14:49.780Z","category":"How To...","slug":"how-to"}]},{"id":"1PKpMtGFuQQGcUw6qIgmSQ","updatedAt":"2020-04-06T17:38:31.660Z","slug":"localmed-and-six-month-smiles-launch-partnership","title":"LocalMed and Six Month Smiles Launch Partnership","date":"July 26, 2017","introText":"In an innovative joint effort, LocalMed has joined forces with Six Month Smiles to provide patients interested in Six Month Smiles® cosmetic braces the ability to schedule a consultation in real time from the company’s “Find a Dentist” search feature.","mainContent":"
In an innovative joint effort, LocalMed has joined forces with Six Month Smiles to provide patients interested in Six Month Smiles® cosmetic braces the ability to schedule a consultation in real time from the company’s “Find a Dentist” search feature.
\n
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Six Month Smiles to work with their doctors to offer the ability for patients to schedule an appointment online in real time,” said Keith English, LocalMed CEO. “Allowing patients the ability to schedule through LocalMed directly from the Six Month Smiles provider directory will bring more Six Month Smiles patients to their providers.”
\n
Each month, over 25,000 patients research Six Month Smiles® providers in their area at 6monthsmiles.com. For dental providers looking to increase their Six Month Smiles® consultations, enabling LocalMed’s online scheduling button on their Six Month Smile provider listing is an easy way to stand out from the crowd.
\n
Additionally, providers can place a LocalMed scheduling widget on their practice website, social media platforms and a variety of other partner sites, allowing both new and returning patients to book their appointments online.\n\n“With so many patients searching for a Six Month Smiles provider each month, the partnership with LocalMed really enhances our ‘Find A Dentist’ directory. This partnership will allow our providers to have consultations scheduled directly into their practice management software with minimal effort. In this way, patients can connect with their local dentist and begin treatment quickly," said Perry Lowe, Six Month Smiles CEO.
\n
About LocalMed:
\n
LocalMed provides the only real-time, online patient scheduling solution for dental practices. Its online patient scheduling platform, LocalMed Connect, is used by over 12,000 dentists across 48 states to schedule tens of thousands of new and returning patients each month.\n
\n
About Six Month Smiles:
\n
Six Months Smiles has systematized the orthodontic process and made it accessible for every general dentist, giving them the confidence and materials they need in order to provide Six Month Smiles treatment in their office. In doing so, Six Month Smiles is able to give patients who aren’t interested in traditional braces a solution, ultimately improving the lives of both patients and providers.
\n
For more information, contact Brittany Lutowsky at pr@localmed.com.
\n
Six Month Smile providers looking to take advantage of this partnership can schedule a demo today!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2EjvlNTPrO0E2u0Aa2iOI2/02d4a657b2d75d16693e245efb8e1e17/6_Month_Smiles_Header.png","blogImageTitle":"Six Month Smiles and LocalMed partnership widget screenshot"},{"id":"5AOMDTj7VeKgGUasiisMcu","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T20:12:40.669Z","slug":"is-your-dental-marketing-working","title":"Is Your Dental Marketing Working?","date":"July 13, 2017","introText":"Month after month, you’re spending your hard-earned money on marketing that is supposed to bring you a steady stream of new patients each month. Direct mail, pay-per-click advertising, search engine optimization, social media, marketing agencies… the list of marketing methods you’ve tried goes on. The future of your practice depends on these methods capturing the attention of potential patients.","mainContent":"
Month after month, you’re spending your hard-earned money on marketing that is supposed to bring you a steady stream of new patients each month. Direct mail, pay-per-click advertising, search engine optimization, social media, marketing agencies… and the list of marketing methods you’ve tried goes on. The future of your practice depends on these methods capturing the attention of potential patients.
\n
And yet - what percentage of your social media followers have scheduled an appointment with your office? How about those who’ve received a shiny (expensive) postcard with your office number on it? People who have found you organically on Google?
What if I told you that the lack of appointments coming directly from your marketing efforts has way less to do with the quality of your marketing and way more with the utter lack of convenience when it comes to actually scheduling an appointment?
\n
Picture this:
\n
Megan arrives home from work at 5:32 p.m. on Tuesday and before she walks inside, she checks her mailbox. She sorts through, sees your direct mail piece welcoming her to the neighborhood and inviting her to call your office for her next dental appointment.
\n
“Great”, thinks Megan, “I’ve been meaning to look for a new dentist but keep forgetting because I’ve been so busy! I’ll schedule right now”.
\n
Unfortunately, when Megan calls your office, she finds out that it’s only open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - which is the same hours she works. So she puts the postcard in her purse, with the intent to call tomorrow.
\n
From here, one of three things will probably happen:
\n\n
Megan gets wrapped up in work and forgets to call, postcard out of sight and out of mind.
\n
When she calls on her lunch break, she is put on hold for 6 minutes before giving up and hanging up.
\n
She takes a short break from her busy day to call, then proceeds to go back and forth with the receptionist for 7 minutes before finding a set of open appointment times for her and her 2 kids that she can “make work”. The day of their appointments, she no-shows because she forgot about an important meeting she had at that same time.
\n\n
Megan and her kids are so close to becoming new patients at your practice! But research backs this up as a fairly common scenario:
\n
\n
It takes an average of 8.1 minutes to schedule an appointment at an office via phone (Accenture 2013)
\n
63% of calls are placed on hold at least once (Accenture 2013)\nSo, how can you close the loop on acquiring potential patients like Megan and her family?
\n
\n
Easy! Implement online scheduling.
\n
I know, I know. I can hear your protests now… “I would never allow that! Patients scheduling themselves is a terrible idea… my entire schedule will get messed up!”
\n
Before you give up and stop reading, ask yourself the question: “If it were possible to implement online scheduling to capture patients like Megan and her family without losing control of my schedule, would I do it?”
\n
If your answer is yes, then keep reading.
\n
LocalMed Connect is the first and only real-time online scheduling platform that allows patients to find and schedule dental appointments online, 24/7.
\n
The software directly integrates with your practice management system and is completely customized with your offices’ specific scheduling rules. This means that all times are displayed accurately by appointment type and chair, there is no double-bookings and all appointments are written directly into your PMS without requiring any effort from your front office staff.
\n
\n
This is no different than what your front desk does when someone calls. They look at the schedule within the PMS, take into account all of the scheduling rules that the office has set up, and then tell the patient what their options are.
\n
With online scheduling, instead of telling them their options over the phone, you are simply giving patients the ability to schedule an appointment at your office at their convenience. This closes the loop on all of your current marketing investments and removes the barrier to entry for patients like Megan and her kids.
\n
LocalMed is a proven solution
\n
Over 12,000 dentists and counting have implemented LocalMed Connect real-time online scheduling to help them solve the same issues that you are experiencing and provide their new and existing patients the conveniences they are looking for in selecting a dental provider.
\n
Interested in hearing more about how LocalMed can help convert the leads your dental marketing is already bringing in? Contact us today to schedule for your FREE demo!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2ELy20xwCAwEKg44ySUyMq/8594903b6675c24484d557baf5989041/IsYourDentalMarketingWorking.png","blogImageTitle":"Is Your Dental Marketing Working"},{"id":"tRIH0deshiIiiy6Cwc2EQ","updatedAt":"2020-03-20T16:32:58.843Z","slug":"localmed-vs-solutionreach-limelight","title":"LocalMed vs. SolutionReach Limelight","date":"July 11, 2017","introText":"In 2012, LocalMed was founded in Baton Rouge intending to make scheduling appointments online easy for both patients and providers.\n\nSolutionReach is a suite of patient-relationship management software that was founded in 2000 under the name “Smile Reminder”.","mainContent":"
Introductions
\n
In 2012, LocalMed was founded in Baton Rouge intending to make scheduling appointments online easy for both patients and providers. Initially, industry experts didn’t believe it could be done, but today over 12,000 dentists offer the LocalMed Connect online scheduling platform to their new and existing patients.\n\nLocalMed is the only platform that integrates directly with dental practice management systems (PMS), allowing patients to find and schedule real-time appointments online for themselves and their dependents, 24/7.
\n
SolutionReach is a suite of patient-relationship management software that was founded in 2000 under the name “Smile Reminder”. In 2013, the Utah-based company changed their name to SolutionReach. Their scheduling solution, Limelight, is available as an add-on to their primary platform, SolutionReach.
\n
Features
\n
SolutionReach Limelight and LocalMed Connect have similar concepts:
\n
\n
Scheduling can be easily accessed through the provider’s website or social media platforms from any device.
\n
Allows patients to schedule an appointment at their convenience at a time that fits into their schedule.
\n
\n
However, the differences between LocalMed Connect and SolutionReach Limelight are clear.
\n
SolutionReach Limelight:
\n
\n
Provides notifications to office staff each time an appointment is requested so that staff can book the appointment in the practice PMS. The appointment is not automatically placed into the practice PMS
\n
Redirects patients to book on their webpage each time the scheduling link is clicked.
\n
\n
LocalMed Connect:
\n
\n
Instantly and accurately books appointments into the practice PMS.
\n
Provides a user-friendly widget allows patients to schedule directly within the browser window they clicked from. Providers have the ability to see statistics on where patients are booking from on the LocalMed Connect provider dashboard.
\n
Validates both email addresses and birthdates, ensuring that patients are filling out accurate information.
\n
Provides providers with the ability to select which insurance providers they accept, and also gives patients the ability to fill out their insurance information prior to their appointment.
\n
\n
Advantages and Disadvantages
\n
SolutionReach is focused on the overall patient-relationship management process and Limelight online scheduling is one add-on product to their SolutionReach suite that providers can select.
