It is likely that, on occasion, you have heard about the image or reputation of a brand in the online field. But do you know exactly what this ethereal concept refers to?

The online reputation is basically the perception that users have of a brand or a person on the Internet. However, this impression is not completely under the control of the clinic, since the reputation is not only created based on the content available in the online medium. This, in addition, is originated from the feedback of the users, who comment on their own experiences.

Currently, patients use social networks daily, so the Internet is the ideal medium to communicate with thousands of users in your area of ​​influence. In this way, the widespread use of these channels to express opinions and evaluate the services and treatment offered by your dental clinic has a great influence on the decision of other potential patients.

Why is it important to take care of your online reputation?

The online reputation of your dental clinic must be managed effectively to avoid a crisis generally related to negative comments and opinions about the services or care the patient receives. In this way, an online reputation crisis can seriously affect the credibility of the brand, causing significant damage to the image of the clinic and the professionals who are part of it. That's the top reason that most companies use branding agency orange county to improve and manage their online reputation.

The best way not to lose your online reputation is to work every day to maintain it. For this, it is convenient to carry out a constant work of analysis and improvement of the clinic's presence in the various online channels and, in addition, active and empathetic listening to questions, comments, and opinions of patients and users. A good reputation will retain those who already trust us, generate trust in users, and, without a doubt, attract new patients. 

Tips to maintain and improve the online reputation of your healthcare clinic

To manage a reputation crisis effectively, it is important to work with foresight. Therefore, it is advisable to develop a crisis plan, with which to act quickly and appropriately. In any case, it is essential, to be honest, argue the explanations, offer an apology, and explain in detail how to solve the situation.

Achieving and maintaining an optimal online reputation takes effort and dedication, as there is no specific formula that provides immediate results. Therefore, we offer you some tips that, in any case, should be put into practice on a daily basis.

Keep online channels active

The content of the various online channels must be frequent and of high quality, supporting us, whenever possible, in internal resources, with images or videos of the clinic, the professionals, and even the patients. Likewise, it is essential to attend to all interactions with users on a daily basis, whether they are comments, likes, content sharing, or private messages. We must, first of all, connect with our audience, but also show them that they are being heard.

Respond quickly and efficiently

A timely response, which solves doubts or complaints from patients, can avoid, in most cases, an online reputation problem. Therefore, it is important to reduce waiting times, especially in the case of negative comments and opinions. Given this circumstance, you must assess what has happened and, above all, offer the relevant explanations and determine how to solve the problem.

Be honest and close

The proximity and transparency are two key factors to improve confidence and credibility in your dental clinic among patients. In this way, the brand and the people behind it must be accessible and interact with users. In addition, it is essential to do it with kindness, solving any problem that arises.

Be empathetic and try to understand the patient

Although at times, some patients may complain about a situation from a subjective point of view, the truth is that, in others, these comments can serve to improve the online reputation of the brand. Users are not always right, but their opinions are always valuable. Given this situation, it is essential to show that patients do matter to us. 

Get reviews and comments

Many potential patients consult the opinions of other users before deciding which dental clinic to go to. Therefore, we must encourage positive opinions and comments on the various online channels of the clinic. Currently, these valuations directly influence the reputation of the company. Thus, if the majority of the reviews of the services are positive, a good reputation will lead us to get new patients.