A dental practice homepage that fills the diary

Key takeaways

A dentist homepage should tell people quickly whether you take NHS or private patients, what it costs, how to book and whether you are welcoming to nervous patients. It must also respect GDC standards and advertising rules. A clear, calm page that answers these questions will fill the diary better than a gallery of perfect smiles.

• State NHS, private or both, in the first screen.
• Publish a clear fee guide.
• Show GDC details and your CQC status.
• Make booking easy, and reassure nervous patients.

What does a dental homepage need to answer first?

It needs to answer: are you taking patients, NHS or private, near me and how do I book? People often search because they need a dentist now, or because they have moved. Stating whether you accept new patients is one of the most valuable lines on the page.

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• Show your availability on the homepage, honestly

What must dentists show on a website?

GDC guidance on advertising expects clear information about the team, including names, qualifications and GDC registration numbers, along with the practice's details and complaints route. In England, practices register with the CQC, and they must display their rating if they have one. Only dentists on a GDC specialist list should be described as specialists.

• Clinic website credibility: CQC ratings, people and proof
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How should you show prices?

Publish a fee guide for common treatments, and explain NHS bands separately from private fees. GDC standards expect patients to have clear information on costs. Prospective patients want to know what a check-up costs before they call, and hiding the figure can push them to a practice that shows it.

• Should you show prices on your website?
• Pricing page design mistakes that put buyers off

How can you support nervous patients?

Dental anxiety is common, so a short section can make a real difference: what happens at a first visit, how you help anxious patients and that they can stop at any time. Photos of real staff and rooms help. Calm wording beats clinical terms, and it may be what persuades someone to book.

• A team section on your homepage: yes or no?
• A 'how it works' section that removes the unknowns

What are the limits on claims?

Treatment claims must be accurate and evidenced under the CAP Code and GDC guidance. You cannot advertise prescription-only medicines such as botulinum toxin to the public. Before and after photos need consent and must not mislead. Treat cosmetic marketing carefully, because regulators have taken a close interest in this area.

• Before-and-after work on your homepage
• Website claims and the CAP Code: what UK firms can say

When should treatments get their own pages?

Give high-value treatments such as implants, Invisalign and whitening their own pages, as these buyers research for longer. The homepage should concentrate on new patients and general care. Link across to treatment pages, rather than stacking all the detail, and make each page answer cost, process and suitability.

• Homepage to service page: the click that matters most

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern worth checking: a practice homepage shows a perfect smile and a list of cosmetic treatments, while the one thing new patients want to know, whether the practice is accepting them and at what cost, needs a phone call. A single line near the top often does more than the gallery.

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Dental homepage checklist

• State NHS or private status.
• Say whether you take new patients.
• Publish a fee guide.
• Add team names and GDC numbers.
• Show CQC or equivalent details.
• Add a section for nervous patients.
• Check treatment claims.

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Next step

Find out how many of your phone calls ask whether you take new patients, or how much a check-up costs. Then answer both on the homepage.