ADA COMPLIANCE: IS YOUR DENTAL WEBSITE PUTTING YOU AT RISK?

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Let’s talk about the Federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA became law in 1990. It’s a civil rights law aimed at stopping discrimination of those with disabilities in all areas of their public life. The law requires some businesses to make certain accommodations. Yes, this includes accessibility at a physical location for service animals, wheelchairs, and the use of braille. This compliance also reaches into the digital world. ADA compliance is necessary for your dental practice website.

A Real Issue for Dentists

You may have heard about several dentists near Austin, Texas, who received official letters because their websites were not compliant. Yes, it does happen. Your dental practice is vulnerable to legal action if your website does not comply with the ADA. Talk about a stressful situation that could cost thousands and thousands of dollars!

This is a serious and dangerous situation for you as a business owner. It’s important to remember that the 50 million or so Americans who live with disabilities, including our great veterans, still have teeth and require (and deserve) an incredible patient experience. An accessible website ensures anyone who is deaf, blind, or suffering from other physical impairment can still engage your website in a meaningful way.

This blog will provide some guidelines for your practice so you can be more inclusive and show that you’ve made a good faith effort to comply.

*I would encourage you to speak with a disability lawyer if you have any specific legal concerns. This post is not legally binding, nor is it legal advice. Per J. Craig Busey, ADA general counsel, it is advised that dentists check with their respective state dental society for a white paper about the issue of ADA compliance.*

How to Get Started

Here is some ugly truth… Just because you hired a web designer or marketing company to create your website does not mean it is ADA compliant. Dental practices can be susceptible to lawsuits. Your practice is, unfortunately, a prime target as you typically have high collections but not the deep corporate pockets to fight your case over the long haul.

While the guidelines of ADA compliance aren’t fully set in stone, under Title III of the ADA, healthcare professionals and businesses that provide a “place of public accommodation”, need to be ADA compliant. A dental practice will, most likely, fall into these categories.

Listed below are some steps you can take toward ADA compliance for your dental website:

Text: Text must be changeable with regard to size and contrast mode. Contrast adjustment makes it easier for those with visual impairment to see and read the content.
Audio, Images & Videos: Add Alt tags which allow a user to hear alternative descriptors of content they may not be able to view. Include text transcripts and subtitles for video content as well.
Text Only Version: Some users will only be able to navigate your site with a keyboard interface. Technology like screen readers needs to be able to navigate your website. Alexa and Siri, too!
Forms: Any forms that are downloadable from your site need to meet ADA standards. They must be accessible to everyone.
Layout: Links, Menus, and buttons should be designed so they are clearly separate from one another and easily recognizable on your site.

ADA compliance is great for SEO as well. The added steps and additional descriptors on various pieces of content make it easier for search engines to crawl, index and understand your website, pushing it up the organic search results and getting your site in front of more users.

Non-Compliance Woes

There are many downsides to non-compliance. Aside from the risk of legal action, you are missing out on revenue. Those disabled in your community still have teeth and still deserve to be cared for. Your competitors are probably not focused on ADA compliance. That means those disabled patients nearby can’t use their website. Give those patients the opportunity to use yours.

Summary

We talk a lot about branding and building relationships at GPG. This is a fantastic way to do that while also protecting your practice from real risk. Give ALL patients the opportunity to engage and become loyal brand advocates who will refer and promote your practice. Everyone deserves an amazing patient experience.

We believe your website is more than just a static digital placeholder. Every website we create at Grow Practice Grow is ADA compliant and responsive. Nothing is canned or template. Nothing is stock.

The best way to ensure your practice is safe is to speak to our team of Dental Marketing Experts. Right now you can get a free, no-obligation digital marketing audit. This free audit is an in-depth reporting of your current Website and SEO presence, presented in an easy to read A-F scaled breakdown.

You want a beautiful, custom website that everyone can access. You want to serve all members of your community. You want to protect your business from unnecessary legal risk. Let us help you!

Consult a disability lawyer with specific questions regarding the law. Our marketing firm does not provide legal advice nor does this blog constitute as legal advice.

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How Google Ask Maps Will Change How You Attract Patients

