Dentaltown January 2013 - (Page 28)

second opinion column » Yelp Can Be Detrimental to Your Practice; Ways You Can Combat It by Leonard F. Tau, DMD Second opinions are common in health care, whether a doctor is sorting out a difficult case or a patient is not sure what to do next. In the context of our magazine, the first opinion will always belong to the reader. This feature will allow fellow dental professionals to share their opinions on various topics, providing you with a “second opinion.” Perhaps some of these observations will change your mind, while others will solidify your position. In the end, our goal is to create discussion and debate to enrich our profession. – Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine Are you well liked? Do you even know? “Liking” has become part of our everyday vernacular due to the huge proliferation of social media, specifically Facebook. But I am not referring to a Facebook “like” here, rather, what is being said about you online – about you, your office and/or your team. Reputation management has become so important in attracting new patients to a dental office. Positive reviews about your practice can attract new patients while a poor reputation can turn prospective patients away. It is important to use the power of the Internet, including your website, Google Local search, social media and mobile marketing, to maintain your online reputation. Currently there are more than 120 websites that collect and republish reviews from consumers (our patients). Some of the more visible and important ones out there are Google+ Local (formerly Google Places), Yahoo Local, City Search, Insider Pages, Judy’s Book, Angie’s List, Doctoroogle and Rate MDs. “In my opinion, diversity is now the key. I want to spread the wealth across many different sites and you should do the same.” There is one very prominent website that I have left off this list that I wish to pinpoint because it is wreaking havoc on the dental profession and small businesses all over the world. Countless complaints have been reported all over the Internet, countless Facebook pages have been started against this company, numerous lawsuits have been filed, and it has even been accused of running an extortion cam- paign. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, I am referring to the website Yelp. Unfortunately Yelp has become even more important since it has partnered with one of the most powerful technology companies to provide reviews on its device – Apple. In case you are not aware, Apple is using Yelp to provide reviews since Apple recently dropped Google from the iPhone. What I mean by this is if you were to ask Siri who the best dentist in your town is, it would report back using reviews from Yelp, and those reviews have been integrated into the new Apple Maps. All of those Google reviews that you have (or should have) been collecting over the years are now only visible when doing a Google search on your iPhone web browser. The positive side of all this is Google search represents 95 percent on mobile devices, so how much you may be affected by this change is unknown at this point. For those who are not aware of how Yelp operates, Yelp is a free directory service that you can set up and register for a business page, upload your practice information, photos and offers, and have your patients leave reviews about your office. This profile is free and does not cost you anything. Yelp is well respected by Google (one of the better citations) and thus ranks high when someone searches for your name or practice name when doing a Google search. There is really no need to pay Yelp for its services. Once you have received a couple of reviews you will receive a call from a Yelp salesperson (I got my call from a Yelp representative named Sonia) who congratulated me on getting some positive feedback from my patients and wanted to know if I would like to start advertising with Yelp (she said it could cost me as little as $300 per month). I asked her continued on page 30 28 JANUARY 2013 » dentaltown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown January 2013

Dentaltown.com Highlights
Howard Speaks: Doc, Are You a Monster?
Professional Courtesy: Have You Met TED?
Continuing Education Update
Second Opinion: Yelp Can Be Detrimental to Your Practice: Ways to Combat It
Professional Burnout
Sleep Apnea Screening and Treatment
Townie Meeting is Almost Here!
What’s on Your Tray? Composite/Restorative
Do-it-Yourself Finance, Part II: Cash Flow
Product Profile: Schick 33
Aesthetic Management Using Dermal Fillers in a Patient with Deficient Dental Volume
The Future of Dentistry is Digital: Don’t Be Left Behind
Continuing Education: Why We See Problems with Teeth Whitening: The Science of Whitening, Part III
Industry News
New Year’s Resolution: Stay on Schedule!
Perio Reports
Ad Index
Profile in Oral Health: Dental Hygiene Time Management for the New Year
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown January 2013