The dental marketing company you had high hopes for dropped the ball and now you’re ready to make the switch. Before you pick up the phone and make it official, you might want to step back, take a deep breath and pull out the following checklist.

This is how you can take control of your online content, avoid retribution and make the switch to a new marketing company so that it’s a seamless experience free of headaches. I’ve even included a script of sorts you can use to make the process even easier.

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Domain Information

Your domain name is your address on the web. It begins with http:// and ends in an extension, such as .com or .net. Your marketing company should have provided you with the name of your domain registrar (the company that sold you the domain name, such as GoDaddy), as well as the login information to access the domain’s administrative settings. To make it simple, say, “I need the name of my domain registrar, the domains licensed to me, and the usernames and passwords to access those domain accounts.”

Email Information

If the marketing company used an email address in your name, get control of that address right away and change the password so that no one can send out communications in your name. Tell the company, “I need any email addresses associated with my business and the usernames and passwords for each.”

Hosting/Server Information

A domain name isn’t enough to get a business online. That domain needs to be hosted on a server. If you don’t have a server of your own, then it’s likely the marketing company in question used the services of a third-party hosting service, such as HostGator. Here’s how to get that information: “I need the hosting service name and the email address, username and password associated with that account.”

Analytics Information

The marketing company likely used a web analytics platform to gauge things like website activity and visitor behavior. The most popular analytics platform used today is Google Analytics; but regardless of which platform your company used, make sure to your contact this: “I need the names of all the analytics platforms used on my behalf, and the login credentials for each.”

Rights/Sources to Online Content

The pages listed on your website, articles posted online, press releases and all images and videos created on your behalf belong to you. Be sure you receive proof of those rights and backup files of everything. Here’s what to say, “I need backups of everything your company has on my behalf – pages, articles, images, videos – anything with my name on it, as well as an outline of where everything is published online.” If the company doesn’t have this information, merely asking for backups will do.

Call Tracking Information

The marketing company may have used call trackers that allowed them to determine where each call originated from, as well as analyze each call that was successfully answered. Tell the company, “If you used call trackers on my behalf, I need the phone numbers you used, as well as the login credentials for each (if applicable).”

Usernames and Passwords

In addition to the login credentials mentioned above, there are likely many more usernames and passwords to gather. Social media, local marketing, and cloud storage platforms are just a few examples. This is why you should say, “I need a complete list of all the platforms your company uses on my behalf, their associated URL’s and all usernames and passwords.”

Deactivate Auto Billing

The marketing company you’re looking to fire may have set up accounts in your name that automatically bill, such as Google Ads – the search giant’s online advertising platform. Tell the company this: “I would like all automatic billing accounts deactivated until further notice, including all active advertising accounts.”

Collect Old Reports

A patient switching from one dentist to another may bring with him his most recent dental x-rays along with notes on his dental history. This helps the dentist become more familiar with the new patient much faster. The same concept applies to marketing companies. All you have to do is ask for the reports by saying, “I need copies of all reports starting from the beginning.” If the company doesn’t have records that reach back that far (no wonder you’re getting rid of them), get as many as they can provide.

Inform Your Staff

The final step is to inform your dental staff that you’re preparing to make the switch from one marketing company to another. Here’s what to say to them. “I’m changing marketing companies. So if the company calls, just say that I’m busy and that I’ll call them back later.” It’s as simple as that.

Once this list has been followed, you’ll be ready to let the axe fly.

It’s recommended that you have a marketing company in the wings ready to take over. Hopefully, you’ve done your homework and found a company that communicates freely, one that is reliable and one that is used to getting results for other dentists, just like this one here.

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