That is the campaign slogan for the new iPhone. Yesterday we got a look at it and Apple is right. This changes everything. Let me give you some serious advice that is not based on brand promotion. This is a blog that you will remember for a long time if you are paying attention. If you dismiss it right now because I am talking about Apple technology, you are going to be looking (from behind) as your competitors take the immediate communications advantage of offered by the new iPhone4.
One feature in particular offers you a tremendous advantage in communications and you should take it immediately. It is the FaceTime feature. Video phone calls. If you haven’t seen the promotional clip, watch it here before you go on to read about why you need to be an iPhone-friendly practice.
Video calls are now the new standard in communication. This product launch is going to be very similar to the iPhone launch in 2007 when overnight the standard changed. Certainly competitors are not far behind and the features we see only on the iPhone now will be all over the place. That is why it is absolutely critical that you adopt this technology and use it as soon as it is available. Why? You now have the chance to be more intimate with your patients and prospects and if you don’t use this edge, someone else will.
Look no further than the segment of this commercial where the mother shows the father the ultrasound on a video call. For cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists, this takes those private moments of realization and makes them sharable. And, we all know the shared experience is the most powerful experience of all.
For instance, in cosmetic dentistry, every cosmetic case has an emotional moment. It is the moment when the patient sees their new smile in temporaries. This is the first look at what their new smile of veneers will look like. This is where the patient often cries, hugs the doctor, gets emotional somehow and sees their life change. It is the happy, memorable moment that fuels the experience for 99% of cosmetic patients. It is also a moment that is almost always only shared with a chairside group... the patient, the dentist and the dental assistants. If you are an iPhone friendly office, you can now allow your patient to share the experience with loved ones as it happens. Friends, family... let them all share in the experience. You can now make the experience a shared experience. This influences more people.
For cosmetic surgeons, you all want your prospective patients to bring a friend. When two women shop together, the friend is an excellent reinforcement for the decision to buy. And, in many cases, the friend is a good prospective patient as well. However, shopping in pairs happens way too infrequently for a variety of reasons. As an iPhone-friendly practice, you can bring in the friend. Imagine at the point where a prospective patient is trying on breast sizers, how conferencing in a friend, a family member, a husband or a boyfriend could make a difference.
And, for post op patients with iPhones who are a distance away, imagine how much easier it will be to check in on post-op recovery. Your ability to be accessible just improved. I hope you take it.
These are just two examples of how this one feature can be used to reposition your practice as a great communicating practice. There are many other features of iPads and the new iPhone which can be used to enhance your communication capabilities at your practice. If you are interested in ways that you can improve your communications with these new Apple tools, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Now is the time to sharpen the sword
Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People is one of the most owned but least read books. Nearly every professional I know has bought it or has received it for a gift or both. And, so few have actually taken the time to read it. That means even fewer people have actually put this great advice to work.
Today, I will save everyone some trouble and focus on one of his most important messages. It’s good one for this time of year. Small businesspeople tend to do one of two things in the summer. They either try to take a big step forward, preparing for the next big run once summer schedules are over or they coast through the summer thinking they will make improvements after they are through relaxing. This is just like the fable about the ant and the grasshopper. The businesses that get ahead are the ones who are like the ant and work diligently to get ahead through the easy days. You don’t want to be the grasshopper wishing you had prepared better.
Covey has a great way of putting it. Habit 7 is Sharpen The Saw. This means find ways to renew and improve yourself. Refreshing and renewing in all aspects of your person makes you stronger and more capable. In terms of business, it means making an effort to renew what has grown stale, what has plateaued and what needs a jump start. I have noticed a very strong trend in the improvements most prospects and clients are buying. Most are buying video to enhance their web site and buying mobile sites to increase their visibility. But almost no one is retooling or redesigning their web sites. Bells and whistles are being added and those are good. That sharpens the saw. But, what about the Internet strategies that really need some work? Adding video there is not nearly as impactful as having a much improved site, especially if a redesign makes it more user friendly and search engine friendly.
