Dental marketing is more than just a geo-targeted, search engine optimized dental website and an effective email newsletter marketing plan. It also involves branding and an effective dental office display, which should begin before patients step inside your waiting room.

Great dental office signage offers you the ability to speak to those potential patients when your practice is closed.

The Wealthy Dentist went on a search for a dental practice that exemplifies great dental office display — one that effectively markets new patients on its own.

We found a perfect example in San Francisco at Marina Pacific Heights Dental Care.

This dental practice maximizes every opportunity to reinforce their brand so patients have no doubt what this dentist offers.

They also get their dental marketing right from the start with their geo-targeted dental practice name: Marina Pacific Heights Dental Care. There are over one hundred neighborhoods in San Francisco, with the Marina and Pacific Heights neighborhoods being two of the most well-known.

Are you curious how this dental office signage is considered a hot marketing machine that (very) effectively attracts new patients?

7 Ways To Turn Your Dental Office Into a Hot Marketing Machine –

1. Effective outdoor marketing starts with the appearance of the office front.
The front of your dental practice is the first impression a client may have of your business. It is important to portray an appearance of professionalism with fresh paint, clean windows and an entrance that is inviting to a new patient.

In this case, Marina Pacific Heights Dental Care chose marine blue as the color to their building front to most likely match the Marina branding, plus the color blue is often associated with depth and stability. The large, bright windows give the practice a welcoming feeling, thus inviting dental patients to walk up and take a peek inside.

2. Dental signage that is easy to read from a distance.
When deciding on a dental office sign, it’s important to consider optimal letter size, fonts that are easy to see along with plenty of negative space for readability at various distances. These considerations help make sure that passers-by can read your message.

Notice how big, how bright and how tastefully done the Marina Pacific Heights Dental Care sign is. It provides high visibility on what appears to be a heavily trafficked street in San Francisco.

3. The use of the office phone number in branding.
A domain name made up of the business phone number sends the message, “Please call us. We answer the phone!”

Not only is Marina Pacific Heights Dental Care phone number easy to read for drive-by traffic, but it also is cleverly used as a web address. If you visit www.415-922-3220.com, it automatically redirects you to their actual site: www.drbrattesani.com. Dr. Brattesani takes advantage of not only his name in his marketing efforts, but also his office phone number.

4. Effective window advertising displays.
As a dentist you need to make it very clear what your dental practice offers. Dental treatment advertising can enhance your appeal while prospecting for patients.

In Dr. Brattesani’s case, he utilizes his windows to tell patients what dental treatments his practice offers, along with images of happy, smiling patients. It also demonstrates that while he does “Cosmetic Dentistry” he does not limit his practice.

5. Prominent front door signage.
The front door of your dental practice should clearly display crucial information for dental patients, delivery people and street traffic. It should display important information such as your practice doctors, operating hours, contact details and dental treatments.

Marina Pacific Dental does this effectively on their door which is clearly visible to people as they walk down the street. Take special note of the “Big Smiling Lips” and the inclusion of the Hygienist’s name on the door – classy touch.

6. The use of key visuals with pop-art sculpture.
Humans remember key visual images better than they remember words. Effective dental visuals can capture attention instantly, and communicate what your business does quickly.

This dental practice captures immediate attention with their toothbrush and mouth mirror sculptures. There is no question to passers-by that a dental practice occupies this location. These pop-art sculptures could be especially effective in San Francisco where people might be tempted to stop and have their photos taken next to one of these eye-catching icons, then post it on Facebook, or other social networking sites for their friends to see.

Plus the scupture send the message that this dentist office is fun.

7. Utilizing the entrance space as an advertising platform.
Adding something special to your entrance way with a custom welcome mat, engraved tiles or painted pavement can do wonders for inviting your patients into your practice before they open your front door. An attractive entrance adds to the ambiance of your building, both by the way it looks and by the impression it gives to street traffic and patients.

Dr. Brattesani does this effectively by literally painting the street the same marine blue color and creating a “Welcome to a new smile” floor mat at the entry to their practice.

All in all, The Wealthy Dentist gives Marina Pacific Heights Dental Care high marks for turning their dentist office front into a hot marketing machine.

It is important to leave a lasting impression in the minds of your patients. The more your people who know your name, where you are located and what treatments you have to offer, the better patient-ambassadors they can be.

It all starts right at your front door.

For more help on great dental signs see our $1,000,000 Sign Tutorial

*photos courtesy of Matt Huber