As the dental industry shifts to providing treatments geared towards achieving aesthetic perfection, Isabel Woodrow-Young explores the need for dental practices to undergo a makeover of their own.
Dentistry has come a long way in the last decade. We’re seeing huge advancements and innovation in procedures, materials and technology. This is creating a seismic shift in specialist treatments becoming readily available and accessible to a much wider audience.
We’ve moved away from offering simple treatments. Now dentistry is striving to provide the ultimate customer experience. From patients seeing it as a transactional ‘have to’, to a transformational ‘must have’.
Communication with customers was already becoming increasingly digital-first. However the impact of COVID-19 has accelerated the need to interact and engage through digital channels with ease, speed and convenience front of mind.
With such evolution and disruption, has there ever been a more opportune time for dental practices to reflect and consider if their brand is meeting the changing needs of their customers?
To discuss this topic further, we spoke with Hussein Dalghous, one of the renowned brothers at Yorkshire Dental Suite. Having recently undergone a rebrand with specialist branding agency, Fable&Co, we hear his views on the future of the industry and the importance of brand.
Why do you think Instagram has been so effective for you?
Dentistry has come a long way from when our dad, Dr Abdul, first opened Yorkshire Dental Suite.
The industry has seen a real shift of focus from healthcare check-ups to aesthetic perfection. Previously elite procedures are becoming readily more available to everyone.
It’s an exciting place to be. We want to make sure we are keeping up with this innovation and change in behaviour. We want to ensure we attract and engage with our customers in a way that reflected this new era of dentistry.
I think what makes our Instagram feed so successful is the type of content we’re putting out there. It’s more engaging and emotive, we’re sharing real stories and journeys that inspire others. You can see how we’ve had an impact and changed these people’s lives.
We’re showcasing the YDS experience and our followers want their turn in the spotlight.
What do you think customers want from their dentists today?
With all the advancements, everyone seems to seek more specialist treatments with a focus around aesthetics.
Everyone is after that perfect white smile. But at the same time, they want to feel it’s an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Customers have become savvier – they don’t necessarily opt for the long-standing, local family dentist anymore. They’re actively searching and comparing to find the best practice.
Just as important now is brand – customers want to engage with brands that resonate with them. This will align with their values and conveying a sense of professionalism and trust.
Before they set foot in your building, they’ve already built this image of your brand and an understanding of your business because they’ve read the reviews, visited your website and followed you on social media.
At YDS, we take pride in providing a world-class experience throughout the entire customer journey. It’s what we do best and what we’re known for.
Every procedure is unique, and we create bespoke treatment plans for every customer. From that initial online interaction through to the big reveal. We make patients feel special and comfortable every step of the way, and always make sure they leave smiling.
What was it that influenced the need for a rebrand and new website?
We’ve expanded and developed as a business to keep up with industry changes. And where we’ve been so busy through the process, we were overlooking aspects of our brand.
For a while we’d been meaning to pay some attention to our website. We felt it didn’t reflect our rising reputation or level of expertise in the industry.
Yes, we dedicate a lot of time to maintain our social media engagement and we’re really proud of its success. But we realised that the positive tone and feel on Instagram wasn’t carrying through onto the website.
Ultimately, we wanted to ensure a slick experience for customers across all channels, so that they were confident and impressed with the YDS experience from that initial interaction.
We wanted to bring the ‘brand’ up to the same level of quality and consistency. Creating something unique and truly exceptional.
Initially, simply updating the website was all we were thinking of doing. However, we soon realised we needed to consider our brand first.
We were looking for something unique that reflected us, as people, and as a business. But this couldn’t be achieved without first understanding who we really are, what our purpose is and our positioning in the market.
What did you learn during the experience? And what would you say to others considering their own refresh?
The whole process was a huge learning curve for us and a really positive experience for everyone involved.
We started with a website in mind, but we got so much more. We went on a journey – looking beyond offering dental treatments and pricing, and instead reflecting internally, reconnecting with our values, our purpose and mission as a company.
Following the rebrand, we gained a deeper understanding of our brand, considering where it is now and where we want it to be in the future.
I’d highly recommend a rebrand to any business owner – it’s worth every penny!
We learnt that branding is so much more than just the way something looks. It encompasses everything about your business.
It’s had an incredibly positive impact on everyone associated with YDS. Everyone now aligns on who we are and where we want to be. It’s unified and invigorated us as business owners and employees.
What kind of response has your new look received?
We’re over the moon with the results, couldn’t be happier.
Our loyal customers have commented on how much they love our modern new look, as well as the improvement in user journey on the website. It’s also much quicker and easier to find what they’re looking for.
Just as, if not more importantly, we’ve seen a significant increase in new business driven from the website which is fantastic.
Something that has taken us by surprise and is really lovely, is this sense of pride among our employees. They played a big part in the rebrand. It’s making a real difference.
Summary
The dental industry has seen and will continue to see positive disruption, with changing customer behaviours and expectations part of the evolution.
It feels like it’s time for us as an industry to take stock, look in the mirror and consider our own image.
Are we resonating effectively with our audience? Do we reflect that values of our customers? Are we communicating our uniqueness in an increasingly competitive market?
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