So, I suggest to things: First... be the ant. Second... be honest about your web site. If you need a new one, sharpen the saw for your business. And, to empower and offer incentive for you to do this, Dog Star Media is going to make a standing offer that is good through August 31, 2010. If you buy a 30-page Flash/HTML web site ($7500), then we will offer four-minutes of web drop video (the doctor speaking to the site visitor on a transparent background) for free. This is a $4800 financial value and a highly significant site upgrade. The HTML/Flash/Video site is the most competitive site out there. It is search engine friendly, makes a high-end impression and is highly competitive with the doctor making a video first impression.
How can we make this offer even better? We will customize payment plans to your convenience. Normally, we break up a web site into three equal payments. But, if it helps you make this step, I will bend our rules and we can work out a payment plan of equal payments that makes you comfortable with choosing to sharpen this saw.
Please let me know if you are interested in our Summer Web Site Special. Free video with an HTML/Flash web site only through August 31, 2010. Get it while it’s hot! If you are interested, please contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Today, I will save everyone some trouble and focus on one of his most important messages. It’s good one for this time of year. Small businesspeople tend to do one of two things in the summer. They either try to take a big step forward, preparing for the next big run once summer schedules are over or they coast through the summer thinking they will make improvements after they are through relaxing. This is just like the fable about the ant and the grasshopper. The businesses that get ahead are the ones who are like the ant and work diligently to get ahead through the easy days. You don’t want to be the grasshopper wishing you had prepared better.
Covey has a great way of putting it. Habit 7 is Sharpen The Saw. This means find ways to renew and improve yourself. Refreshing and renewing in all aspects of your person makes you stronger and more capable. In terms of business, it means making an effort to renew what has grown stale, what has plateaued and what needs a jump start. I have noticed a very strong trend in the improvements most prospects and clients are buying. Most are buying video to enhance their web site and buying mobile sites to increase their visibility. But almost no one is retooling or redesigning their web sites. Bells and whistles are being added and those are good. That sharpens the saw. But, what about the Internet strategies that really need some work? Adding video there is not nearly as impactful as having a much improved site, especially if a redesign makes it more user friendly and search engine friendly.
So, I suggest to things: First... be the ant. Second... be honest about your web site. If you need a new one, sharpen the saw for your business. And, to empower and offer incentive for you to do this, Dog Star Media is going to make a standing offer that is good through August 31, 2010. If you buy a 30-page Flash/HTML web site ($7500), then we will offer four-minutes of web drop video (the doctor speaking to the site visitor on a transparent background) for free. This is a $4800 financial value and a highly significant site upgrade. The HTML/Flash/Video site is the most competitive site out there. It is search engine friendly, makes a high-end impression and is highly competitive with the doctor making a video first impression.
How can we make this offer even better? We will customize payment plans to your convenience. Normally, we break up a web site into three equal payments. But, if it helps you make this step, I will bend our rules and we can work out a payment plan of equal payments that makes you comfortable with choosing to sharpen this saw.
Please let me know if you are interested in our Summer Web Site Special. Free video with an HTML/Flash web site only through August 31, 2010. Get it while it’s hot! If you are interested, please contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Great New HTML/Flash/Video Web Site
We’d like to congratulate Martin Abelar, DDS on the launch of his new web site. This web site combines the aesthetics of a high end cosmetic dentistry web site (including video introductions by the doctor) and an HTML framework that is ideal for keyword optimization.
All Dog Star Media web sites are custom designs. However, there are certain principles that we build into each design if the client allows us. From a design point of view, we suggest a classic design heirarchy to keep visitors engaged. From an optimization point of view, we recommend a blend of design elements that allow us to make keyword changes that can be read by search engine spiders. From a sales point of view, nothing sells like video of the doctor talking and we highly recommend that. Video allows site visitors to hear the doctor, see his or her inflections and get a feel for his or her personality. These are all major advantages of video on a web site which can begin to build trust.