\n
LocalMed’s focus is on providing the very best online scheduling platform that is easy-to-use for for patients and providers alike. The platform, LocalMed Connect, is the only real-time appointment scheduling tool available within the dental marketplace. By closing the loop on the patient acquisition process, LocalMed helps dental practices capture patients they wouldn’t have otherwise.
\n
LocalMed’s scheduling widget can be placed anywhere a practice controls their web presence, including their website, Google, Facebook, Instagram and HealthGrades. This easy-to-use widget guides patients through the booking process and once completed, sends a confirmation email to the patient so they know they have actually been booked.\n
\n
Integration and Accuracy
\n
LocalMed Connect is completely integrated into the practice PMS, enabling appointment availability to be viewed online in real-time and then instantly written back into the practice PMS. This integration means that appointments can be booked accurately online without requiring any manual intervention from office staff, while also completely eliminating the risk of double-booking or being scheduled at the wrong times or in the wrong chairs. LocalMed Connect is the only software on the market that completely automates the online scheduling process.
\n
Pricing and Contracts
\n
SolutionReach requires a multi-year contract be signed in order to use their service; Limelight is add-on service to their base pricing. Limelight can not be used as a standalone without the core SolutionReach patient communication platform.
\n
LocalMed offers flexible, month-to-month contract terms allowing dentists to cancel at anytime.
\n
Conclusion
\n
For patients, LocalMed provides an easy-to-use scheduling widget and ensures that patients receive confirmation of their booked appointment. For providers, LocalMed Connect is clearly the best solution for providing an accurate, real-time online scheduling platform for dental offices. Dentists looking for ways to help grow their practice and provide the best possible customer experience can use LocalMed to ensure their office is providing the services today’s dental clients are looking for when choosing between offices.
\n
Interested in learning more about how LocalMed can grow your practice?
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"6QPbndgmOWME4wuWAsUgk8","updatedAt":"2017-11-09T15:26:17.550Z","category":"Dental Software","slug":"dental-software"}]},{"id":"2EFkAxzL8oW2UyeeWCgS0M","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:38:59.305Z","slug":"localmed-featured-in-dentistry-uncensored","title":"LocalMed Featured in Dentistry Uncensored With Howard Farran","date":"July 06, 2017","introText":"LocalMed CEO, Keith English, was recently featured in a Dentistry Uncensored podcast discussing LocalMed’s real-time dental scheduling software.","mainContent":"
LocalMed CEO, Keith English, was recently featured in a Dentistry Uncensored with Howard Farran podcast discussing LocalMed’s real-time dental scheduling software. Howard and Keith talk dental scheduling and reviews, gumbo, LocalMed’s real-time integration with dental patient management systems, and Keith’s celebrity look-alike.
\n
Interested in the podcast? You can watch the epsiode below.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3EzJ6MLsw0GEWkGaCQAIiY/ee5085572f0b83f773cd38b7142c2ec2/747THUMB_29139.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Dentistry Uncensored with Howard Farran #747"},{"id":"2CR1GUU8nuw0u0KIqgEI0u","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:47:41.034Z","slug":"localmed-talks-with-the-dental-marketing-guy","title":"LocalMed Talks With the Dental Marketing Guy","date":"July 26, 2016","introText":"LocalMed CEO, Keith English, recently had a hangout session with Justin Morgan – the Dental Marketing Guy . Keith had this to say about their chat: From the beginning of the interview it was apparent Justin was knowledgeable about the dental marketing industry. On top of that he was genuinely interested in what I had …","mainContent":"
LocalMed CEO, Keith English, recently had a hangout session with Justin Morgan – the Dental Marketing Guy. Keith had this to say about their chat:
\n
\n
From the beginning of the interview it was apparent Justin was knowledgeable about the dental marketing industry. On top of that he was genuinely interested in what I had to say and asked relevant questions to our product to ensure that those listening were getting new information and a good representation of what our product provides. A very professionally handled interview.
\n
\n
It’s always a great time when we get to discuss our product and share the benefits of the only true 24/7 real-time dental scheduling platform. We hope you'll watch the whole conversation below!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1x2TR8FCrmwIAUgwKYMWs2/758cd20b00bdd836ae13d43988d3a02e/DentalMarketingGuy.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Dental Marketing Guy"},{"id":"4dvTgKiaWAeKmUEuyskC8w","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:42:08.565Z","slug":"where-do-all-your-dental-website-visitors-go","title":"Where Do All Your Dental Website Visitors Go?","date":"May 11, 2016","introText":"When looking to determine the effectiveness for your website and web marketing the funnel starts at the number of visitors on a monthly basis. Most sites will place a call tracking number on your site so you can track the number of calls to your office from the traffic that is coming to your website. ","mainContent":"
When looking to determine the effectiveness for your website and web marketing, the funnel starts at the number of visitors on a monthly basis. Most sites will place a call tracking number on your site so you can track the number of calls to your office from the traffic that is coming to your website. But what happened to all the people that came to your site but end up doing nothing at all, and how can you get more of those people into your office?
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Some quick stats and definitions to give you an idea of some averages across a number of sites we have worked with:
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Average Bounce rate – 20-30%, this means that a visitor came to the site but did not interact with your page in any way or view another page other than the one they landed on
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Average call ratio – 7.5% – 12.5%, this means that % of people that come to your site that pick up the phone and call the practice
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Average Call to scheduled ratio – 8.5% – 11.5%, this means of the incoming calls generated by the website what percentage scheduled an appointment, inclusive of both new patients and existing patients
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On average between 65%-75% of the patients scheduled from inbound website generated calls will be new patients
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The word problem works out like this:
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If you have 1000 people visit your website on a monthly basis, 700-800 will interact with your website in some way, between 53 and 100 will call your office, and of those between 8 and 13 will schedule an appointment. To remove any doubt on these numbers lets add 50% to them to between 16 and 26 and take the median of 21 for the purposes of this analysis (and because you are better at this than most other offices), or 2.1%. (remember these are not total calls or total new patients to your office on a monthly basis, only those generated by your website).
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But what happened to the other 600+ people that never called your office but did interact with your site in some way? Why did they not get in touch with your office to schedule or at a minimum inquire about what ever drove them to your site in the first place?
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Multiple studies from Pew, Accenture, and Decipher show people hate calling medical and dental offices. Not just with your practice but any practice. It is a barrier to scheduling and one reason why people put off going to see any type of Dr. So people procrastinate, find any reason not to call, particularly those that have yet another barrier to calling, such as being at work, having children they need to look after, or anything that keeps them from calling from 9-5 on workdays. And then, in most cases, your office is closed and they can’t call and schedule even if they wanted to.
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A key to maximizing your website effectiveness is giving your potential new patients the most options to schedule with your practice. Most sites offer some kind of request, but ask your patients and staff about those—no one likes them and they are ineffective at getting people into your office. What patients want, and what offices need in order to maximize their online effectiveness, is a system that allows patients the ability to see open appointment times and select what best fits their schedule, in real time.
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About now, some people reading this article are saying “I would never allow that, patients scheduling themselves is a terrible idea”, save that thought for a moment and for the purposes of this simply ask yourself “If it were possible to do this without losing control of my schedule would it be beneficial to my practice”, if you answer yes, then keep reading.
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Over the past 2 years we have worked with a number of practices and gathered the data regarding the online scheduling habits of their visitors. We have seen conversion rates from 1.75% to 8.84% (yes, that is accurate) of the total number of visitors to a website to schedule online, with an average of 72% being new patients.
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For the purposes of this, lets say that 50% of the people that schedule online would have called your office anyway given no other choice of a way to schedule an appointment. Lets use an online scheduling conversion rate on the conservative side of 2.5%. Using the same numbers as before of 1000 visitors in a month that means that 25 people would utilize the online scheduling from your website and if we remove the 50% that would have called anyway (and already included in the 21 that would have scheduled had online scheduling not been available) that means having online scheduling and calls would generate 33 total scheduled patients a month with 8 of those 12 additionally scheduled appointments being from new patients (12 total patients * 72% new patient ratio), or more than 67% more new patients from your website with online scheduling and calling as options for scheduling. Your new chart looks like this:
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The number of patients scheduling from your total online efforts looks big, inclusive of calls and scheduling online, but we have many practices that see numbers 3 and 4 times this. Our single highest percentage scheduler saw 54 scheduled appointments online in April on 610 total website visitors, or 8.85%. Their numbers are obviously high but we have many practices in the 4%-8% range, or on 1000 visitors they would see 40-80 appointments scheduled. Our highest trafficked site sees an average of 22,000 unique visitors a month and schedules at an average of 2.9%. With the numbers above I have tried to be conservative to show the effect even those that are on the lower end of the conversion spectrum will see.
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Ok, so what does this mean to your practice revenue? The dental industry throws a lot of numbers around about the value of an average new patient in the first year. I have seen numbers between $500 – $1000 for the first year patient value depending practice specialty and geography. For this discussion lets use the middle of those two numbers for the first year value, $750. Using the numbers above providing multiple scheduling paths for patients that visit your website can generate $72,000 in the first year (8 additional new patients, 12 months, $750 per new patient)
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Now lets say that the no show rate on those patients is 20% and your net is 33% of billables. The math looks like:
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1st 12 months: $72,000 80% show up 33% net profit = $19,008 in bottom line profit
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Of course these numbers are averages across a variety of sites but regardless of what service or product generated $72,000 in billables and $19,008 in net profit in the first 12 months it would be beneficial to any practice. And if it cost less than $1000 per provider per year to make this happen it would be a no brainer. Feel free to plug in your own practice numbers for website traffic and new patient value to see the effect on your specific practice.
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It exists, it works, and you don’t lose control of any part of your schedule. But that is for another post.
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Interested in learning more about how LocalMed can help increase your website conversions?
