Content Checklist For Your New Dental Website

Preparation to help your web project progress smoothly

You may think it is possible to be completely hands-off when it comes to preparing and launching a new dental practice website, but unfortunately this isn’t quite correct. Whilst it is possible to take a back seat and let your designer do most of the work, there will still be some areas requiring your involvement or perhaps the involvement of a nominated member of the local dental team.

So what are the key areas of involvement and how and when should you prepare to help keep the process running smoothly?

Let’s take a look at the typical sequence of events and where you are very likely going to be involved. Hopefully this will also help you to plan ahead.

Reviewing the project proposals

Typically you will have approached several specialist dental design agencies to quote for your new web project and they will have provided a selection of proposals for you to review. From a supplier’s perspective we hope that the review process proceeds reasonably quickly, notwithstanding that there are always unexpected events that can scupper even the best laid plans.

However, given the huge benefits that a new practice website can bring, it makes sense to review those proposals reasonably quickly to get the ball rolling. It is also extremely useful to let the agencies know that you have received their proposals so they are not left hanging – unfortunately some dentists neglect to do this, so please try to do the right thing if at all possible.

Please remember that a lot of work goes into preparing a comprehensive website proposal and so it’s appropriate to acknowledge receipt.

Choosing the supplier and completing preliminary documentation

After reviewing proposals you will choose an agency to work with. It is typical at this stage for the agency to send their preliminary paperwork including a design questionnaire, project contract and also a deposit invoice. Most agencies will book your project into their design schedule when those items have been checked and returned, including the payment of the deposit.

Again it makes sense to try to complete these elements in good time if you want your project to get underway, however if anything intervenes to cause an unexpected delay, please let your designer know.

Logo

Do you already have a suitable logo or does a new one need to be developed? If it’s the latter, then this has to come before the website development as it is a very important design precursor. Professional logo design takes time, including the development of concepts and iteration to a final version. Please allow time for this as discussed with your designer, but typically at least a couple of weeks ahead of when the website design is planned to begin.

Preparing the website content

Experience shows that the rate determining step for the completion of most dental websites is the availability of content. This can either be treatment content where the practice has opted to write it themselves and/or content such as staff biographies, policies and procedures etc.

Treatment text

With treatment content, some agencies, including our own, have a team of copywriters who can generate suitable text on your behalf. However this is quite a focused and time-consuming task and hence needs appropriate notice. Delays can result if the client initially opted to provide content but was then unable to and eventually requested it to be provided by the agency or other third-party. So please bear this in mind at the start of the project.

Policies and procedures

This is something that the agency cannot really provide unless it is generic such as a cookies policy. So the practice will need to collate and provide this type of information.

Staff biographies

This is another set of information which must come from the practice for obvious reasons and it can be notoriously difficult to collect and collate into a suitable format. Please try to keep the presentation the same and also be aware of the GDC guidelines to include the GDC registration number where appropriate, qualifications and place and time of study.

Photographs and video

Whilst it is entirely possible to build a dental website using stock photography, the best performing sites use bespoke imagery to help patient engagement and personalise the experience.

A bespoke photo and video shoot takes time to plan and complete and your designer will be able to advise so this can be worked into the overall project schedule. However, if you opt to use your own photographer/videographer, please plan this and ensure your designer is briefed so they can include it in their planning.

Case studies and testimonials

Case studies and testimonials are very important features of a modern dental website, so please collate these in advance ready for your designer to add. Your designer will be able to advise about the correct format and the number required to make the desired effect.

Summary

Whilst your designer will do all of the heavy lifting for your new website, the important elements discussed above will require some input and preparation from the practice team.

Your designer should remind you about this right at the start of the project and also prompt you as it progresses. However, this article will hopefully serve as a useful reference for before your new web project begins and so you can understand your involvement.

If you have any questions or need more specific advice regarding any of the topics mentioned, please call the Dental Media web team on 01332 672548 to discuss in more detail.