Author: Dr Sam Jethwa
What makes a website worth clicking on? And what makes it good enough to stay on it past the first click? In the ubiquity of the internet, website design is a crucial part of engagement for all businesses. We are all guilty of opening a website and then clicking back in a matter of seconds purely based on what we see, from holiday sites to restaurants, or clothing brands.
A patient searching ‘cosmetic dental practice’ will have hundreds of options to choose from. Google will also show the nearest practices on a map as well as offering further search suggestions such as ‘near me’, ‘open now’, or the vague ‘top’. With all of these filters and online competition, making your dental practice website attract and maintain the online attention of a patient is essential but challenging.
A powerful visual presence
Today’s world is more visually-driven than ever. Everyone is in such a rush that reading just can’t compete with a good picture or video in the advertising world. The brain absorbs visual information faster and we are more likely to remember it too. Websites only have a few seconds to engage a person but have great flexibility through using videos or multiple images on the homepage to sustain interest and keep the bounce rate under a respectable 50%.
91% of businesses use videos with 83% suggesting that these should be under 60 seconds.[i] Whether a quick time-lapse tour of the practice, footage of dental treatments in action or an introduction to the team, there is a variety of ways to set the tone and image of your brand with a video, creating a familiarity with the potential patient.
Conveying the key information
Two of the most important pieces of information a dental practice website should highlight is location and contact details. Location plays a major role in the patient’s decision, so knowing where the practice is should be one of the first pieces of information presented to them.
Contact details can be handled in several ways. Some may opt for the AI chat-bot that provides quick answers to frequently asked questions, though some patients, particularly older generations, may prefer something more personable like an easily noticed phone number. You may also consider having a header with ‘book online now’ or other contact options that remain pinned to the top of the page even whilst scrolling, making it instantly accessible. Having links to any social media accounts that the practice has may be more appealing to younger patients, who can quickly check out content, such as treatment videos, to help with their decision.
Standing out in a competitive field
A dental practice website needs to have broad appeal to maximise the patient intake. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is vital for this; it harnesses the key words and phrases of a website to improve visibility in search engine results. Your homepage should therefore feature the basic lingo that patients may search. Monitoring the website metrics on keyword rankings can help determine what needs to be included or not.
In the current economic climate, patients looking for a cosmetic dental treatment will also want to make sure that they will get the best results for what they pay. Reassurance can be provided by incorporating Google reviews into the website. Proof of previous five-star experiences is invaluable in a time where reviews dictate success. In particular, championing reviews that feature names of the dental team can further create familiarity, whilst a mobile-friendly format that allows visitors to swipe through them is also recommended. A personable feel is further generated with a ‘Meet the Team’ section, using images, biographies and maybe fun trivia, such as favourite film or football team, to make online visitors feel a connection.
Website wonders
Basic website designs no longer cut it in 2025. To elevate the online presence of your dental practice and attract new patients, the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) offers its members an unmissable £500 off a website design and build with Digimax Dental. With the support of their dedicated team, BACD members can revitalise their online branding, transforming their website into an impactful page that pushes it to the forefront of SEO rankings, increasing traffic and boosting the business.
A sleek website that emulates the aesthetic and tone of your dental practice can set expectations for potential patients, generating a sense of familiarity and trust that stays with them through to the cosmetic dental treatment and beyond.
For further information and enquiries about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry visit www.bacd.com
Dr Sam Jethwa
Sam qualified from Kings College London and has worked in both London and the Southwest of England. He provides routine care, aesthetic dentistry, with a special interest in tooth-coloured invisible restorations, botox and facial aesthetics, and short-term adult orthodontics. He invests heaviliy in his own Postgraduate training. He has been trained in Digital Smile Design (DSD) and Emotional Dentistry by world class cosmetic dentists, so can design your perfect smile using latest 3D technology and translate this to reality to show you how you could look before you decide to go ahead with treatment.
He has completed his fellowship examinations and is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and is a qualified clinical teacher after completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Education from the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Glasgow. Sam has carried out several courses with some of the best-known aesthetic dentists and is also completing the prestigious Chris Orr 1-year cosmetic dentistry course. He is Chair of the Communications Committee at the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD). Sam is qualified in implant dentistry after having completed The Cambridge Academy of Implantology year course and the BioHorizons surgical course. He is an active lecturer and advisor for students looking to pursue dental careers. Sam plays the Saxophone, enjoys Golf, photography, and travelling and has a newfound love for boats after spending a week on a yacht designing smiles! He has climbed mountains in East Africa, travelled through South America and Australia. His favourite TV shows are Top Gear and Grand Designs. Sam takes pleasure in providing a detailed patient experience and likes to involve his clients every step of the way.
[i] Bump, P. (2024). How Video Consumption is Changing in 2020 [New Research]. [online] blog.hubspot.com. Available at: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-video-consumption-is-changing.
