Developer SOS - How we stopped the rot - a Dental Practice Case Study

Like Hannibal from the ‘A’ Team, Inspire Web Development loves it when a plan comes together.

And that’s just what happened when two of our specialities came together on the Park Practice website project earlier this year: creating tailored sites for dental professionals and making the most of our clients’ existing web presence as part of our Developer SOS service.

We met some of the staff from Glasgow’s Park Practice at the Scottish Dental Show at Hampden in May 2013, when we were showing off the great websites we’ve created for dental practices across Scotland. They told us that their own site needed a bit of a ‘facelift’ – quite appropriate for a business that also carries out minor cosmetic treatments. They also told us that parts of their existing site were difficult to use – so they didn’t use them. In particular, their Joomla website CMS – or customer management system – was quite cumbersome. Even worse, the version of Joomla the site used was very old and vulnerable. As a result, the Park Practice didn’t feel they were getting full value from their online presence as it didn't accurately reflect what they were currently up to.  

So, we sunk our teeth into the job. First, we tackled the hard part by redesigning the ‘back end’ of the Park Practice website to make it secure and easy to use. We then integrated a custom-built Inspire CMS into the front end of the website. Our CMS is designed specifically to be easy to use, because if it is easy to use, clients will be more inclined to use it. If they're more inclined to use it, then they’re more likely to get value from it. More value = a better ROI for our customers = big smiles all round.

With the back end complete, we tackled the home page. The key messages and content were still accurate, but not well laid out. We applied the Lean ERIC approach (Eliminate; Reduce; Improve; Create) to create space for an improved layout. We then illustrated the range of services on offer and key messages with bright, attractive images. We also included a quotation from one of Park Practice dentists, to set the tone of the site and build trust. The ‘calls to action’ (which you’ll remember from an earlier blog) are also now very prominent, making it easy for new and existing clients to make an appointment or get a call back. The end result was a much improved website, and some very happy dentists.

So if your current dental practice website sets your teeth on edge, bite the bullet and contact Inspire. We’ll fight tooth (and nail) to create a website that does exactly what you need it to do – and you can be guaranteed that as experienced web professionals, we’ll never bite off more than we can chew!
 

David Dwyer is Managing Director of Inspire Web Development. He has years of experience in a range of web and IT roles plus seven years in sales and marketing in a blue-chip FMCG company. David’s academic and professional qualifications include a BA (Hons) in Business Economics (Personnel & Ergonomics) from the University of Paisley, an MSc in Information Technology (Systems) from Heriot- Computer Society. He is also active within BNI Fair City (Perth), Business for Scotland and the Entrepreneurial Exchange. 

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