On Starting A Niche Web Design Business In The Dental Industry
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Hey there! Senthil Kumar is my name and digital marketing along with software development is where my expertise lies. Spearheading Siva Solutions Inc., my company which sprung up in 2004 and comprising of a team of game-changers, we have together brainstormed, created and implemented digital strategies to help our clients bag the numero uno position in the online world.
At the moment, we are niche players catering to dentists in flourishing their businesses. My main goal is to help them reach their target audience and make the most out of it.
In today’s chock-a-block digital space, I catapult businesses into the limelight with proven internet marketing and software development solutions which include from SEO, social media optimization, Google Ads and Facebook marketing, to responsive website designs, website hosting and software development. You name it, I’ve got it.
American Dental Software, a U.S. counterpart of Siva Solutions Inc., had been established by me to provide smart + customized website development solutions, thus enabling efficient management of processes, quicker response rates and easy access for patients. The magic formula is an array of features that are embedded into the website—3D dental education videos that help keep patients in the know; HIPAA compliant interactive patient forms that stores the data with ease; and ADA (American Disability Act) compliant widget to make the webpage accessible to the disabled.
With the help of such well-crafted products, I never fail to achieve satisfaction in my clients. So much so that after being in touch with us, it seems that they are not resistant to good, as well as consistent performance. All I do is boost them to the 1st page on Google and they keep coming back for more.
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
My better-half was my biggest inspiration in accomplishing this mission. Keerthi Senthil, my lovely wife, co-founder and CEO of American Dental Software who is always by my side, provided the necessary input and impetus in driving forth this business. I recall the day when it all started. It’s ever so fresh in my mind. After returning from one of her lectures, she informed me about how insanely expensive website designs were. She added that website developers were charging unreasonably high even for the minutest of changes. This was my eureka moment and I jumped in to offer products and services at much affordable prices.
Being a software developer myself, creating a website was just a piece of cake. But I knew it needed something more. And hence, I sought expert advice from my wife. She is an oral surgeon at Implants Guru, a dental office in Rancho Mirage, CA. She has a Masters in the field of Oral Implantology from Loma Linda University. She is board certified and is one of the 445 dentists who have been credentialed with Diplomate status in the field of Oral Implantology. Her insights helped me bridge the gap in running the dental business efficiently. So let me enumerate some of the things incorporated to make managing the dental business a breeze: there are online forms for easy filling, storing and management of patient data. Then came the creation of marketing videos, targeted at the audience who were seated patiently in the lobby (Reception Area Marketing). Soon, I progressed into the area of 3D dental animation videos to keep the patients enlightened. It’s always better to make informed decisions when it comes to treatments.
Furthermore, the inclusion of viewing patient education videos from mobile phones was a revolutionary step in educating patients. It’s a mobile app that gives the choice to dentists to sort and edit videos to their liking. Such a feature allows for an uncomplicated and quick demonstration of the many dentistry procedures. The top highlight was that any frame could be captured, highlighted and then sent to the patients via an email.
Thus, with such a great kick-start, there was no stopping now. I could come up with great products, time and again, much to the delight of the dental community. They were happy with products like Siva Forms (to manage patient forms), Siva Connect (to manage phone calls obtained from call tracking number) and Siva Mail (to manage patient inquiries).
But instead of running them on independent platforms, why not consolidate them in a single platform (for easy management). And so was the creation of ** Dental Hub** —a one-stop solution to managing phone calls, emails, patient forms, leads and a lot more in just one comprehensive bundle.
With Dental Hub , there was excitement brewing among the dental community. With such smart solutions, living a dentist’s life was so much easier now. But I’m always on the lookout for improvisation and innovation of existing and new products as well.
Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.
I started off with designing customized websites, and eventually, our first launch hit the jackpot. That proved to be a big boost for me and consequently, I saw myself enthusiastically venturing into products that were ergonomically designed for the busy dentist. Every breakthrough launch was tried and tested at Implants Guru—to evaluate results and hope for success. This eventually became the formula for perfecting each and every product. Ultimately, I had the opportunity to get featured in Big Case Marketing way back in 2009.
When it came to creating patient education videos, it was no easy task. But thanks to Keerthi Senthil DDS, MS, a practicing dentist, plunged in to help out. Her thorough knowledge and love for extreme detailing led to the successful creation of around 89 videos on dental treatments. This project was a massive accomplishment for us.
I avoided cold-calling and decided that exhibitions were a smarter move to gain traction for our products. So I pulled off an action plan to exhibit our dental products across the USA. Word spread like wildfire among doctors and businesses alike and I got lucky enough to be endorsed by many. This gave me immense pleasure and kept me motivated throughout the journey.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
Local SEO has proven to be the most effective channel to market my client’s website online. I ensure that they have a good online presence by fixing and maintaining consistent Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP) across all the citation sites. Postings on social media, blogging, Facebook marketing and Google Ads are done on a regular basis. Clients are promised with a turnaround time of 24 hours to resolve the ticket, which in my opinion has worked very well for me.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
Siva Solutions Inc. has become well-established over the years. It started out as a website provider enterprise but now provides many services. Superior customer service was the brand value that propelled my company to success ever since 2004. We see ourselves as problem-solvers rather than as an agency. Providing internet marketing solutions along with achieving customer satisfaction is my main goal.
One may think that our huge success is due to a large team. But the reality isn’t so. It is the mission to maintain exceptional service, rather than an expanding workforce, that is helping us achieve our dream. I believe it is best to direct all energies into catering to a particular set of clients, which is dental, rather than being a jack of all trades.
I have an exciting product coming up and that is Expert Advise. This product allows remote video consultation between the patient and the dentist. With this, I hope to disrupt the dental marketing space. Expert Advise can be very helpful for a very diverse and aging population who do not want to put up with the troubles of travel.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
I’ve committed plenty of mistakes in the past, but have not lost a grip on myself. Instead, I treated those failures as stepping stones to success and with this, my journey as an entrepreneur has proved to be quite fulfilling.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
A ticketing system is used to maintain team and client communications. In terms of software, Adobe is used to execute videos, design, and photos. We leverage on Visual Studio for web designing projects. For SEO, we are dependent on various tools such as SEMRush, Google Analytics, Google Webmasters, and Screaming Frog to name a few.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
I believe it is okay to say “I don’t know” as no one is really perfect in everything. Now that you have admitted, work on it to bring honesty and transparency in your work ethics.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
We’re always looking out for fresh talent and if that’s you, then send in your resume to careers@sivasolutions.com
Where can we go to learn more?
- https://www.sivasolutions.com/
- http://www.americandentalsoftware.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sivasolutionsinc
- Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sivasolutionsinc/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/siva-solutions-inc
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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