Student Segmentation For Online Dentistry

The students segmented into dental patient types is also relevant to digital marketing. Marketers or even practitioners in the field can develop more relevant digital communication skills the better they know the behavior of their customers. The present article aims at identifying students’ dental target segment, using a segmentation method based upon the following criteria: demographic, psychographic and socio-economic features, preferred source of information related to dental care and the frequency of using different daily dental care procedures. Another goal was to assess and characterize the student-patients’ buying behavior of the resulted target segments. In this study we have conducted a quantitative research that was based on a questionnaire, with 720 responses. The investigated population comprises students from the Central and North Western part of Romania. The findings display six segments of students as dental patients. “The well informed segment” are very concerned with health care and seek to be continuously informed. The students are active in sharing information and generate feed-back on different portals about their dental service experience. In spite of this, the Internet does not influence their decision in choosing a dentist. „The communication” segment consider that the dental social media promotions have an impact on them. They appreciate online tools such as: online scheduling, information related to the patients’ own files, patients’ testimonials, online consultations. The information regarding the practitioner arouse their interest and they consider it an important in decisional factor in choosing a certain procedure. “The online ignorant” are traditionalists and have an average interest in dental prevention, loyalty for their dentist or acquiring medium or complex procedures. Information that appears on forum, blogs, webpages or social media are not important to them. For „the beauty concerned” patients the Internet represents a means in converting the need or desire into action. The information regarding dental cosmetics like teeth whitening or dental jewelry have a big importance to them, followed by information related to implants and teeth straightening. They are not so loyal to a particular dentist and are extremely influenced by social media promotion campaigns. For” technical propensity” students, social media doesn’t influence their decision in choosing a dental procedure, product or practitioner, but they are looking at testimonials on webpages or blogs about advanced dental services. The students from this segment would appreciate dental games on a practitioner’s webpage, as long as it develops some strategic skills. A very interesting feature of this segment is the high loyalty if the practitioner’s marketing strategy meet their technical (digital) expectation. ”The sensitive of pain” segment are the most loyal patients. Those students are checking-up the information found on the Internet with their practitioners.