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/24H9dgHkby6ImUICoCE2wQ/32567910d19cf933d9121f11c1f2e712/WebVisitors.png","blogImageTitle":"Dental Website Visitors Image"},{"id":"6CNr2auyYgIO8okemO2wgU","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:39:40.941Z","slug":"is-it-easy-for-patients-to-schedule-an-appointment-at-your-dental-office","title":"Is it Easy for Patients to Schedule an Appointment at Your Dental Office?","date":"December 07, 2015","introText":"Patients list convenience as the #1 factor in selecting a dental office.","mainContent":"
Patients list convenience as the #1 factor in selecting a dental office.
\n
When we were kids, and we wanted to find out what time the movie started that night, we called the theater and listened to a recording that ran through all the times for all the movies that were playing. You waited through all the selections and then heard about your movie. The movie you wanted was never the first one listed. And then when you found out that the movie you wanted to see was not even at that theater or that the times were not good for you, you started all over again because no one ever wrote them down to start with. That was terrible, but it was the only option. Now, no one would ever consider that to be a good option for finding the movie and time they want to see.
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As bad as it is, this is still what you are doing to your dental patients that call you.
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Does this conversation sound familiar?
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Patient – “I got your number off your website from your google ad and I want to come in next Tuesday about 11 a.m.”
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Office – “We don’t have anything Tuesday at 11 a.m., how about next Monday at 3 p.m., that is our first opening”
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Patient – “That doesn't work for me, how about next Wednesday morning†”
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Office – “I’m sorry, we don’t have anything then, how about next Thursday at 4 p.m.”
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Patient – “That doesn't work, I’ll call another office”
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This leads to lost opportunity and wasted marketing dollars. This potential patient wanted to schedule, but because they didn't know what you had available, they had no way of knowing your office had an opening that would work for them because they were having to scroll through openings, just like the 1980’s movie theater.
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LocalMed has worked for the past 3 years to perfect the online display of accurate, real-time openings so that your patients can find it easy and convenient to schedule an appointment with your practice. Extensive filters allow customization at each office to control appointment lengths, appointment types by chair, appointment types by provider, and many other filters. These filters ensure that your schedule is presented accurately to patients in real-time so they book a confirmed appointment at the right time, with the right provider, in the right chair.
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Providers all across the United States use the LocalMed platform to make scheduling more convenient for their potential and existing patients from their practice website.
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Schedule a demo today to learn more and see how LocalMed can make your practice more scheduling friendly and help fill those empty chairs.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4Jmhfyhp8smmg6yiiE6e2Q/2c384f03da60b1e53efc86651116ed88/localmed-widget-1138x493.jpg","blogImageTitle":"localmed-widget-1138x493"},{"id":"70pVrRSBd6cws08yQcaAEI","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:40:21.782Z","slug":"real-time-scheduling-from-your-facebook","title":" Real-Time Scheduling From Your Facebook Page","date":"June 08, 2015","introText":"LocalMed introduces the first real-time scheduling widget that is embedded directly into your Facebook page.","mainContent":"
You’ve probably run across a “Scheduling Appointment” tab on Facebook at some point. Most tabs look pretty similar but, until now, they were all just appointment request forms.
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LocalMed has introduced the first real-time scheduling widget that can be embedded directly into your Facebook page. Patients can now go from “liking” your page to booking a confirmed appointment. Check out the demo on our Facebook to see how it works.
\n
If you're interested in implementing real-time scheduling on your practices' facebook page, you can contact our sales team today!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1IIsxp0QDKYw8uEIwA0iQy/7ffe0f648057ed85c0ecce84e29e4c4a/Cremin-Heller-FB-1024x763.png","blogImageTitle":"Cremin-Heller-FB-1024x763"},{"id":"2S0IQ6GnYk8kEAa8UOeOWA","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T17:27:10.698Z","slug":"a-gap-in-the-dental-industry","title":"The Gap in the Dental Industry","date":"May 28, 2015","introText":"The thought of letting patients schedule their own appointments online can seem scary. While online scheduling is the norm for just about every other industry, dentistry seems to be an untouchable field. But why?","mainContent":"
The thought of letting patients schedule their own appointments online can seem scary. While online scheduling is the norm for just about every other industry, dentistry seems to be an untouchable field.
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But why? Why can we book a flight across the country online but patients still can’t schedule a routine cleaning?
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The answer, as you already know, is because it’s complicated. Dental scheduling involves a series of steps that differ for every practice that the front desk must be trained to handle.
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We recognized this gap in the dental industry and that's why we started LocalMed. LocalMed introduced the first platform that automates the online scheduling process, allowing patients to view real-time availabilities and book confirmed appointments online, 24/7.
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You’re in Control
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You maintain complete control over what you want patients to see. Just as your front desk staff currently schedules, LocalMed offers different time slots based on various appointment types. You select which appointment types you would like to make available online upon setup, we take care of the rest.
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The Widget
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Adding our “Schedule Now” widget to your website (and anywhere you own and control your web presence like Facebook, Yelp, etc) makes it easy for patients to view your providers, toggle between locations, compare availabilities and book confirmed appointments, 24/7. In addition, patients can schedule through our many partner sites and directories. The goal is to have our real-time scheduling capabilities everywhere patients search for providers.
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How Does it Work?
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LocalMed is already integrated with your practice management system; we are able to read, display and fill your availabilities in real time. This is not a request system. Once an appointment is booked online by a patient, it is automatically written into your schedule, just as if your trained front desk staff had scheduled it.
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We have spent extensive time working with patients and dentists to close this gap in the dental industry. We attribute much of our success to creating a truly-automated platform that closes the loop on the patient acquistion process, without the need to learn new software.
\n
Take an inside look at LocalMed's real-time online scheduling platform today!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"6QPbndgmOWME4wuWAsUgk8","updatedAt":"2017-11-09T15:26:17.550Z","category":"Dental Software","slug":"dental-software"}]},{"id":"4ZcanzmnyosMA2WCKAAmay","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:32:36.522Z","slug":"what-integration-with-your-practice-management-system-should-mean","title":"What Integration With Your Practice Management System Should Mean","date":"February 25, 2015","introText":"Many technology companies may claim “integration” with your practice management system (PMS), but in reality, very few are actually fully integrated.","mainContent":"
Many technology companies may claim “integration” with your practice management system (PMS), but in reality, very few are actually fully integrated.
\n
Instead, most of these “integrated” scheduling solutions only have the ability to read certain portions of data without true access or guaranteed accuracy. By reading some of your data, they can make it appear as though they’re pulling open appointment slots in real-time, but what they absolutely can’t do is write a “booked” appointment back into your PMS. The best that can be done without full integration with your PMS is send a notification to the front desk staff, who then need to manually input the appointment into the PMS.
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This becomes a problem when the appointment slot has been filled between the time the patient “schedules” online and when the front desk is able to actually write the appointment into the PMS. Then, a phone call must be made to contact the patient and reschedule the appointment. Additionally, if the scheduling system misses a portion of the data and displays times that are not actually open, a patient can potentially request an appointment slot that was never open in the first place.
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Essentially, these “integrated” systems that can only read data, not write it, are nothing more than a fancy request form.
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LocalMed took the time necessary to build a truly-integrated platform specifically for your PMS, allowing dental practices to leverage the efficiency of online scheduling without requiring additional staff time. Our software has full bi-directional data integration with practice management systems, allowing us to read the data from the schedule and then write data back into the system. This means that patients can view your real-time availabilities and book confirmed appointments, 24/7.
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Staff can rest easy knowing appointments are automatically booked directly into the system. Email notifications are sent to both your practice and the patient, but no further action is required. This helps your staff remain focused on the important tasks of your practice that can’t be automated by technology. Full integration removes the need for your staff to modify their internal processes, removing the need for more costly staff training.
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The importance of real-time data lies in the accuracy of information and limitation of errors. By using a direct connection into the system, we can view the data stored as it’s being stored and push the information back to our system quickly. This limits any time lapses between scheduling or other processes and keeps accuracy high.
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As a recap, by integrating directly into your PMS, LocalMed:
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Is fully automated, requiring no manual intervention
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Works within your existing scheduling processes
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Displays appointment availabilities in real-time
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Enables patients to book confirmed appointments
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Requires no additional staff training
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Interested in seeing how this real-time integration helps add new patients without adding complexity to your practices’ scheduling process?
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"6QPbndgmOWME4wuWAsUgk8","updatedAt":"2017-11-09T15:26:17.550Z","category":"Dental Software","slug":"dental-software"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/7yPLcSiM4oQs8icCI6M2qk/ef41008e9247bcf16a2455fd7607f72c/Integration_desktop-only-1138x493.png","blogImageTitle":"Integration desktop-only-1138x493"},{"id":"5HcyHzDJyEy2iK80I4meYU","updatedAt":"2017-07-12T17:57:45.422Z","slug":"why-is-online-scheduling-important-for-your-dental-office","title":"Why is online scheduling important for your dental office","date":"February 17, 2015","introText":"Patients today are looking for more visibility and options as related to their dental care.","mainContent":"
Patients today are looking for more visibility and options related to their dental care. Are these the first things that come to your mind when you read “online scheduling” for your office?
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Patients don’t know what they need
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Patients don’t know how to schedule
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Patients would never use it
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Patients wouldn't go somewhere else, they are loyal
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The schedule is way too complex for someone outside the office to figure out
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They were the first things that came to mind for the CEOs of the airline companies 15 years ago. But, when was the last time you called an airline to schedule a flight? How loyal are you to an airline carrier? Do you say, “I’m only going to fly Delta”? Or do you look at all the options and decide based on convenience, availability, and price? With quality of healthcare and dentistry at an all-time high, now busy consumers are choosing dentists based on the convenience offices provide.