This new site includes all of these elements in a custom-built design specifically for Dr. Abelar’s desired look and feel. We can do this for you, too. If you are ready to energize and update your Internet strategy, please contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com
All Dog Star Media web sites are custom designs. However, there are certain principles that we build into each design if the client allows us. From a design point of view, we suggest a classic design heirarchy to keep visitors engaged. From an optimization point of view, we recommend a blend of design elements that allow us to make keyword changes that can be read by search engine spiders. From a sales point of view, nothing sells like video of the doctor talking and we highly recommend that. Video allows site visitors to hear the doctor, see his or her inflections and get a feel for his or her personality. These are all major advantages of video on a web site which can begin to build trust.
This new site includes all of these elements in a custom-built design specifically for Dr. Abelar’s desired look and feel. We can do this for you, too. If you are ready to energize and update your Internet strategy, please contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
New Web Site by Dog Star Media
We have several new web sites that will be debuting over the next few weeks. Congratulations to Mark Gladstein, MD on the launch of his new web site. In addition to cosmetic dentists and cosmetic surgeons, we are beginning to get requests from pain doctors and spinal surgeons for web sites.
This is an information-packed site that is a great guide to understanding his services for pain management. Being dense in copy is a good thing when it comes to optimization. One of the most criticized elements of SEO is the lengthy copy which is necessary. Most people do not understand that rankings are all about relevance. In order to be relevant, your keywords need to appear in the text and the text needs to be substantial in comparison with competitors for that keyword. Frequently, the instructions we get from our SEO audit tell us to write copy blocks of a specific length in order to be considered relevant on that term by search engines. Then, within in that copy block, the keywords are seeded at a specified density. In a nutshell, this describes the basic instructions for keyword SEO.
If you are interested in a new web site or in Search Engine Optimization, please let me know. You can contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
This is an information-packed site that is a great guide to understanding his services for pain management. Being dense in copy is a good thing when it comes to optimization. One of the most criticized elements of SEO is the lengthy copy which is necessary. Most people do not understand that rankings are all about relevance. In order to be relevant, your keywords need to appear in the text and the text needs to be substantial in comparison with competitors for that keyword. Frequently, the instructions we get from our SEO audit tell us to write copy blocks of a specific length in order to be considered relevant on that term by search engines. Then, within in that copy block, the keywords are seeded at a specified density. In a nutshell, this describes the basic instructions for keyword SEO.
If you are interested in a new web site or in Search Engine Optimization, please let me know. You can contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Facebook Special
There are several cosmetic surgeons out there that are doing a good job on using Facebook to cultivate a following and generate leads for surgery. I know because I see many of them. But most of the Facebook attempts I see right now are practices reinventing the wheel and not getting very far.
Here is a quick primer on using social networking to generate leads, not just benefit your practice from a visibility point of view. Start by showing some personality, not just making business posts. In a business like cosmetic surgery or cosmetic dentistry where trust is so important, it gives you a huge advantage if people like you going in. It is possible to use your Facebook account to propagate information and promote certain specials but HOW you do it more important than what you are saying. The posts that turn up leads are part of bigger ongoing conversation and you have to be present for that conversation in this medium. Otherwise any offers you put out there are just another ad, unlikely to get a response.
Next, you have to embrace the immediacy of the medium. Most people who are active on Facebook check their accounts several times each day. They scan for what is interesting and move on. So, you have to be timely and know that responses will be timely. This means deadlines. Put an offer out there and have a short deadline on it. If no one bites, try the next day with something else.
Finally, making your offer available for redemption on Facebook will encourage others to reply or get involved once they see others doing it. Facebook has a high Monkey-See, Monkey-Do quality about it and one comment can open up all kinds of discussion or commentary. Staying involved in that conversation opens up new relationships or gives you greater understanding of existing relationships.
