Take a peek into your dental practice’s waiting room and you’re sure to see a picture quite different than just 10 short years ago. Instead of anxious children running about or tugging on mom’s arm while she tries to read a magazine, there’s a quiet room of people staring into their electronic devices.

Cell phones and tablets have become not only an integral part of our lives but nearly an additional limb!

But while a free Wi-Fi connection converts waiting room chaos into peaceful bliss, your real concern in 2017 should be how the mobile age is affecting your business. Namely, whether your current website is mobile-friendly.

Why it Matters

Did you know that more than 50% of all mobile web searches are for local businesses?

As more consumers turn to mobile first when looking for new providers, it just makes sense to provide potential patients the best browsing experience possible.

Frustrate a user with a site that’s not optimized for mobile and there’s a good chance they’ll hit the back button and find a different dentist.

It’s also a question of providing quality customer service. Should a patient need to find your location, contact details or other information while en route to the office, it only makes sense to have this data available quickly and easily via their mobile device.

Check your website

Never presume that your website is mobile friendly (especially if you’re not 100% certain what that really means). Plug your URL into this easy-to-use test page by Google and see what the experts have to say about it.

If the prognosis is positive, awesome, move on to the next test. If not, we’re sorry to say that you’ve got a new #1 item to scribble in at the top of your marketing to-do list.

A thumb’s up from Google is great but nothing beats the opinion of a real-life human. After all, your patients are real people and not a search engine.

Next, whip out your own cellphone and plug in your web address. Navigate your web pages and see how easy they are to use. Imagine you’re a potential new patient. Can you find all the information you need quickly and easily? Is it easy to book an appointment? Do all buttons, links, forms and menus work as they should?

For good measure, ask a couple friends, colleagues, family members or patients to give your page a whirl on their mobile devices, too. Remember that not all devices will display your page in the same way. Screen size, resolution, operating system, device type and even the direction a user is holding their phone can alter the look/usability of your page.

If your website does not pass these tests to your satisfaction speak to your web development firm about making sure your site is “responsive”. It’s becoming ever more critical to marketing a successful practice.