Guest post - Comparethetreatment.com

I’m frequently contacted by people who have products and services of relevance to my clients. For over 20+ years I have maintained a policy that I do not accept introducers fees or commissions – I simply broadcast and comment on good ideas.

There’s a misconception among the dental profession, understandable perhaps due to the name – Comparethetreatment.com – that it is a price comparison website commoditising dentistry.

This could not be further from the truth.

Comparethetreatment.com was launched after founder, Tim Molony – the former Sales Director at FMC – read an article in Aesthetic Dentistry Today estimating that only 15% of demand was being met for aesthetic treatments in the UK.

In essence, this left 85% of adults seriously considering a cosmetic procedure but without the confidence to take their interest to the next level by visiting a medical practitioner.

This, Tim felt, was due largely to the fact that there was no trusted and impartial advice or information readily available online about a fast-paced and ever-growing industry in which areas remain largely unregulated – even today.

Media scare stories about unscrupulous companies and/or botched cosmetic surgery did little to educate and inform a public left wanting.

Without knowledge, trust and confidence in treatment, practitioner or even the industry this equates to a whopping £25 billion in lost earnings to the UK profession every year.

By flipping the traditional web directory on its head and offering patients a ‘safe haven’ of professional information, Comparethetreatment.com gives patients greater confidence in their treatment choice.

The added value includes expert advice, informed content and real-life patient experiences. Once the patients feels they are making the right choices, then they can find leading dentists and doctors on the site who offer a safe route to the aesthetic treatment of their choice.

Interactive websites play an important role in patient conversion, which is why Comparethetreatment.com offers patients access to vital information in engaging ways:

Problem/concern led search function on the homepage whereby a patient can type in their concern such as ‘wonky teeth’ and the various treatment solutions will appear
A visualiser technology that means the patient can ‘try on’ a treatment for free, such as Smile Makeover, Ortho or Implants.
An interactive platform where dentists and doctors can promote their expertise and share their knowledge by uploading treatment content, including hints and tips, clinical cases and ‘before and after’ images that will be seen by tens of thousands of patients instantly.

Comparethetreatment.com will have more than two million patients use the site this year and will book approximately 11,500 private patients in the next 12 months. It’s working, attracting interest and converting this into patient in clinician’s chairs.

Our sector should always consider forward-thinking ways to meet patient needs if it is to continue moving forwards.

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Chris Barrow

Chris Barrow has been active as a consultant, trainer and coach to the UK dental profession for over 20 years. As a writer, his blog enjoys a strong following and he is a regular contributor to the dental press. Naturally direct, assertive and determined, he has the ability to reach conclusions quickly, as well as the sharp reflexes and lightness of touch to innovate, change tack and push boundaries. In 2014 he appeared as a “castaway” in the first season of the popular reality TV show “The Island with Bear Grylls”. His main professional focus is as Coach Barrow, providing coaching and mentorship to independent dentistry. View Posts

One thought on “Guest post – Comparethetreatment.com”

In principle this looks interesting, but I feel from my experience with What Clinic (a very similar product, from my admittedly limited research) that it will still attract a lot of price shoppers. The time spent dealing with them meant for us that the cost of acquiring a new patient was uneconomic. Not the fault of the website, but the nature of the beast. They could have made it just a little less likely had they chosen a different name – there’s a reason many dentists assume this is a price comparison website.

Comments are closed.

Celia Burns says:

26/05/2017 at 8:37 am

In principle this looks interesting, but I feel from my experience with What Clinic (a very similar product, from my admittedly limited research) that it will still attract a lot of price shoppers. The time spent dealing with them meant for us that the cost of acquiring a new patient was uneconomic. Not the fault of the website, but the nature of the beast. They could have made it just a little less likely had they chosen a different name – there’s a reason many dentists assume this is a price comparison website.

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Joseph Watson on Keeping countWhat are the industry benchmarks here for the likes of lead generation and conversion here Chris? (Without using paid google/facebook
Sharon Jardine on It’s good to be nervous when you are doing your best workI hope the warm up show went well! See you at the main event tomorrow!
Mandar Joglekar on The Team Approach to Dentistry – two free downloadsGood idea. Patients need prior intimation about the change happening in the practice! Beautifully drafted letter. Thank you!!