Five Reasons to Avoid Getting Locked into a Contract for Dental Marketing

As a dentist you are in the business of keeping monitoring dental health and making beautiful smiles, not marketing. Taking on the role as marketer in addition to your main responsibility can be overwhelming, especially with all the advancements of the digital age. You are probably not an expert in SEO, social media marketing and managing an online reputation. So you have made the decision—outsourcing. You found a dental marketing company that you like. But what do you do when they want you to lock into a contract?

Uh Oh! Did You Miss the Fine Print?To sign or not to sign? You want to start working with the dental marketing company, but signing on the dotted line still haunts you. Do you want to commit the success of your business to this company? In the end, making the final decision is not as easy as it sounds and in the end, signing a contract may not be right. Here are a few drawbacks to consider before putting pen to paper.

Locked In, Even if Traffic Dries OutWhat happens if you have signed a contract, but are suddenly dissatisfied with the service you are receiving? The marketing firm may be fulfilling their end of the contract, but the calls have stopped coming in and your reception area is empty. What are you supposed to do, just wait it out? Without a contract in place you could quickly part ways and find a better marketing firm to suit your needs. However, once you have signed the agreement you basically have two options: wait until the terms run out or jump through the hoops of cancellation. Instead of signing right away it is better to see if they are willing to create a relationship first. Will they give you tips and information before they gain you as a client? If not, the marketing company probably doesn't care about seeing your practice grow and just want you for your money.

Stuck With a Firm That Lacks CommunicationBefore you sign on with a company you can't seem to get rid of them. You receive dozens of calls and emails. They want your business and promise hundreds of new patients per month. But the minute you sign on, the back and forth exchange comes to a grinding halt. This lack of communication is one of the biggest issues dental clients face when working with a marketing firm. Imagine you bring on a few new hires and submit an updated staff photo for your website. After a week or two before you finally hear back from the firm. In the email they say they have received your image and the it will be up in about a week. Does it take a month to change out one image? It shouldn’t. But if you sign on with a company that lacks communication, you could face this or similar problems time and again.

Well, You Agreed to Pay
In signing a contract you not only are agreeing to make the monthly payments, but if you are not careful might also sign on for hidden fees. Sometimes marketing companies add expenses to your bill for “overtime” or certain “special services” that should be included, but end up costing you extra. Imagine taking a look at your bill and finding an extra hundred dollars on there you didn’t know you signed on for.

It is Difficult to Dissolve a ContractWhat is the cancellation policy? What happens to your website and the content if you ever part ways with the marketing firm? Will you be able to take your website with you or will you start from scratch? How do you deactivate auto billing? You will also have to consider ownership of your domain name, hosting and server information, email information and analytics. These are just some of the issues you must consider if you are ever dissatisfied with the marketing firm and want to take control of your online content. Under contract, a parting of ways may not be as seamless or headache-free as you would hope.

You Still Have to Pay if You Want to be FreeWith a contract in place you will probably have to pay a cancellation fee before switching to a new marketing company. This could be costly, not only in time but also money. With some firms dissolving the contract makes the entire balance of the contract due and you end up paying all that money immediately with no return on the investment. You do not want to commit to a marketing firm and later find out they were just another expensive mistake.

Contracts are Not All Bad
A few benefits of signing a contract with a marketing firm include:
1. The marketing company will be there when you need them and by law are obligated to follow through on their promises. Follow through should be a basic part of good business practices, but with a contract you can put your mind at ease.
2. You know how long you will be working with the firm and how much you are expected to pay over the lifetime of the relationship.
3. The marketing company is accountable for the terms and goals they set, and if not, you are able to dissolve the contract free and clear.
As a cosmetic dentist lincoln parkin Dr. Samir Rana understand how important it is to look and feel good and we are not just talking about your smile. Marketing is how you present yourself and your practice to the public, and it is vital you look good. It might be tempting to sign on with the biggest marketing firm out there, but the truth is you need to do your homework before making any kind of agreement. Find a firm that can best suit your needs and doesn’t require you to lock in with a long-term contract.