For This Teacher, His New Website Makes the Grade
"Our new web strategy has helped increase our major cases from four per month to four per week."
- Dr. John Rink, CCCRDentistry.com
From a young age, John Rink knew that he would be a dentist. He also knew that, when he reached a certain level of expertise and experience, he would pass his knowledge of dentistry on to others through teaching. Now, in 2013, he is a shining example of excellence, both in dentistry and in the education of aspiring dentists. Over the past year, thanks in part to the launch of his new Lucid™ CMS website, he has nearly quadrupled the number of major new cases he sees each month. This has allowed him to grow and evolve at an even quicker pace in both of his chosen fields, to the benefit of his patients and his students alike.
The Challenge: More Patients, More Experience, More Knowledge to Pass On
Most people can consider themselves lucky if they find their one true calling in life. In the case of Dr. Rink, fortune was truly smiling on him when he realized that he had a second calling, namely to teach. In 2005, after years of honing his instructional skills by presenting lectures to his peers, he decided it was time to inspire a new generation of future dental professionals with his wisdom and knowledge. He joined the faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina’s Dental School, educating senior dental students on such topics as the CAD/CAM fabrication of dental crowns and porcelain veneers.
Like any good teacher, however, Dr. Rink knew that he was far from finished with his own learning. He maintained a vigorous continuing education schedule and remained passionate in his quest for information about the latest technologies and techniques in dentistry. Above all, he continued to be an eager student of the best teacher of all: Experience.
But he wanted more – more patients, more experience, more knowledge to pass on to his own students. So in 2012, he turned to Einstein Medical with a challenge: to provide him with an Internet strategy that would increase the number of new patients coming into his practice and allow him to broaden his experience through an even more diverse range of cases. This, in turn, would promote his growth as a dentist and as a teacher.
The Solution: Sometimes a New Look Is the Best Strategy
Since becoming an Einstein Medical client in 2003, Dr. Rink had invested significantly in his online marketing, with good results. He added video to his website in 2007 and began blogging regularly in 2011. His social media and local search engine optimization strategies were solid and up to date. In analyzing his needs and goals, we identified that he didn’t require an overhaul of his existing strategy so much as he needed, simply, a fresh presence on the Internet.
His website was starting to show its age. It no longer accurately represented his brand or his modern, state-of-the-art practice. On reviewing his content, we determined that there was no pressing need to revise it; it was clear and informative, and it projected the warm yet professional tone to which Dr. Rink aspired. Aesthetically and functionally, however, the website that had been so effective in 2006 was, unlike Dr. Rink’s practice, a bit behind the times.
KinesisInc.com (2013)1
We recommended that Dr. Rink move his existing content into the Lucid™ Content Management System. We were confident that the improved functionality and clean, clear layout of the SoftStone FlexDesign™ would complement the elegant but relaxing environment of his office. In short, we felt that a new, contemporary design would make a better first impression on prospective patients in a medium where first impressions are everything.
In fact, a British study led by researchers from Northumbria University and Sheffield University found that 94 percent of the first impressions created by websites are related to design. According to another study conducted at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, it takes only 2.6 seconds for that first impression to take root in a person’s mind.
TandFOnline.com (2006)2
Does this mean that having a great design is more important than having great content? Not at all. In Dr. Rink’s case, however, it did mean that users who might have otherwise read his content and been interested in his services were getting a false impression of his practice based on an outdated design. It also meant that an improved design might compel those same users to remain on the site longer, with the odds of their contacting the practice rising with each passing second.
Dr. Rink agreed with our reasoning, and in September 2012, the new and improved www.cccrdentistry.com was launched.
The Result: Four Times As Many Patients from the Internet
Although we were confident in our analysis, Dr. Rink wanted, expected, and deserved a real, tangible return on his investment. Fortunately, that is exactly what his new Lucid™ CMS website delivered. Almost immediately after the site’s launch, the number of new cases coming into the practice from the Internet rose from four per month to approximately four per week.
"I’ve been the only accredited member of the AACD in Charleston for seven years," says Dr. Rink, "but now when people think of cosmetic dentistry in the area, they instantly think of me. My new website has been a rewarding investment on every level – personally, financially, and in terms of spreading my reputation."
"The increase in patients generated by my website has more than justified the investment."
- Dr. John Rink, CCCRDentistry.comAnd how are his students benefiting from the increased number of new cases he’s seeing each month?
"My goal as a teacher is to give back to my profession by acquainting soon-to-be dentists with the possibilities of modern technology," he responds. "With every new patient I treat, I gain new insight and experience, and I ultimately become a better dentist. And when I get better as a dentist, I get better as a teacher. The new website is helping to make that cycle move a lot faster."
1"The Truth About Web Design." Kinesisinc.com. 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
2"Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!" TandFOnline.com. 2006-03-01. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
