How to Make Your Web Site Referral-friendly

Unlike a general dentist, whose Web site is devoted exclusively to the needs of patients, a dental specialist needs to take into account the referring dentists or physicians who might visit. Thus, you really need a section devoted exclusively to other health care professionals.

For example, if you are a pediatric dentist, you should have a library of content of interest to pediatricians. This might include articles on the use of pacifiers, juice consumption, breast-feeding, the relationship between body-mass index and caries—just to mention a few. To attract the interest of primary care physicians who make excellent referral sources, periodontists could include articles about the relationship between periodontal disease and other health conditions such as cardiovascular disease.

For endodontists, prosthodontists and orthodontists, more technical articles are likely to attract the interest of general dentists. Oral surgeons can draw on a wide range of literature dealing with screening for oral cancer, anesthesiology and much more.

The goal is to provide your referring dentists and physicians with content that will not only better educate them but that will establish you as a real expert in your specialty.

In addition, a referral-friendly Web site should include an easy-to-complete online form for making referrals. Many younger general dentists and physicians would prefer to complete an online form rather than filling out a referral slip. Working with your Web master, you can make this process as easy as possible.

If you want to take this approach to the next step, you can require your referring health care providers to login to download your content. While this extra step might be viewed by some as a barrier, you can create a perception of high value by limiting access to your “professional area” to a select few. Again, you Web master should be able to help you with this.

 If you have questions about how to accomplish any of these steps to make your Web site more referral friendly, e-mail Steve Klinghoffer at sklinghoffer@wpicommunications.com or call him at 800-323-4995.