Preface

Preface

I can’t believe it’s been thirteen years!

When I published the first version of the Dental Website Owner’s Manual in 2012 (it was the “Web Design Workbook” back then), I never dreamed that it would become the resounding success that it is today! Far from planning it as the definitive resource on planning a website, I wrote the original book to help answer questions that I received repeatedly from my consulting, web development and SEO clients.

The Internet Marketing landscape has certainly changed in the last thirteen years. As someone who owns or manages an online presence (or is building a new one), you need to be aware of these changes, and how they can and will affect your business. Fortunately, the core concepts that provide the foundation for success haven’t changed that much over this time period.

In writing this fourth edition the book and putting it fully online, I made sure that the book would benefit people who have read the previous versions as well as new readers. For those of you who have read prior versions of the book, some of the early content will serve as a refresher course for you. Please don’t be frustrated with me for the tiny bit of repurposed content; instead, thank me for the fact that the advice I gave you all those years ago is still relevant today!

eCommerce

This book does not cover eCommerce concepts or considerations for running an e-Commerce website (taxes, products, inventories, digital downloads, refunds, legal issues). The core concepts about site building do apply, however, the intricacies of setting up and running a successful e-Commerce website are beyond the scope of this book.

Dental Website Owner's Manual

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Start Here

  • Copyright and Notice of Non-Liability
  • Preface
  • Welcome to your New and Improved Dental Website!
  • Who Am I and Why Did I Write this Book?
  • Interactivity and Online Resources
  • How do Book Updates Work?
  • What if I Have a Question?

Introduction

  • Why Do You Need a Website for Your Dental Office?

The Internet Marketing Workflow

  • Dr. Wank's Internet Marketing Workflow - Introduction and Overview
  • Phase I: Initial Website Planning, Development and Setup 🍿
  • Phase II: Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Website Marketing and Lead Generation 🍿
  • Phase III: Website Analytics and Tracking 🍿
  • Phase IV: Website Maintenance and Backups
  • The Next Step

01. Domain Names and Domain Registration

  • 01.1: Domain Name Overview
  • 01.2: Domain Name Purchasing Tips
  • 01.3: Registering a Domain Name (add video)
  • 01.4: What you Need to Know
  • 01.5: How to find out who owns a domain name 🍿

02. Website Hosting

  • 02.1: Introduction to Dental Website Hosting
  • 02.2: Website Host Features (CL)
  • 02.3: Website Backups and Support
  • 02.4: What you need to know
  • 02.5: How to check your SSL Certificate 🍿

03. The Anatomy of a Web Page

  • 3.1: The Big Picture
  • 3.2: Elements of a Web Page

04. Web Page Layouts

  • 04.1: Page Layouts
  • 04.2: Exploring Different Types of Dental Website Pages and their Design 🍿

05. WordPress and the CMS

  • 05.1: The Big Picture - Types of Websites
  • 05.2: Static Websites vs. WordPress (WP) Websites – A Comparison

06. Responsive Design

  • 06.1: Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile, Oh My!
  • 06.2 How to run Google's mobile friendly test 🍿

07. Navigation and Design Considerations

  • 07.1: First the Foundation, Now the Structure
  • 07.2: What is a Mega Menu?
  • 07.3: Mobile Menus
  • 07.4: Website Fonts
  • 07.5: Formatting Website Text
  • 07.6: Cross-Browser and Cross-Platform Testing

08. Website Features

  • 08.1: Critical Website Features
  • 08.2: Adjunct Website Features

09. Images, Photos and Pictures

  • 09.01: What's in a Name?
  • 09.2: Legalese for Images

10. Videos and Your Website

  • 10.1: Video is great – but like everything else in life, moderation is key. 
  • 10.2: SEO for Videos
  • 10.3: Final Video Tips

11. Contact information, Website Forms, Email and Chat

  • 11.1: Basic Contact Information
  • 11.2: Website and Staff Emails
  • 11.3: Website Forms
  • 11.4: Appointment Forms
  • 11.5: Tracking Forms and Website hat
  • 11.5: Tracking Forms and Website Chat

12. Design – Legal Information

  • 12.1: Website Legal Issues
  • 12.2: HIPAA, PCI Compliance and Accessibility

13. Accessibility

  • 13.1: Website Accessibility - What you Need to Know

14. Content

  • 14.1: Content is STILL King
  • 14.2: How to Write People and SEO-Ready Content
  • 14.3: Pages vs. Posts

15. Post-Launch

  • 15.1: Recommended WordPress Plugins (Fall 2024) [COMING SOON]

Local SEO

  • Apple Business Connect Overview
  • Apple Business Connect - 2024.05 - Filling out the Additional Options