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The tendency to see the hurdles instead of the opportunities is not unique to healthcare and dentistry. "Things are just fine the way they are" or "I have always done it this way" is no longer acceptable in the rapidly-changing, fast-paced world we now live in.
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Patients today are looking for more visibility and options in their health and dental care. For existing patients, scheduling them for an appointment six months in advance is great for your office, but it may not fit their schedule when the time comes. Then they must call your office and reschedule once they receive the reminder for their upcoming appointment. This causes two issues for your office:
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Someone has to take that phone call with you paying their wage and
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Now you have a hole in your schedule.
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New patients have more information available to them today than ever before. Not only can they be proactive about searching for information, but patients looking for a new dentist will be targeted through both online and offline methods to solicit their business. This gives the patient choices and in order to differentiate yourself you have to not only show your credentials and reviews, but you also have to make it convenient for the patient to schedule their appointment. Patients don’t always search for a provider during the 35 hours a week you are open and they aren’t likely to carry around your number with them until you can answer the phone. They will find the most convenient practice for them to schedule with.
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Does online scheduling mean that you have to convert all your scheduling to online only and fire your staff? Does it mean that you cannot have personal contact with your patients? No and no.
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What it means is that you can now offer a way for your patients to find and schedule an appointment that works for both your office and the patient. They can do this even when your staff is not available to answer the phone. It complements your existing scheduling practices, offering a cutting-edge solution, and shows you are working to provide the convenient services that your patients want and are used to in almost every other facet of life.
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Locating and taking advantage of opportunities to help your patients will give you the edge needed to stay ahead of your competition. Giving your patients the ability to schedule online with your practice will give your patients one more reason to keep choosing your practice for their dental care.
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Want to learn more about using online scheduling to grow your practice? Contact our sales team today to schedule a demo of LocalMed, the first and only real-time scheduling platform for dental practices.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}]},{"id":"4L2fhnnMqcCYS6ymA6o4ea","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:37:56.020Z","slug":"localmed-expanding-across-the-country","title":"LocalMed Expanding Across the Country","date":"July 19, 2017","introText":"View the map on our home page to see our expansion across the country. We have been working continuously to bring providers to every city and state. LocalMed’s goal is for everyone in the country to be able to book dental appointments online, anytime.","mainContent":"
View our provider map to see our expansion across the country. We have been working tirelessly to bring providers to every city and state. LocalMed’s goal is for everyone in the country to be able to book dental appointments online, anytime. The same way banks and airlines have standardized transactions, providing people with the convenience of booking and managing their appointments online is essential to bringing dentistry into the digital age.
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It hasn’t been without hurdles, but we have accomplished a great deal. One of the struggles we have faced is packaging an all-in-one solution for each dentist because it doesn’t exist. Every practice likes to operate with their own unique processes and has a different approach to their business.
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In order to cater to each practice on an individual level, we have built our online scheduling system to integrate with many different practice management systems as well as adapt to the unique structures of each practice. LocalMed Connect can handle booking to different chairs, various appointment types, and has customizable rules that can be modified at any time.
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The flexibility of our software has led to our expansion across 48 states and we would love it if you joined!
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If you would like to put your city on the map, please contact our friendly sales team!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2S97HDYQ7CMMOcG26KUuky/1b72bfcaf64224441cbeb322e87e4412/LocalMed-Map-July2017.png","blogImageTitle":"LocalMed provider map"},{"id":"4v5RflDlEA268mEiSi2WUW","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T18:18:47.312Z","slug":"localmed-taking-on-pediatric-dentistry","title":"LocalMed Taking on Pediatric Dentistry","date":"August 29, 2014","introText":"LocalMed has been working hand-in-hand with Baton Rouge Pediatric Dentist Group, [Associates in Pediatric Dentistry](http://www.aipdbr.com/) (AIPD) to offer our online scheduling services. We've launched our service on their website at [aipdbr.com](http://aipdbr.com/), making it possible for you to look at your dentists schedule and easily book a time that is convenient for you.","mainContent":"
LocalMed has been working hand-in-hand with Baton Rouge Pediatric Dentist Group, Associates in Pediatric Dentistry (AIPD) to offer our online scheduling services. We've launched our service on their website at aipdbr.com, making it possible for you to look at your dentists schedule and easily book a time that is convenient for you. From this widget, we have seen widespread usage from parents booking multiple appointments for their children.
\n
Finding the right dentist can be difficult, and booking several different appointments can be time-consuming. LocalMed gives you the ability to view and compare the appointments available so you can find the one that works for you. In addition to offering a convenient way to compare open appointments, LocalMed lets patients schedule online, anytime. LocalMed gives parents forget or don’t have time to schedule appointments during business hours the ability to schedule 24/7.\n\nIf you have kids, you understand the difficult nature of maintaining multiple schedules and appointments. LocalMed has created a management tool for you to keep track of all past and upcoming appointments, syncing with the pediatric dentist’s schedule to ensure accurate information.
\n
If your dentist is not on LocalMed, let us know and we can work with them to offer this same convenience to you.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1o841s7bCQSO60uU6IgsQ2/99eb0bb4095713cdf14971e795e877a5/AIPD-logo.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Associates in Pediatric Dentistry - LocalMed"},{"id":"E2qytGwkvIQUY02E4YcuQ","updatedAt":"2019-10-18T21:29:17.656Z","slug":"what-is-localmed","title":"What is LocalMed?","date":"July 24, 2017","introText":"LocalMed is a software company dedicated to building innovative and industry-leading solutions for dental practices.","mainContent":"
LocalMed is a software company dedicated to building innovative and industry-leading solutions for dental practices.
\n
Our first product, LocalMed Connect, was launched in May 2014 after several years of extensive research and development. We sat in many dental offices, asking question after question after question, and then rolled-out our solution to 100 offices for beta testing, all before officially launching in May 2014. This intensive development process was necessary to ensure that our online scheduling solution was not only easy for patients to use, but extremely simple for dental practices to implement.
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As a result of this persistence and dedication, LocalMed Connect is the first and only true real-time online scheduling platform in the dental marketplace. It is fully integrated with your practice management system, meaning that once an appointment is booked online by a patient, it’s immediately written into your PMS, ensuring that appointments are never double-booked.
\n
Today, LocalMed Connect is used by over 1,700 dentists in 48 states, and since implementation 110,000 appointments (and counting) have been booked through our platform.
\n
Our dedication to excellence has been featured in many publications, including DentistryIQ, ValuePenguin, and Dentistry Uncensored with Howard Farran. The success of our product has led us to form innovative partnerships with several insurance companies, directory websites and products that give dental practices additional avenues to acquire patients.
\n
In coming months, LocalMed looks forward to leveraging the power and success of our exclusive real-time scheduling platform to create other innovative products for the healthcare sector.
\n
To learn how you can take advantage of the LocalMed Connect platform, schedule your FREE demo today!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"12pXeopOs4oSMqyCIicay6","updatedAt":"2016-09-02T19:36:23.617Z","category":"Dental Marketing","slug":"dental-marketing"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3igU1ebSe4aKmGiqqiuE0k/473919cf8f360ff3cc2c4bbdffab33a1/LocalMed-mockup.png","blogImageTitle":"LocalMed Online Scheduling Dental Platform"},{"id":"3nG9ZC83fWaKoekwSso2cC","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:48:05.708Z","slug":"how-dr-griffon-uses-localmed","title":"How Dr. Griffon Uses LocalMed","date":"July 16, 2014","introText":"One of the early LocalMed users, Dr. Ashley Griffon, is a big fan of what the service has done for her practice.","mainContent":"
One of the earliest LocalMed users, Dr. Ashley Griffon, is a big fan of what the service has done for her practice.
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Dr. Griffon purchased her practice in 2012 after working in a family-oriented practice outside of Baton Rouge for several years. Continually seeking ways to improve the performance of her practice and drive in new patients, Dr. Griffon contacted LocalMed after hearing about the company in a local publication.
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In early 2014, Dr. Griffon had LocalMed installed on her back-office computer. The process involved downloading an application directly from LocalMed.com and installing it on her computer. Once installed, LocalMed’s software connected to her practice management system, EagleSoft Version 16, and immediately started reading the schedule and available appointments. Dr. Griffon then configured the LocalMed system to only pull new patients consultations and dental hygiene appointments to book her 3rd operatory only.
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Once LocalMed was installed on Dr. Giffon’s system, her provider profile was activated and a widget installed on her website. It only took a few days for her patients to start booking on LocalMed, and it has become a benefit to her practice in a few different ways:
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She received several new patients the first month in use
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Her existing patients were able to book standard appointments without having to call the office
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Her existing patients were also able to compare available appointments after hours, then call into the office with a specific appointment time in mind.
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Dr. Griffon has been very pleased with the LocalMed service as it continues to increase the efficiency and bring in new patients. A quote directly from Dr. Ashley Griffon:
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I can’t say enough great things about LocalMed. It attracts new patients to my practice through both localmed.com and my own website. We started having new patients on our schedule within a few days of the program installation. I love the fact that patients can schedule directly through my existing website. LocalMed even provides both internal and external marketing to new and existing patients. LocalMed makes scheduling convenient for my existing patients. They don’t have to create accounts or remember usernames and passwords, which makes people so much more likely to take advantage of this great service.
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It even reduces after hours emergency calls because patients can schedule appointments after hours for first thing the next morning. LocalMed is very user friendly and their team bent over backwards to help my staff and I integrate the system into my practice. They are continually working on new facets of the system to work dynamically with the individual needs of my practice. This is a wonderful service that I would definitely recommend to my colleagues.
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Interested in learning more about how LocalMed can help grow your practice?