Here is an example. The hottest seller at Dog Star Media right now are mobile web sites. This is probably because everybody’s mobile traffic went up in the last month and some jumped significantly. So, I chose this high interest item for this example. Today, to coincide with this blog, we are running a Facebook-only promotion. Offline, we are running four special offers right now at Dog Star Media ranging from $4000 off a Flash/HTML web site with 4 minutes of video, to first month of coaching or SEO free to 5 additional pages for a new starter mobile site. However, today only on Facebook, we are offering 10 additional pages on a new starter mobile site for the first three who respond here on our Facebook page. If you have any interest, I would hurry up because of the limitation on time and spaces available. Just say you want it in the comments under the offer.
So what happens if no one replies today? Nothing is lost, only the one-minute it took to write up the offer. You have to have that mindset going in. My prospects and clients move a lot slower on Facebook than yours simply because what you are selling has such an emotional impact. If you can get people talking about cosmetic enhancements, you can really get the ball rolling online. Maybe a few people will get a great deal on a starter mobile site today but at the very least, you have template you can copy to get your offers going. And, use this advice to make it personal.
If you have any questions about mobile sites or social networking, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Here is a quick primer on using social networking to generate leads, not just benefit your practice from a visibility point of view. Start by showing some personality, not just making business posts. In a business like cosmetic surgery or cosmetic dentistry where trust is so important, it gives you a huge advantage if people like you going in. It is possible to use your Facebook account to propagate information and promote certain specials but HOW you do it more important than what you are saying. The posts that turn up leads are part of bigger ongoing conversation and you have to be present for that conversation in this medium. Otherwise any offers you put out there are just another ad, unlikely to get a response.
Next, you have to embrace the immediacy of the medium. Most people who are active on Facebook check their accounts several times each day. They scan for what is interesting and move on. So, you have to be timely and know that responses will be timely. This means deadlines. Put an offer out there and have a short deadline on it. If no one bites, try the next day with something else.
Finally, making your offer available for redemption on Facebook will encourage others to reply or get involved once they see others doing it. Facebook has a high Monkey-See, Monkey-Do quality about it and one comment can open up all kinds of discussion or commentary. Staying involved in that conversation opens up new relationships or gives you greater understanding of existing relationships.
Here is an example. The hottest seller at Dog Star Media right now are mobile web sites. This is probably because everybody’s mobile traffic went up in the last month and some jumped significantly. So, I chose this high interest item for this example. Today, to coincide with this blog, we are running a Facebook-only promotion. Offline, we are running four special offers right now at Dog Star Media ranging from $4000 off a Flash/HTML web site with 4 minutes of video, to first month of coaching or SEO free to 5 additional pages for a new starter mobile site. However, today only on Facebook, we are offering 10 additional pages on a new starter mobile site for the first three who respond here on our Facebook page. If you have any interest, I would hurry up because of the limitation on time and spaces available. Just say you want it in the comments under the offer.
So what happens if no one replies today? Nothing is lost, only the one-minute it took to write up the offer. You have to have that mindset going in. My prospects and clients move a lot slower on Facebook than yours simply because what you are selling has such an emotional impact. If you can get people talking about cosmetic enhancements, you can really get the ball rolling online. Maybe a few people will get a great deal on a starter mobile site today but at the very least, you have template you can copy to get your offers going. And, use this advice to make it personal.
If you have any questions about mobile sites or social networking, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
SEO numbers are in for April
April saw some pretty big jumps in web traffic for our clients. Dog Star Media SEO clients experienced a 6.6% increase in web traffic last month. That included some pretty big jumps by some clients and, for others, it meant the continuation of steady progress.
And, the story continues to be mobile device uses. Today Apple released news that the 1Millionth iPad was sold. And, today, following analysis of their SEO results, I had to inform two clients that they had reached the 5% mark (5% of site visitors coming on mobile devices), which is the point where you should have starter mobile site. One client jumped solidly up to the 10% mark. And, no one slid backwards on mobile devices referencing their site. It appears this trend is continuing and being reinforced by the new equipment that is out there.
We are offering a special this month on mobile sites that includes 5 additional pages on a starter 12-page mobile site. We have also loosened our restrictions and will now place three Before/After cases on a page. And, more and more clients continue to come to us for mobile sites right now. Mobile site orders are outpacing web site orders by a rate of 10-1 over the past two months.
