The new year is upon us! Whether your 2024 goals include boosting your social media presence, creating efficient operations or building a positive work culture, we have tips to help bring your dreams to fruition.

Improve your website

We all know how important it is for businesses to have a website. But a good one goes far beyond a page with your logo on it. In this article, we break down five ways you can improve your website:

• Allow patients to make appointments online
• Have clear calls to action
• Make sure your design is mobile-friendly
• Place your contact information front and center
• Use real photography
   

Increase your social media presence

Whether you want to engage your loyal followers or attract new ones, amping up your social media strategy can help you stand out. We have two articles that can be your guide to building out your social media strategy and boosting engagement. Tips include:

• Show your team behind the scenes
• Advertise in-office raffles and other promotions to drive appointments
• Share the artwork of your youngest patients
• Educate your patients, but don’t be Google
   

Focus on making a great experience for kids

Good oral health habits start young and that means ensuring your youngest patients begin visiting you early. Making your office more child friendly can set the tone for a lifetime of healthy smiles, so check out this article for some ideas to inspire good habits. Tips include:

• Create a welcoming environment with soft lighting, relaxing music and artwork
• Give kids their own special area in the waiting room
• Partner with parents and guardians to develop a consistent appointment schedule
• Add some fun gifts to their goodie bags besides the usual toothbrush
   

Work smarter, not harder

We hate to break it to you, but peak productivity simply does not exist. There is no singular hack or trick that will suddenly allow us to cram even more work into our already busy schedules. But what we can do is work smarter, not harder. We have lots of tips to help make your day a little easier, including:

• Start meetings on time and end them when scheduled
• Find an inbox organization method that works best for you
• Block off time to batch your emails and voicemails
• Delegate tasks
• Rethink your to-do list and don’t overstuff it with tasks
   

Build a positive culture

People tend to think of a positive work culture as a series of perks: flex time, pizza parties and maybe even a ping pong table in the break room. But workplace culture is a set of values, beliefs and attitudes that guide your business: think of it as your practice’s personality. Here are three ways to build a positive place to work:

• Determine what your core values are
• Respect everyone’s time
• Encourage taking actual lunch breaks
   

Hire new teammates with winning job descriptions

While the industry is showing signs of recovery post-pandemic, there are still vacancies at dental offices across the country. And while you can’t control the job market, you can boost your prospects by using these four tips to write attractive job descriptions:

• Proofread for typos and grammatical mistakes
• Format the listing so it is easy to read on mobile
• Keep postings non-gendered and culturally neutral
• Be up front about compensation
   

Do more team building

During a normal work week, it is entirely possible to spend more time with your teammates than your own family or friends. And while you don’t have to be besties with your co-workers, connecting with them can go a long way toward long-term job satisfaction. Here are three ways to get the ball rolling:

• Take initiative, whether it is asking open-ended questions or simply offering a smile
• Try some team building activities
• Volunteer together and give back to your community
   

The bottom line: No matter your goals, we wish your office a successful 2024!