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"exkceFIHzGWowoC6oIcCM","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:44:08.909Z","category":"LocalMed Success","slug":"testimonials"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1PqB1SOBmou4EK46ogMqui/1dd4a2c8a7f4c3fe83f159bcf5856a49/us_1427211556_medium.jpg","blogImageTitle":"How Dr. Griffon uses LocalMed"},{"id":"6sOIaKfOyAkE4swUKU646o","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:48:51.735Z","slug":"interview-with-louisiana-business-and-industry-show","title":"Interview With Louisiana Business & Industry Show","date":"July 07, 2014","introText":"Our CEO, Keith was recently interviewed by Tim Johnson on the Louisiana Business & Industry Show. They discussed a range of topics about LocalMed and Keith himself.","mainContent":"
Our CEO, Keith was recently interviewed by Tim Johnson on the Louisiana Business & Industry Show. They discussed a range of topics about LocalMed and Keith himself.
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Tim: Tell us about your background. Keith: I originally lived in Pensacola, Florida until I was introduced to some folks here in Baton Rouge who had an idea that I thought had some merit. It fit well with my background, which is in technology. Previous businesses that I’ve started have been wrapped around connecting consumers with those who service those consumers (lead generation). So this particular product fit in nicely with that.
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T: Tell us what is LocalMed? K: What we have done is create the first platform that connects across multiple practice management systems at doctor and dentist’s offices. You can actually see and schedule appointments instead of having to call during business hours and negotiate with the front desk to find the time that works for you.
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T: So basically it is online technology? A consumer or patient can go online and it actually goes into the database of the doctors and pulls out the information graphically what appointments are available and allows you to schedule that way? K: Exactly. Some companies have tried to do something similar in the past but what they have done doesn’t connect to the existing software. One of the big things we’re trying to accomplish is to not introduce any additional complexity into an already complex situation at the office. By connecting to the existing systems, it doesn’t require the dentist learn any new software or additional training to keep up with new things. By connecting directly it provides the best service of both for the patient and the doctor or dentist’s office.
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T: You mentioned practice management system. Each doctor has their own different software system to operate their office scheduling their appointments and the different things they do? And your interface has the ability to talk to all these different systems? K: We are working on that right now. The reason we are working (mostly) with Dentistry is there are 6-7 systems that cover the vast majority of dentists. Whereas when you get into the different medicals fields you get into 600-700. We chose to focus on dentistry because realistically the crux of our technology is that connection. The fewer systems we connect to, that cover the largest number of individual practitioners, gives us the largest client base.
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T: The dental industry was the lowest hanging fruit? K: Absolutely
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T: How was this idea born? Great technologies companies start with an idea. I assume it dates back to someone’s frustration of calling a doctor’s or dentist office and punching in 5-6 different numbers in the prompt before actually talk to someone to scheduling an appointment. K: Some gentleman here locally, LSU alum, came up with the idea. One of them had a health issue and had some difficulties keeping up with their appointments; that was kind of the genesis.
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“There has got to be a better way to do this. How can we organize this better? How can we make this easier on my life since I’m focused on my health and not chasing these people down?”
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It kind of mushroomed from there. So we sat around brainstormed, saying, “If you could do this would it improve the process? If you could do that would it improve the process?” Sometimes it went off on wild tangents and we would have to bring ourselves back. What it boiled down to was that original vision of making a situation that is not much fun, which is chasing down a doctor or dentist, and trying to compress that into as short a period of time as possible. You’re trying to do something that you don’t really want to do in the first place (going to see the Doctor or Dentist) and it takes 15 or 20 minutes to do that. We’ve got that down to less than 30 seconds.
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T: Wow, that’s incredible. I’d love to see a demonstration of the technology at some point. T: So as I understand it now, the original guys that came up with the idea and brought you in to help bring the company to the next level and manage it as chief executive office. They got their start in the LSU incubator? Charlie D’agostino was the guy who called us up and said, “Hey you really need to take a look at these guys and have them on your show.” Tell us about that process: K: Charlie has been very helpful during that process but also ongoing. As you mentioned he called you and said, “Hey you should talk to these guys.” I would highly recommend those that have access to the (LBTC) should take advantage of that resource. It’s not something that you should miss and does provide value.
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T: It is something you should take advantage of. Charlies been on the radio show and we are going to try and have him on the TV show sometime soon. Let me tell you something, there is a not a more passionate guy about startup business in the whole state of Louisiana or maybe even the United States as Charlie D’agostino. He’s a great representative of LSU as well
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T: If I’m a patient out there, and I want to schedule an appointment, how do I go about doing that? K: You go to localmed.com. It will automatically populate your location and once you put in the type of practitioner, select your insurance because we know that’s a critical factor in deciding who to see, and from there it does a search and returns the results that are most accurate for your situation. You can then browse histories of practitioners, their backgrounds, their associations, their accreditations, and basically get a feel for the actual practitioner.
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T: So it’s not just a going to schedule the appointment. You can get a lot more information from the system as well? K: Exactly. You want to be comfortable with who you are going to see. Many folks are looking for new practitioners, they aren’t here locally, or they aren’t happy with their dentists so they want another one. We try to give them the information to make an informed decision. Once they select a practitioner, they can select a time. One of the other beauties of the system is it does allow you to see all of their opening. So it’s not a situation like:
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“Come in at 9.” “No, that doesn’t work for me.” “How about 10?” “No.” “How about Thursday at 4?”
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And so forth. You see it all in front of you and make a decision then. You have a lot of information associated with a practitioner. It’s also a brief process of giving your DOB and things of that nature so there are some identifying factors.
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T: What was your first experience like at Alex Box stadium? K: It was on a Wednesday night game and there were 4,000-5,000 folks at a non-conference game. Whereas when I played, if the girlfriends and the parents showed up, there were 50 people in the stands. It’s a little bit different experience but it’s certainly easy to why they are able to recruit the way they are. If you get to play in front of those people all the time, it’s an excellent tool for getting people here.
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T: Why specifically Baton Rouge? K: The other kids that were involved came out of LSU, and we initially looked at other locations. We have a gentleman named Marty Chabert, who was one of the original guys inloved. He introduced us to Stephen Moret and Steven told us about the things the state had to offer. After several conversations, we decided what they were offering us made sense, along with the support that they have through the LED, Fast Start, and things of that nature. It seemed this gave us a good opportunity for success.
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T: What has been your adjustment of the (Baton Rouge) culture? K: Other than the vast quantity of purple and gold and a lot of words I can’t speak, the people have been exceedingly friendly. They have welcomed us, we have great neighbors. My wife and son are here about 95% of the time, so we basically have relocated here. It has worked out very well. The one thing you mentioned a minute ago was about Steven Moret being instrumental in driving people here. The culture feeds off itself. The more technology you have, the more you get used to it. The easier it is to use, the more people that develop that in this area. One of the things they pitched to us was that LSU has so many folks coming out that wanted to stay in the area but didn’t have ability to do so because they couldn’t find work, which is why they put that program together. Most of the folks that work for us went to LSU and a lot of our developers are from there, which is something we have been able to use to our advantage.
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T: How has this healthcare appointment scheduling made an integral part of the overall healthcare system? K: The biggest thing it driving is patient convenience. This is something in all other walks of life you take advantage of. Travel for example; you don’t call the airline anymore. You go online and find the best deals. It is the same with Hotels and Banking. Healthcare is the last bastion that’s held out. There are some security reasons and the HIPAA act, but it’s also very complex. The thing we’re trying to solve is to bring the conveniences that you are used to, and integrate that as part of your life (in the Health Care system). The easier we make this process, we’re finding that people go (to appointments) more often as well. That’s one of the barriers to entry, as to the entire system, is the frustration of finding someone in the first place.
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T: How are you connecting providers and patients? K: The connection goes back to the way we’re building the system. The more information we’re able to provide about the providers themselves, the better off and the more informed patients are while being more comfortable about the process.
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T: How are you reaching providers and patients? K: We’re reaching them with a variety of methods, such online search marketing (Google and search engines), but also things like the business report and the Louisiana Business and Industry show. The reason we are sitting here is to get the word out about those types of things. This reaches both sides of the equation and we need both of those to be successful. If we have a bunch of providers and no patients, that doesn’t do us any good. If patents can’t find providers, that doesn’t do us any good either. We’re trying to go with patients that are already incorporating (technology) into their life; we want to be in the middle of that.
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One of the big companies we are working with is called United Concordia. They are the 4th largest dental insurance company. By working with the insurance companies, we are reaching out to the providers with relationships they already trust. United Concordia has 7 million patients they provide insurance for. Getting in situations where they have already validated our software, says “We trust these folks to make these kinds of software connections for you.” That validates the whole process by eliminating legitimacy questions because it is something new that you haven’t been able to do before.
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T: What’s in the future? K: We initially focused on dental because the practice management systems. Within the next 18 months we will be rolling out into a variety of different medical fields from vision to chiropractic to dermatology, and those types of things.
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T: How do we get more information? K: Go to our website, www.localmed.com
\n
If you're interested in learning more about LocalMed's online scheduling platform, contact our friendly sales team today!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4EcpAVs20Macqk2i0Qcyu0/f2be7dad3594f425aed4670c9b7be042/louisiana-business-industry-show.jpg","blogImageTitle":"Louisiana Business and Industry Show"},{"id":"2Dc4RvN5YME2SKgS04iIqS","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:49:55.339Z","slug":"how-to-pick-the-right-dentist-for-you","title":"How To Pick the Right Dentist for You","date":"July 04, 2014","introText":"Selecting a new dentist is a difficult task for many people. We can help.","mainContent":"
Selecting a new dentist is a difficult task for many people. Due to the sensitive nature of someone working on your mouth, it’s often best to ask for referrals from family, friends or coworkers. If you’re new to town, don’t have family and friends in town, commute long distance or work remote, you may not have a trusted local network to ask. If you’re like most people, you’ll probably turn to finding a dentist through an online search.
