How to integrate patient scheduling with your website & social media accounts

73% of online scheduling appointments are booked after hours when the office is closed. The most successful practices use their dental marketing efforts to drive more appointments by making their booking easy to find for patients to self-serve, no matter what time of day. This includes on your website, on social media, in your practice’s Google Business listing–anywhere your patients are. With NexHealth it’s convenient links and ready-to-post widgets, your online scheduling will be more accessible–and successful– than ever.

Best practices for online scheduling on your website

Convert your dental marketing work into appointments by adding your online scheduling to your website. When adding to your site, it's essential to place the scheduling tool in a location that is easy to find and use.

Here are some best practices for adding online scheduling to your website:

Place an online scheduling widget prominently on the homepage

Make the option to book online prominent from the moment a patient first accesses our website. This will streamline the experience for patients who already know they want to book, and subtly guide patients who are still making the decision. Note how Aayu Clinics places their online booking widget front and center on their homepage.

Add an easy link to your online scheduling in the site navigation

 Make it easy for patients to access online scheduling  from anywhere in your site by adding it to the navigation at the top of all your pages, like Weideman Dentistry does. This functionally turns every page on your website into a conversion point.

Make sure your buttons have a clear call-to-action

Use a prominent button or call-to-action on the website to ensure there is no confusion about the action they are taking and to encourage visitors to schedule an appointment. This can include phrases such as "Book Now" or "Schedule Your Appointment."

Make it mobile-friendly

Ensure that the scheduling tool is mobile-friendly and responsive to different screen sizes to collect more appointments from patients across all devices, making your dental marketing more effective from every access point.

Here’s how to easily add your NexHealth Online Booking to your website:

1. To ensure you have attractive buttons that stand out, NexHealth has pre-coded widgets for your online scheduling. You can find your widgets by navigating to Setup, then choosing the Widgets tab.
2. When you have decided on the appropriate widget type (including by location, providers, and even appointment types), you can then choose your preferred color. The color can also easily be customized in the HTML.
3. The code found beneath the sample button. Copy the HTML code found here and provide it to your Web Developer or IT person, or--if you maintain your website yourself--add it to the site in your desired locations.
4. Widgets are live by default, so the moment it is on your site, you can begin collecting more appointments!

Drive more appointments from search with Online Scheduling on Google Business

Adding online scheduling to a Google Business listing can be a great way to streamline conversion on your SEO and make the appointment booking process accessible for patients. Here are some best practices for adding online scheduling to your Google Business listing:

Ensure accuracy

Reduce patient confusion and make sure that the information on your Google Business listing matches the information on your online scheduling platform. This includes your services, the providers’ availability, and contact information for your office.

Provide clear instructions

For some patients, this may be their first time booking an appointment online. Provide clear instructions on how to schedule an appointment through your Google Business page to assist them and capture more appointments from patients of all tech savviness. This can include step-by-step instructions or a video tutorial, like this one from Bastida Dental.

Optimize your listing by monitoring and responding to your reviews

Monitor feedback on your Google Business listing and respond promptly to any questions or concerns. This can help build trust and credibility with potential patients, as well as drive return visits. See how Walnut Creek Dental collected over 125+ new patient reviews and more appointments.

To add your NexHealth Online Booking Link to your Google Business listing:

1. Sign into your Google My Business account.
2. If you have multiple businesses or locations, be sure to choose the Business listing that you want to edit.
3. Click on the URLs section. This will display options fields where you can populate the links you’d like to include
4. Add your Online Scheduling link from the Widgets tab into the correct field, below your website.

Make use of social proof with online scheduling on your Facebook page

Social proof is one of the strongest forms of dental marketing, since patients tend to rely on word-of-mouth over all other referrals. On Facebook, they will not only see a curated description and timeline of your practice, but also which of their friends are also engaging with you. For that reason, adding online scheduling to a Facebook page can be an effective way for a dental practice to tap into your patients’ networks and to provide a convenient experience that drives more appointments. Here are some best practices for adding online scheduling to your Facebook page:

Add your online scheduling link to your bio. 

