An interesting study by Nielsen/NetRatings and WebVisible provides important insight into consumer behavior and illustrates to dentists everywhere why it is absolutely necessary in today’s market to promote their dental practice online.

This landmark study also explores how using search engines is driving offline purchases.

For the sake of brevity and relevance to the dental industry, we will highlight (and edit) snippets from the analysis pertaining to dentistry.

It’s especially interesting how doctors and other professionals are significantly benefiting from “offline conversion” too, that is, consumers shopping online for a dentist, then following up later with the practice offline.

Consumers Use Search Because it Works For Them

70% of Internet users report using search engines to find a local service; 46% in the last 90 days. When searching for a local service website, searchers find what they want quickly - averaging less than 3 searches. Nearly 90% are happy with the results they get when they search locally for services.

Service Seekers Use …Multiple Methods To Make Contact

• 68% said they would use the phone number on the website to contact a vendor.
• 16% said they would contact a vendor by the e-mail address on the website.
• 11% said they would contact the vendor via an online form found on the website.
• 6% said they would visit the vendor in person after viewing the website.

The survey results show that a website is an essential bridge in creating communication between service vendors (dentists) and shoppers, which often leads to an offline conversion. With high frequency, shoppers who first identify a potential vendor by visiting a website are likely to take additional action, either by calling, e-mailing, visiting in person or contacting vendors by other means.

Signs of Latent or Repeat Offline Customers

When contacting a local service vendor more than once after finding them using search:

• 35% had saved the phone number.
• 27% searched a second time.
• 23% has bookmarked a service vendor’s website.
• 5% used a phone book to find the service vendor.

This data suggests that a very high percentage (60%) of searchers are able to recall a vendor’s contact information after the initial search by either saving the number or by using a bookmark.

This availability of recall is likely to lead to repeat or latent business based on a single search experience especially when 89% reported contact with a vendor a second time.

Word of Mouth Creates Offline Buzz for Services

54% of those that had searched for a local service in the past 90 days had referred a friend to a local business or service provider that they found through online search.

This is how they did it:

• 59% verbally recommended the service to a friend or family member.
• 38% e-mailed a link to a friend or family member.
• 3% wrote a favorable review on a consumer website.

A secondary benefit to local [dentists] is that nearly 60% of referrals made by consumers are still word of mouth after they find [them] on the Web. Writing favorable reviews is rare perhaps because consumer review websites are often used to post negative experiences, not positive ones.

Geo-Keyword Use Is Popular Among Service Seekers

Of those that searched for a local [dentist] in the past 90 days:

• 51% used a general term to search (”dentist”).
• 49% used a general service term and regional term (”dentist in Cleveland”).
• 23% used a specific business name (”Dr. Bob’s Dental”).
• 19% used a specific service term to search (”root canal”).

67% of searchers ages 18-24 use a geographic keyword when searching locally for services, illustrating how younger search users are adapting to the language efficiencies of local search.  Effective local targeting, including geo-modifiers, is imperative when [SEO] campaigns are established. This includes not only state and city names but permutations of those locations.

For example, a person searching in San Francisco might use “SF,” “Bay Area,” or “North Beach.” By comparison of the same 18-24 age group, the Yellow Pages method of searching for a specific business name is only at 28%. Vanity or “white pages” search is also important as many consumers will search by a business name, especially the second time.

The bottom line is that in order to be competitive and stay productive, it’s crucial that dentists establish an online presence using a website, search engine optimization, sponsored advertising and other effective methods to reach the ever-growing number of shoppers on the Internet.

Source: Nielsen/NetRatings and WebVisible survey, 2006

This entry posted Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 7:42 am - Filed under Common Interest.