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Before choosing, you’ll want to compare and narrow down your options. Be sure to consider:
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Proximity – How close is the dental office is to your home or workplace?
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Specialty – If you need a specific type of dental work, like implants, dentures or cosmetic dentistry, be sure to check that your selected dentist can provide the service.
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Availability – Is their schedule easily available online for you to find and book an appointment time that works best with your schedule?
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Insurance – If you have insurance, is the dentist in-network?
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Technology – Does the office make it easy for you to communicate with them, provide appointment reminders, pay your bills and schedule at your convenience, online?
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If you’re looking for a good starting place, we can help! LocalMed provides a search feature where you can find and book a confirmed appointment with a dentist near you at your convenience. Start your search here at localmed.com.
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LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"2JOSCtJhxCwau8ig240sIQ","updatedAt":"2017-07-20T18:17:04.867Z","category":"For Patients","slug":"for-patients"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2WkG2qbQaIuYcUOkSa8UwC/de245bda6f71df8d72216a6f0d6de261/daniel-frank-201417.jpg","blogImageTitle":"How to pick the right dentist for you"},{"id":"29kaMEMUla0EgOmAqOM46A","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T15:36:26.258Z","slug":"localmed-in-the-business-report","title":"LocalMed in the Business Report","date":"June 27, 2014","introText":"LocalMed was recently profiled in the Baton Rouge Business Report as a company on the rise by reporter, Meredith Whitten. “Juggling constantly changing work, family and social calendars can make the task of scheduling a dental appointment quite challenging for even the most organized among us.LocalMed wants to change that. ","mainContent":"
LocalMed was recently profiled in the Baton Rouge Business Report as a company on the rise by reporter, Meredith Whitten. “Juggling constantly changing work, family and social calendars can make the task of scheduling a dental appointment quite challenging for even the most organized among us.LocalMed wants to change that.
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Based in Baton Rouge, the software development company that got its start in the LSU Student Incubator has built an online, live-scheduling platform that gives patients the ability to find dentists and book appointments 24/7.
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Keith English, LocalMed’s CEO, says this benefits both patients and providers.
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“From the patient’s side of the equation, LocalMed gives you the ability to choose an appointment that fits in with the rest of your life. A patient can connect and schedule with their existing dentist or, if they don’t have a dentist, locate and schedule with a dentist of their choosing,” he says. “For providers, LocalMed allows patients to find a dentist’s profile and book appointments 24 hours a day instead of just during office hours. Providers can use their existing marketing efforts to drive new patients to their practice at any time of the day.”
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Unlike other online scheduling services, LocalMed’s platform offers real-time scheduling by connecting directly to a practice’s existing management system, meaning the patient sees the same calendar that the practice sees, so the appointment is set as soon as the patient clicks “schedule appointment.”
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As such, LocalMed eliminates lag time and removes the potential for errors, such as double-booking.
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Dr. Robert Delarosa, a pediatric dentist who has worked in the Baton Rouge area since 1985, says LocalMed offers “all kinds of positives” to his patients.
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“The biggest benefit it has for patients is it gives them the freedom to schedule appointments when it’s most convenient for them,” he says. 'They can do it after-hours, after the kids are asleep, when they have more time and can look at everyone’s schedule.'”
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5ggNvozFXaWQKOWagK0mI2/f4aa9ff25d4851d7b260fd814c48375e/Screen-Shot-2014-07-21-at-12.45.27-PM.png","blogImageTitle":"Keith"},{"id":"5BSoEofdJei88UMeSc8g2E","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:50:52.504Z","slug":"find-a-dentist-and-schedule-online","title":"Find a Dentist and Schedule Online","date":"June 10, 2014","introText":"Finding a dentist in Baton Rouge can be a challenge, especially if you’re on a tight schedule. Recognizing that challenge, LocalMed has launched our directory listing, giving you the ability to find doctors and compare open appointments that work for you.","mainContent":"
Finding a dentist with availability that aligns with yours can be a challenge. Recognizing that, LocalMed launched a directory listing, giving you the ability to find doctors and compare open appointments that work for you. Not only can you view availabilities, but you can actually schedule a confirmed appointment online, 24/7.
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Our platform allows you to select whether you are a new or returning patient along with the reason for your visit. You will then be shown available appointments for that dentist, giving you the ability to schedule the slot that works best for you. We're continually bringing on new providers, but if your preferred dentist isn't one of them, you can refer them!
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We'd also suggest you create a profile on our system so you can track your appointments and modify your preferred reminders once you find the dentist that’s right for you.
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"2JOSCtJhxCwau8ig240sIQ","updatedAt":"2017-07-20T18:17:04.867Z","category":"For Patients","slug":"for-patients"}],"blogImage":"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/20o0vlliCcsiws4Ws8oAQ6/6880f804a4c0cfd3b0d8567e47ad3413/ScheduleFlow.png","blogImageTitle":"LocalMed Platform"},{"id":"4GdvqUvxZK0UoEGCUcMke2","updatedAt":"2020-03-19T16:38:34.235Z","slug":"localmed-live-in-baton-rouge","title":"LocalMed Live in Baton Rouge","date":"June 06, 2014","introText":"Online dental scheduling is now available in Baton Rouge thanks to LocalMed. You can now find and schedule an appointment by going to LocalMed.com. Our scheduling application allows you to locate Dentists in Baton Rouge and narrow your search results by insurance, gender, or specialty. ","mainContent":"
Online dental scheduling is now available in Baton Rouge thanks to LocalMed. You can now find and schedule an appointment by going to LocalMed.com. Our scheduling application allows you to locate Dentists in Baton Rouge and narrow your search results by insurance, gender, or specialty. LocalMed lets you compare all availabilities in order to schedule the appointment time most convenient for you.
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By offering 24/7 access, LocalMed makes it easy to schedule an appointment on your time. Once you select a reason for your visit, only the time slots applicable to that appointment type show up. All of the dentist’s time slots are matched to the appropriate appointment type so you know you are booking the right appointment.
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LocalMed also allows you to manage all of your appointments for you and your family members in one place. Creating a LocalMed profile lets you view your appointment history and see the dentists you have scheduled with previously. Additionally, once your appointment is around the corner, our system will send you an email or text reminder to ensure you arrive on time.
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Book your next appointment in Baton Rouge today with LocalMed!
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If your dentist isn't using LocalMed, but you'd like them to, get them in touch with our friendly sales team!
LocalMed lets patients schedule appointments straight into your practice management system, just like your front desk would. You set your scheduling rules, and they’ll start booking appointments around the clock - even at 3am on a Sunday.
\n
Learn more about how LocalMed can help your dental practice fill its schedule, 24/7.
\n","blogCategories":[{"id":"3LD5dnghDW0AOuGmMeGwqo","updatedAt":"2019-06-13T21:43:57.440Z","category":"LocalMed News","slug":"company-news"}]},{"id":"qvBNWantK0gE6yqik4qC8","updatedAt":"2017-07-19T21:32:23.558Z","slug":"localmed-for-your-practice","title":"LocalMed for your practice","date":"June 05, 2014","introText":"Dentists are often seeking ways to either bring in new patients to their practice or improve efficiency to reduce overhead. LocalMed’s online scheduling platform is built to satisfy both of these needs simultaneously. We help funnel new patients to your practice and also streamline the entire appointment process.","mainContent":"
Dentists are often seeking ways to either bring in new patients to their practice or improve efficiency to reduce overhead. LocalMed’s online scheduling platform is built to satisfy both of these needs simultaneously. We help funnel new patients to your practice and also streamline the entire appointment process.
\n
There are many patients searching for a new dentist, whether they are new to the area or ready for a change. A significant portion of those people will search online to find a new provider and to schedule an appointment using LocalMed. By ranking in the top of search engines, LocalMed will be a top source for locating a dentist in your area (such as Baton Rouge Dentist).
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Once on localmed.com, patients can find dentists in their area and filter results based on gender and insurance accepted.
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Using our system, we will read into your practice management system and display a portion of your schedule that you want to make available for online scheduling. Appointments made available to patients depend on the specific appointment type they select coupled with the corresponding chair and time slot. Patients can then browse times and select the appointment time most convenient for them.
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By integrating with with your practice management system, appointments booked by patients using our system are automatically updated to your schedule. You are notified you when a new patient has booked, and the appointment is immediately placed into schedule.
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The installation process is quick and painless, requiring very little computer experience.
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Once installed, a “Schedule Now” widget can also be placed on your website. Patients can click to view your availabilities and schedule an appointment directly from your website.
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(After the “Schedule Now” button is clicked)
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By adding this functionality to your website, your existing patients can book appointments more easily, reducing front-office staff workload. Automating the appointment process enables you to focus on other areas of your practice and also creates a funnel for tracking where your appointments are booked from for marketing purposes.
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LocalMed exists to bring convenience to both the patients and the office for an affordable price. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us for a demo today!