The bio is typically the first section of the page patients will see, so ensure it is a conversion tool by including your online scheduling link there.

Make use of the Call to Action field. 

In addition to the bio, Facebook also has the option to add a Call to Action field on any business page. This will allow you to change the label to Book Now, making it very clear to patients what action they are taking when they select your link. For patients who are already looking for a direct line to your practice, this will draw the eye and make the booking experience even more convenient.

Add the link to the bottom of the captions on your posts. 

Since posts will show up in the news feeds of your followers and the friends of those who engage with you, add the link to the bottom of your captions. This turns each post into a dental marketing tool, since they will be exposed to your practice and given an opportunity to turn their views into an appointment.

To add your NexHealth Online Booking link to your Facebook page

1. Log in to your Facebook account and go to your page's cover photo.
2. Click on Create Call-to-action.
3. Select Book now. Add your NexHealth Online Booking Link.
4. Click Create to save.

Use Instagram for more visual dental marketing without missing appointments

In addition to Facebook, practices can also use online scheduling on Instagram to market to a different social audience. Instagram is a more visual medium, which will lend well to sharing your attractive office and sharing beautiful images of your work. Learn more about using Instagram for dental marketing here. Adding your online scheduling on Instagram will convert those viewers into more appointments. But as a more visual medium, you are more limited in the options to share links.

Place your Online Scheduling link in the link field of your profile. 

Instagram only allows for one link in your bio, everything else will just convert to text. For the more direct approach, you can place your Online Scheduling link directly in that field, like Grand Street Dental does on their profile.

Alternately, you can use a link tree in the link field. 

If you have lots of links, you can add your Booking Link to a Link Tree. This will give you a single link to add your bio while directing patients to a variety of links, including your Online Scheduling. Les Belles NYC does this perfectly, highlighting their NexHealth Online Booking, website, and a charity they care about.

Enhance your dental marketing impact with hashtags and locations on your posts. 

One way to supercharge your dental marketing impact is to make your page easier to find for potential patients. Add 3-5 relevant hashtags to each post and be sure to add your neighborhood or even the practice itself to the location on every post. When you do this, patients will be able to navigate to your practice and book more appointments using either the hashtag or location services, even if they haven’t yet learned your practice’s name.

To add your NexHealth Online Booking to Instagram

1. Go to your profile and tap on the Edit Profile button.
2. In the Website field, enter your NexHealth online booking URL.
3. Save the changes. Tap on “Done.”

Use the TikTok algorithm to introduce yourself to more patients and encourage online scheduling

The TikTok algorithm is primarily designed to promote and distribute content based on user engagement and interests, which may introduce your practice to more patients in the market for a new provider. While the platform is primarily used for entertainment purposes, you can leverage its popularity and powerful algorithm for dental marketing and to generate more appointments.

Add your online scheduling link to your bio 

Like Instagram, TikTok is limited when it comes to links. We recommend adding your online scheduling link to your bio or a linktree and referencing it in your content, “ex: To get the same results, book at the link in our bio.” See how Dr. Markelle, The Dancing Dentist, has smoothly used their bio to generate more appointments with NexHealth Online Booking.

Create content to attract patients 

One way to do this is by creating fun, informative, and educational videos that address specific patient concerns or your office culture. These videos can be fast paced and very casual, or more produced, depending on your practice’s preferences and brand. Learn more about using TikTok for dental marketing here.

In conclusion, adding online scheduling to your dental practice's website, Google Business listing, and social media pages is an effective way to streamline the appointment booking process and drive more appointments from patients.

By following the best practices, such as making the online scheduling tool more prominent, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and providing clear instructions, dental practices can improve their online presence and attract more patients to drive more appointment bookings. With tools like

NexHealth Online Booking, implementing online scheduling on your website and Google Business listing is easier than ever before, and can be a game-changer for your dental marketing efforts.