If you are interested in starting a mobile site strategy, please let me know. You can contact me directly at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
And, the story continues to be mobile device uses. Today Apple released news that the 1Millionth iPad was sold. And, today, following analysis of their SEO results, I had to inform two clients that they had reached the 5% mark (5% of site visitors coming on mobile devices), which is the point where you should have starter mobile site. One client jumped solidly up to the 10% mark. And, no one slid backwards on mobile devices referencing their site. It appears this trend is continuing and being reinforced by the new equipment that is out there.
We are offering a special this month on mobile sites that includes 5 additional pages on a starter 12-page mobile site. We have also loosened our restrictions and will now place three Before/After cases on a page. And, more and more clients continue to come to us for mobile sites right now. Mobile site orders are outpacing web site orders by a rate of 10-1 over the past two months.
If you are interested in starting a mobile site strategy, please let me know. You can contact me directly at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Most requested item lately: Video
It appears that video is back. In the past few weeks, we have had an unusually high number of requests for new video. I attribute this to two things. 1) Generally, everyone is reporting that business is going well and in most cases on its way up. And 2) most video on our markets’ web sites is old by now. Whatever the motivators, more people are improving the video content they have on their web sites and reception area
Video is one of the most valuable tools for a web site. It is an opportunity for the doctor or dentist to make the best possible first impression. Properly designed into a web site, video can offer an insightful and high-quality look at the doctor and the practice on demand. Whether you do this with a tour video, testimonial video, educational video, or narrative video where the doctor appears in video as part of the web site presentation, as a rich medium, video cannot be beaten.
The most popular video we do, we call a “web drop.” We coined that phrase early in the decade when we introduced Flash Video to cosmetic dentistry and cosmetic surgery with sites we designed. With a web drop, we shoot video of the doctor against a green screen background. Under our expert direction, we assure that the lines are delivered properly and with confidence in order to make the best first impression. This is a key element in our process as the performance must be good to be convincing. In post-production, we eliminate the green background and can them import just the doctor’s image into the web site as video.
The result is the doctor speaking with a transparent background that makes it look like he is part of the web site. This is a relatively simple technique but it requires good video skills and good web design skills. Most clients who order this like the fact that video is on the site without a video area or a traditional video box. This sleek design, when built into a web site is very convincing. This is why we are running a special through May 22 of this year on new HTML/Flash/Video web sites. If you want to know the special, email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com to get information on the gift card special.
If you are interested in refreshing your video or adding video to your site, just ask. You can contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com or by phone at 888-321-4004.
Video is one of the most valuable tools for a web site. It is an opportunity for the doctor or dentist to make the best possible first impression. Properly designed into a web site, video can offer an insightful and high-quality look at the doctor and the practice on demand. Whether you do this with a tour video, testimonial video, educational video, or narrative video where the doctor appears in video as part of the web site presentation, as a rich medium, video cannot be beaten.
The most popular video we do, we call a “web drop.” We coined that phrase early in the decade when we introduced Flash Video to cosmetic dentistry and cosmetic surgery with sites we designed. With a web drop, we shoot video of the doctor against a green screen background. Under our expert direction, we assure that the lines are delivered properly and with confidence in order to make the best first impression. This is a key element in our process as the performance must be good to be convincing. In post-production, we eliminate the green background and can them import just the doctor’s image into the web site as video.
The result is the doctor speaking with a transparent background that makes it look like he is part of the web site. This is a relatively simple technique but it requires good video skills and good web design skills. Most clients who order this like the fact that video is on the site without a video area or a traditional video box. This sleek design, when built into a web site is very convincing. This is why we are running a special through May 22 of this year on new HTML/Flash/Video web sites. If you want to know the special, email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com to get information on the gift card special.
If you are interested in refreshing your video or adding video to your site, just ask. You can contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com or by phone at 888-321-4004.
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