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Dr. Leslie Blackburn and her team at Growing Great Grins Pediatric Dentistry![\"GGGPD](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/70e7RGjqeQ5qSkoJkc20tj/cf9202e9471e3804655570061c5b2e01/GGGPD_Amenities_LocalMed.jpg\")
A Nemo-themed operatory at Growing Great Grins Pediatric Dentistry![\"GGGPD](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4ZacFt2VPDbIJA1ybizBV0/5e2d79c670d0e645e3a882568ada0fd5/GGGPD_Blog-CallOut-02.png\")
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![\"LocalMed-Connect_Phone-In-Cafe\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/7L7Tx54vc5r4pULA8qEmCM/8a389af4f0c0443b9e3cdc280390fbb4/LocalMed-Connect_Phone-In-Cafe.png\")
![\"LocalMed](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2Qs1oazv6LmKH6qBhz6cL8/849ab336b1cb9df76bf61f6f5ceac0a4/LocalMed_ClientGroundMarketing.png\")
\nSanto Dental Group and Elden Family Dental using ground marketing to drive patients to schedule online with LocalMed![\"LocalMed-Connect](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3tSHSYZnFyO77DZYkDwIfM/252b578e16c5d13ea370bf783b4e3044/LocalMed-Connect_PMS-Integration-1.png\")
![\"localmed-connect-mockup\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/37vfHZ48x50iG9pcZotXVp/9bdd38088b666d29c5ef84a69f3c5336/localmed-connect-mockup.png\")
![\"LocalMed-Connect](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1TvaEzD1GTHMyM3YHDeIHb/5f9e401c126d5b2ee42615aaf3f5c8b5/LocalMed-Connect_Widget-Browser.png\")
![\"gost](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/QGhiYYX9WCaILE8q3urjr/7007a7f592fd186876a4eb69244dd597/gost_pumpkin.jpg\")
![\"gost](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/7mDnUAdzYx2W4Prp3M39hZ/0533f9017367bcad43a5c3f5d2b95535/gost_lightning.jpg\")
![\"gost](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2wlFOeWZ9xLswquY5Ofsu8/61b2acf4113487127acb7bb9d75a6824/gost_the_gumshoe.jpg\")
![\"gost](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4jURa8n0SpXyhmxMCqUMHX/81a3040ad78193ccc8164c8111c07155/gost_bears_jersey.jpg\")
![\"Facetune](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3BF8Q00PL81SWkrSld1xkd/1af3e31a3ec04952f18e66f0aeddfe54/Facetune_31-10-2019-11-14-30.jpg\")
![\"DR.ADAMIAK2\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3VbBo4KmwXKtO6DnrIlLfG/f4a696b5f5e23a387b17237be4794f2a/DR.ADAMIAK2.jpg\")
\nDr. Brittany Adamiak, Green Hills Pediatric Dentistry![\"Dr.](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1BsL93zFHae2i7b8ZGtlFi/56a37a1ad0d31063971d1fe7aa6f2009/DrAdamiak.png\")
![\"LocalMed-Connect](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6l2fhlX3VzPY4P8SZjUyPh/9c0a1aaf9d2bd5326904137611339e18/LocalMed-Connect_Responsive-Devices.png\")
\n“Before that, online scheduling wasn’t really on my radar. I’d never worked for an office that used it, and I’d never been to a dentist that offered it. But, it was reasonably priced and people seemed to love it, so it was kind of a no-brainer to give it a try.”![\"GHPD](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4ANIxYRuPkSiJWlzFRryJB/fd426214a12607f01b53f61cccf75f4a/GHPD_Blog-CallOut1-02.png\")
\n“It’s really interesting - people want to do as much as they can electronically. We’ll have families schedule on LocalMed, do their paperwork online, and then email us if they have questions. It’s easier, and more convenient for their busy schedule to do as much online as possible, and that’s fine! It makes it easy for them and it’s one less phone call for us.” ![\"apple-podcasts\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5AobMuyf9GU3Nntln3Y2yK/ce02bdb1b72d333c6ac80f4148117972/apple-podcasts.png\")
![\"google](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6tm9Wy9ivM9bdFA3ULW5UI/1ac13c7ebbafba0479c0051cd4dba081/google_podcasts_badge_8x.png\"){kind=icon}
![\"Stitcher](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/45zvbT44OskBVLwMDJ3mDH/24fae101216718016dc96e1600c7893f/Stitcher_Listen_Badge_Color_Dark_BG.png\"){kind=icon}
![\"39159136](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/7ql3bUkL4d4g7WYdDsM3QT/70ec8201930f8d7104aca0461c0088ad/39159136_435333243641412_2792915888540483584_o.jpg\")
\n(Stonebrook Pediatric Dentistry in Frisco, Texas)![\"39246760](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2r9409KgM4xILsCwKUpzDM/0601674da3a39fd09e4516289b64efe1/39246760_435333616974708_6283623375516467200_o.jpg\")
\n(Interior of Stonebrook Pediatric's castle-themed office) ![\"Screen](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/14T3IBvV2TxC4b5ambJ5B8/efb8f8fe63b7dd117220293922190b9c/Screen_Shot_2019-06-12_at_1.51.48_PM.png\")
![\"Blog-CallOut-01\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6tjBGZ2TraGmrXsA61k0z8/a98b55a7c77e9039badc95b18be7c866/Blog-CallOut-01.png\")
![\"maarten-van-den-heuvel-246398-unsplash\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2QaJA1svULTbWazImFWiwW/19fb92e5d4389a33269f567569d73d0c/maarten-van-den-heuvel-246398-unsplash.jpg\")
![\"localmed-shopping-cart-conversion\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1cqTzQqUtvGLowXfDmqvz7/4ac4d736548d1b7172b892cb3f70dad6/localmed-shopping-cart-conversion.png\")
![\"60146972](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/7JlKtHC65Z9ahQulXhfFxw/412f51c018b62a313d344272081f41ac/60146972_1045120929014287_8128150325493235712_o.jpg\")
\n(Nautical Dental and Braces staff at their grand opening)![\"CherylCornelius-BlogCallOut-01-01\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4vAc8RENg3rlhu1geZPtn/be8789a209812fe8fa6ba0f7e5338c9c/CherylCornelius-BlogCallOut-01-01.png\")
![\"Blog-CallOut-02\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5AXIW7Br7RgeiU8oxZvbKw/5c853bc2b9aa14f65d4792a148b12880/Blog-CallOut-02.png\")
![\"evan-wise-759581-unsplash\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/DW52oQme5Pih8WwRf9giD/9a9f34cfd5234d0c8a6c0be0a0cb69bb/evan-wise-759581-unsplash.jpg\")
![\"ig-socialmedia\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6jHXkZOwAPFf8PB3EHNl0U/299703ddd2f7cb1b2bcfb06b2ad25da9/ig-socialmedia.jpg\")
![\"LocalMed-Blog](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4BIClfUOJkrZssAmUAdPgY/67bb4b1d22189597df019d0eda6b5cf2/LocalMed-Blog_Dentists-and-Social-Media.png\")
![\"social-media\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6aA0PIgUYcr6pJBSJ8aPrQ/6581cbe45a51364ae79c4924a850df9d/social-media.jpg\")
![\"Blog-CallOut-Dr-Zahid-Ahmed-01-01\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/GHbipi33aw460Wkc4yg2m/76f2001fbf0a7b97093e6749dd10ad6f/Blog-CallOut-Dr-Zahid-Ahmed-01-01.png\")
![\"Oaktown-Dental-Oakland-Dentist-Dr-Zahid-Ahmed-Clinic-3\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6cPCt33z6EaksowS6eE4e4/151219fad6d6c068b06108fb9498f0cc/Oaktown-Dental-Oakland-Dentist-Dr-Zahid-Ahmed-Clinic-3.jpg\")
\n(![\"Oaktown-Dental-LocalMed\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/31cbIyOKE0OMQQWwC2AY2a/07245169e0f7a22155e16e51123de4fd/Oaktown-Dental-Mockup.jpg\")
![\"google-my-business-background\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4qbEIBweKQYOIaw2qGmWMG/4b4a09e34e669cf222d8798893ee7710/google-my-business-background.png\")
![\"localmed-blacklist-patient-notification\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5VhFeqomhqC0OQWmWIicIE/e954bad9d96f596ca5f8ac3eeff6142a/localmed-blacklist-patient-notification.png\")
![\"localmed-blacklist-provider-notification\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/4EbyQtdsZ22OUOwMyMmiia/97a4584b5131665f7934e0910809b0a6/localmed-blacklist-provider-notification.png\")
![\"christin-hume-309876-unsplash\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3dU8rYBlFj3oPa5cIfRj9M/1123385d43c395649e405c968049a276/christin-hume-309876-unsplash.jpg\")
![\"LocalMed-Connect](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5dnfDFRqPtE2LQMEYg0yon/94e9440fae7379fb263035b4c31c1fc2/LocalMed-Connect_Laptop-Crumpled-Paper-Coffee.png\")
![\"reviews-localmed\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5XAJdVJErugykmUqkYG86i/b44ccbf9a0812191c512ab2f3838e06f/reviews-localmed.jpg\")
![\"request-system\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2hjLZME2UAUi2E8cySmqsU/e8b1319b5162e7a988fa10b0ca319186/request-system.png\")
![\"process-integratedPMS\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6Qjc8B8YvuMkucQcuMqeEi/d45f028301c89939ce523160fcf14173/process-integratedPMS.png\")
![\"responsive-graphic\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3MFnXWROFyqWyyaKQqmYqw/4cbbdc46e76ae23796b7959205b00aab/responsive-graphic.png\")
![\"Instagram-Header3\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/41LGaCMekgWsIq42qaEw8c/4bf8efcb61682a3f0eaa550b26e83738/Instagram-Header3.png\")
![\"drrondeau\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/yxT8u9nOtqEq0c6iUcgGU/2e63a452d9714bdba50b75591ab86d34/drrondeau.jpg\")
![\"28827948](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/63RZwFcvnig44Ssm4EamI4/6f9e2641c16050f9130d862561a90227/28827948_1466664636789700_6389860888627858626_o.jpg\")