By Sean Hamel • January 23, 2025

Google’s new Ask Maps feature is a game changer for dental practices. As the AI-powered replacement for the outdated Google Q&A tool, Ask Maps allows patients to ask specific questions about your practice and receive instant, accurate responses. This isn’t just an update, it’s an opportunity for dentists to connect with more patients and build trust in a highly competitive market. What Is Ask Maps? Ask Maps is a feature in Google Maps that uses artificial intelligence to provide answers based on trusted data. It pulls information from your Google Business Profile, reviews, website, and other reliable sources to respond to user questions. Examples of what patients might ask include: Do they offer Invisalign? How do I book an appointment? What do their reviews say about their cosmetic dentistry services? The AI responds with detailed, accurate answers tailored to your practice, eliminating outdated user-generated responses. Why Dentists Should Care About Ask Maps Patients often decide on a provider based on the information they find online. Ask Maps ensures they receive accurate, engaging answers about your services, helping you stand out from the competition. An optimized presence on Ask Maps can result in higher trust, increased patient inquiries, and more appointments booked. How Ask Maps Works Ask Maps gathers data from: Google Business Profile : Details like your services, operating hours, and photos. Reviews : Google reviews and those from third-party platforms. Your Website : Key content about your practice, team, and services. Social Media : Profiles such as Facebook and LinkedIn are also considered if other data sources are insufficient. If your online presence isn’t robust, Ask Maps may fail to provide answers, potentially costing you opportunities. How to Maximize Your Practice’s Presence on Ask Maps Here are actionable steps you can take to optimize your online presence: 1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile Ensure all practice information is accurate, including hours, services, and contact details. Regularly update high-quality photos of your office, team, and equipment. 2. Enhance Your Website Provide detailed answers to common patient questions like “What does a root canal involve?” or “How do I know if I need braces?” Include professional images, videos, and clear calls to action to improve engagement. 3. Encourage Reviews Ask satisfied patients to leave Google reviews. Respond to all reviews (positive or negative) to show professionalism and care. 4. Maintain Social Media Profiles Keep platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn updated with accurate and consistent information. Use these channels to share patient success stories, team introductions, and practice updates. 5. Regularly Update Photos Upload fresh, high-quality images to your Google Business Profile and website to maintain relevance and engagement. Why Story-Based Marketing is the Key to Success At The Art of Dental Marketing, we understand that facts alone don’t drive patient decisions, stories do. That’s why we developed the StoryBuilt™ Engine , which combines advanced SEO with story-based marketing to help your practice connect emotionally with patients while ranking higher in search results. SEO That Converts : Our strategies ensure that patients find your practice when they search for services in your area. Story-Based Content That Resonates : Patients want to feel understood. By using stories, we help you build trust and loyalty with your audience. Story-based marketing enhances how tools like Ask Maps present your practice, ensuring your message is emotionally compelling and highly visible. Take the Next Step Ask Maps is just the beginning of AI’s impact on patient engagement. Ensure your practice is positioned for success by leveraging this new tool alongside proven marketing strategies. Schedule a call with our CEO, Sean, today to learn how we can optimize your online presence, attract more patients, and help your practice thrive. Let’s tell your story and grow your practice together.

How to Move Your Website Without Losing SEO

January 22, 2025

Website migration is a critical step for dental practices looking to switch marketing providers or improve their online presence. However, a poorly executed migration can lead to lost search engine rankings, reduced traffic, and patient confusion. Most dentists want better marketing without the hassle of building a new website. By understanding the key aspects of website migration, you can guide your marketing team to protect your online visibility and ensure a smooth transition. Why Website Migration Matters for Dentists A website migration involves moving your website to a new provider, hosting platform, or content management system. This process often comes with goals like improving site speed, security, or user experience. While these improvements are valuable, mishandling the migration process can cause significant issues. When search engines can’t find your pages due to broken links or missing redirects, your rankings drop. This makes it harder for patients to find you online. Traffic decreases, and potential patients may visit competitors instead. Revenue can be affected if these issues persist. What to Ask Your Marketing Team Before Migrating To safeguard your practice during a website migration, it’s essential to ask your marketing team key questions: Are you backing up the current website? A full backup of all content, images, and settings ensures nothing is permanently lost if issues arise during migration. Will you implement 301 redirects? Redirects are crucial for maintaining your search engine rankings. They ensure patients and search engines are directed to the correct pages on the new site. Are you auditing the current site’s content and performance? Identify high-value pages with the most traffic, backlinks, or conversions. These pages need special attention to protect their rankings and visibility. How will you protect SEO elements? Your marketing team should carefully review and update metadata, internal links, and header tags to preserve your search engine performance. Is there a testing process before launch? A staging environment allows your marketers to check for broken links, missing content, and technical issues before the new site goes live. Common Pitfalls to Avoid During Migration Mistakes during migration can harm your online presence. Broken links frustrate visitors and lead to lost traffic. Missing pages cause confusion for patients and damage your credibility. Slow load times hurt your user experience and can negatively impact your search engine rankings. Introducing BYOW: Bring Your Own Website At The Art of Dental Marketing, we understand that dentists want better marketing without starting from scratch. That’s why we offer BYOW... Bring Your Own Website. You can come to ADM with your existing website and still take full advantage of our Storybuilt™ Marketing Engine. Our process is designed to make transitions seamless. We protect your SEO, handle the technical details, and transform your website into a powerful marketing tool that creates emotional connections with patients and drives real growth for your practice. How The Art of Dental Marketing Can Help Unlike other agencies, we don’t require you to build a new website to work with us. Our team ensures your SEO is protected during the migration, handles the technical aspects, and makes the process quick and stress-free. With our Storybuilt™ Marketing Engine, we amplify your website’s impact, making it a tool for meaningful patient engagement and practice growth. How to Move Forward If you’re considering switching marketing providers but want to avoid the hassle of building a new website, The Art of Dental Marketing is here to help. With BYOW, you bring what you’ve got, and we’ll handle the rest. Contact us today to learn how we can make your website transition easy and effective. Protect your practice’s online presence and keep attracting patients with a seamless migration.