![\"Image](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1SsoLINUIIoSGqgeeqE20/ce40c9fb613656d7095e9939ee98f4c0/Image_uploaded_from_iOS_copy_3.jpg\")
![\"IMG](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/rV697uryU0UCcoAoaouGy/3e3dc65c3b24bd6283b752c0b794a392/IMG_1004.jpg\")
![\"IMG](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6LjKQJbUVGIaKYECKWyUUa/d3bc9248b78d4461de1980b526573764/IMG_4810.jpg\")
![\"29064321](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3Q5uuvBAk0CYWmkKKk8Ice/24bb6ff7db6714444069bbf8d027387a/29064321_1466632630126234_4488461466576422132_o.jpg\")
![\"bigstock--147006212\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/YCMBgbFdbSU3023s6aFH3/84136e37004d288d4881e55abc44164a/bigstock--147006212.jpg\")
![\"LocalMed-Connect](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/7hz2HibVnLx1nkBQB9bi0t/1f42c0da293e9aba0ea3914249c708ce/LocalMed-Connect_Computer-and-Phone-1.png\")
![\"Blog-OnlineSchedulingBadReputation-02\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/5slwfPDjW0KGSOGMaciYSC/5cd128716723ef61e125549ead0ee37c/Blog-OnlineSchedulingBadReputation-02.png\")
![\"Blog-OnlineSchedulingBadReputation-01\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/1kjsutyB2GOgQcqoCQm2CA/856d12608f7d4e144ec208ddc745678c/Blog-OnlineSchedulingBadReputation-01.png\")
![\"Blog-OnlineSchedulingBadReputation-03-v2\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3VzjxE9S2Asq6yCayose6K/e9876d564395f902cb53dfc95ed64e26/Blog-OnlineSchedulingBadReputation-03-v2.png\")
![\"Blog-OnlineSchedulingBadReputation-04\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2vcLIsBkCMowmKAoykgyuk/13c1def3d7eddfda48f63337be1b3e0d/Blog-OnlineSchedulingBadReputation-04.png\")
![\"2017-lookback\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/2dQohSHHTauwIAumMesQUE/ce623823ed8b020ad10ca15b011ce0dd/2017-lookback.jpg\")
![\"numbers\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/4hivtJFtjOeSUwYmGoOAQ8/61e89903bd8f3ec03a62373ac9aeab6e/numbers.jpg\")
![\"2018\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/2mMo9aexrKk6aUI86Cqsc4/bd9745fd8517a446963be3db11f5daeb/2018.jpg\")
![\"Screen](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/6DJT9JD1TO4oWCgqoW68QI/ce82fff9287429b504c6ce509b7236a6/Screen_Shot_2017-11-10_at_4.31.00_PM.png\")
![\"Screen](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/a7RitYAWNaIGCeoiA82yI/ce9cf73cd881d7e4883460bd7e2461b8/Screen_Shot_2017-11-28_at_5.08.11_PM.png\")
![\"Screen](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/29RIs3ICzamIKmuOwa4oGG/b16d2df11635710ba508d9af58d93fe0/Screen_Shot_2017-11-28_at_5.08.47_PM.png\")
![\"Screen](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/7kYJx2ek9OSk2MSq4AYYaw/d29ecec2b6fd76846062940cac8b0d01/Screen_Shot_2017-11-13_at_10.21.21_AM.png\")
![\"Screen](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/2p14b6QluwMQkC80QIogOw/aeba63a52a6ee9ae0ae1728e55a67b67/Screen_Shot_2017-11-13_at_10.21.26_AM.png\")
![\"startbyevaluating\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/5ojxRNhQEoOoWKi8KImIGg/fe21ab7eadf55983d6c6b534d5986f29/startbyevaluating.jpg\")
![\"identifyyourtargetaudience\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/56Oy8YuMNqgsCoS2We062W/fafec151afed1b6c78cc2d82d44cccda/identifyyourtargetaudience.jpg\")
![\"craftyourmessage\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/16OhcYBxAYwacSIoeKCwSi/852dbaa80144387af32eff8e6940a05f/craftyourmessage.jpg\")
![\"chooseyourchannels\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/1VTtFmVnVy8sQauwOuKUQW/4964bbafee1a1057554fcf4e1a1fea93/chooseyourchannels.jpg\")
![\"LocalMed](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/3igU1ebSe4aKmGiqqiuE0k/473919cf8f360ff3cc2c4bbdffab33a1/LocalMed-mockup.png\")
![\"facebook-about-section\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/6r4psbx7i0YkMIOkW4aoCk/ee900c63b3890a3bb4c315f63bf36e8c/about-section.png\")
![\"cost-effective-dental-advertising\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/1VsD3XP05CASQ0G480iao8/a78fb7ccb3ff20d3f481822eecceab66/cost-effective-dental-advertising.jpg\")
![\"Dental](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/5vxIjkZVFSSYMQUKAmUAm/d56f56407b13e587f91981170a30c81d/dental-waiting-room.jpg\")
![\"responsive](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/4DHZ0YNEmsgk4me2gKEOyu/3b1c24e774f5693e71ec513f38d8a1e9/responsive-graphic.png\")
![\"Dentists-Need-To-Have-An-Online-Presence\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/45189A4HSgA8Qg66GUWQum/c4056adc14ed9c052cf3ee1ad569a88b/Dentists-Need-To-Have-An-Online-Presence.jpg\")
![\"Dental-Marketing-Convenience-Is-Everything\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/WNbiHfeLoi6muS6aAC2O0/0a04edb182858bb55b10555e87ddd0fc/Dental-Marketing-Convenience-Is-Everything.jpg\")
![\"Dental-Technology\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/7bqVtImXn2ySMKOscWCksy/bed128557bc50c56a28ef8a174a65af9/Dental-Technology.jpg\")
![\"DentalWebsite\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/2qlf8AEugUsWCwMQusWYA4/e476d6306e7ddee64dec7afcea5acc4f/DentalWebsite.jpg\")
![\"Dental-Marketing-Availability\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/24KgP74Pnm62k0kWmcQEyA/cef57977204daeeb740b798207a8f616/Dental-Marketing-Availability.jpg\")
![\"Dental-Communication\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/2jGVKN4NskwUm8MiOuwk6a/cf5288dd1ab8592ec0de02d2b6d9e771/Dental-Communication.jpg\")
![\"LocalMed-OnlineScheduling-ForDentists\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/y075khSASWAuK4YGay2MW/bcee278e3d3d2f83424e50e6b5d4ccc4/LocalMed-OnlineScheduling-ForDentists.png\")
![\"element5-digital-352043\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/3fJEXkaVpmMAoOkqOmqkM4/872ce862fdc406a47a25f88ccae66443/element5-digital-352043.jpg\")
![\"taylor-grote-347601\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/553xl0s8u4auCGI8mMkEMs/55588d5f5486abe5c2ddec50c85d2851/taylor-grote-347601.jpg\")
![\"colin-maynard-231363\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/1MJ0wAO8YsCIky2skM6seA/cfcf637f813194204a288f3e07f62da6/colin-maynard-231363.jpg\")
![\"Infographic:](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/3L8HgbROq4YyGOmmOW6GyG/d140f1a77b373d106cdfa16f53e08a8c/Infographic-OnlineScheduling2.png\")
![\"Adding](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/5YyVf5e4ykUysCIue2WkCm/bb3fbb9f8a1574b80fe990d6a0b68be2/giphy.gif\")
![\"Google](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/4Gak6aBMGIsCeAssMSwUME/3c8eaed677f4c0240ec6c32e59753fea/GoogleMyBusiness-Map-MockUp-2.png\")
![\"LocalMed-Connect](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/6VdqHSPOZcS0RdT7PDj2xb/c0f6427de982f931c618be7fa0a33ccc/LocalMed-Connect_Responsive-Devices.png\")
\n“With so many patients searching for a Six Month Smiles provider each month, the partnership with LocalMed really enhances our ‘Find A Dentist’ directory. This partnership will allow our providers to have consultations scheduled directly into their practice management software with minimal effort. In this way, patients can connect with their local dentist and begin treatment quickly," said Perry Lowe, Six Month Smiles CEO.![\"LocalMed-Connect](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/44ysmloDXYzfZfShBS7mkR/a7b76a520767f9c1b6787642f70b5ef8/LocalMed-Connect_Computer-and-Phone-1.png\")
![\"LocalMed](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/4eR4SV4UU0U8GWc8W2GQ0u/b8925482ccb6bc35898168606dd21252/Integrated.png\")
![\"LocalMed-Connect](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/3KHzTJVvVpZAtXiRFXNoxU/0d0196102808447a2cd3990a24873c5c/LocalMed-Connect_Responsive-Devices.png\")
![\"website-now\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/5N90OncH9mOYaacMYUMyme/32382ce25cbc4c4aec73d9ee716ad133/website-now.jpg\")
![\"website-with-scheduling\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/5BPzvPPY3ucueyOuU2KGK6/4647101f9b447d54b8cb6f767d6ee6d1/website-with-scheduling.jpg\")
![\"additional-revenue\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/GsvKKTjMuAA6wCsyKKWCU/0c2fd114f27d4292c40bec355523728e/additional-revenue.jpg\")
![\"PMS-Integration](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/3NHh8imqDS4ImqqIuscS4O/3c79170ef5257289947cc4eeaad88476/PMS-Integration_3-1024x409.png\")
![\"alexander-dummer-150646-unsplash\"](\"//images.ctfassets.net/4jjymlq9ai0x/2I4b32enYVIepBBgowY35k/8bf952acdbc20444bdb2814e974fc2cb/alexander-dummer-150646-unsplash.jpg\")
\nIf you have kids, you understand the difficult nature of maintaining multiple schedules and appointments. LocalMed has created a management tool for you to keep track of all past and upcoming appointments, syncing with the pediatric dentist’s schedule to ensure accurate information.![\"find-a-dentist-baton-rouge\"](\"//images.contentful.com/4jjymlq9ai0x/2HdVPdnmusqiaIUM6aMgUm/7a3d228f46e0c6f488fae44c0788d613/find-a-dentist-baton-rouge.png\")
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