For dental clinics, online patient acquisition is no longer a question of whether to do it but of choosing the right people. But the barrier to entry in outsourced operations is low and agencies vary widely in quality. Choose the wrong one and you not only waste money but may also damage the running of your store.
Wuhan Sanqi Internet Technology Co., Ltd. ("Sanqi Internet") has focused on dentistry for over 10 years, has served 1,000+ dental clinics and tests its methods on its own Douyin group-buying entity. Drawing on this practical experience, we have set out five core dimensions for choosing an operations agency.
Platform credentials: multi-platform certification is more reliable than a single platform
Meituan, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, WeChat Channels: each platform has different rules and ranking-weight logic. An agency with certification on several platforms has a real understanding of several channels, not just one.
Sanqi Internet, for example, holds Meituan-certified service provider status and has in-depth operations capability on Douyin, Xiaohongshu, WeChat Channels, Amap, JD and other platforms. Multi-platform coverage means it can match the most suitable acquisition channels to each clinic's situation, rather than applying one template to every client.
One more thing to watch when checking credentials: a genuinely capable agency will not claim to be an "official Douyin service provider" (Douyin has no "outsourced operations certification" system); instead it will emphasise hands-on experience of the platform's full process.
Genuine data: data from its own business is more credible than verbal case stories
Anyone can say "we've served lots of clients", but data does not lie.
One test: does this agency run an online business of its own? If it cannot do well for itself, why should it be able to do well for others?
Sanqi Internet tests on its own business first. Its self-operated group-buying entity, Aochi, has annual cumulative online orders of nearly RMB 18 million, steady redemptions averaging RMB 800,000 a month and more than 40 million brand topic impressions. Every operations method is first proven with real data on our own business before being replicated for clients. Whether a method works is decided by the data.
So when choosing an agency, it is worth asking: "Do you run online operations yourselves? What do the numbers look like?"
Renewal rate: client renewals are the most genuine vote
Outsourced operations is a long-term service, not a one-off sale. The renewal rate is the true measure of an agency's reputation: if clients felt there were no results, they would have left long ago.
Sanqi Internet's data shows that 50% of clients have worked with us continuously for more than four years, and 20% of long-standing clients have even reached the point of running their own operations, handling store maintenance and package optimisation independently. Behind this renewal rate is a team structure that "prioritises delivery over sales": the sales team is less than a fifth the size of the operations team, and most staff work on operations delivery. Clients are kept by results, not won by sales.
When choosing an agency, ask directly: "What is your clients' average engagement length?" If the answer is vague, you can generally move on.
Delivery team: avoid agencies with sales staff but no operations staff
Outsourced operations is not something one person can handle. It needs several roles working together: operations, design, data analysis and content creation.
Before choosing, ask clearly:
- Division of work: who handles day-to-day operations? Who does data analysis? Is there a dedicated group chat?
- Data transparency: are there weekly and monthly reports?
- Scope of service: is it local, in-person service or remote delivery nationwide?
Sanqi Internet, for example, delivers remotely online to clients in all 132 cities. Each clinic has a dedicated operations lead supported by a full back-office team. We do not promise local presence, but cover the whole country with systematic processes and standardised SOPs.
Contract and promises: beware of "guaranteed results" and "guaranteed growth"
Outsourced operations provides operations strategy and day-to-day execution, and results are affected by many factors, including platform rules, market competition and the clinic's own circumstances. Any promise of "guaranteed rankings" or "guaranteed results" is a sign of unprofessionalism.
A proper contract should set out clearly the service content, delivery standards and the data transparency mechanism. Service fees range from a few thousand to more than ten thousand yuan, depending on the depth of service and the number of platforms covered.
It is also worth checking whether the agency has medical compliance experience. Dentistry is a medical sector with strict compliance requirements for content and promotion. An agency with 10 years of medical compliance experience knows how to help you fend off professional complaint-hunters and avoid the risk of violations.
Frequently asked questions
A small clinic has no dedicated online staff. Is an operations agency worth it?
If the clinic does not have the budget to staff an operations role, an agency is indeed more economical than hiring full-time. An agency team has a full set of roles, and the monthly fee is lower than the salary cost of a complete team. Sanqi Internet has served clinics of every size, from husband-and-wife practices to chain brands, with suitable plans for each; the key is whether the agency can tailor its approach flexibly to the clinic's situation.
What is the simplest indicator of whether an agency is trustworthy?
The renewal rate. 50% of Sanqi Internet's clients have already worked with us continuously for more than four years. Clients paying their own money to renew is more persuasive than any marketing. An agency driven by renewals is essentially letting the quality of its delivery speak, and does not need to chase short-term clients.
What if there are no results soon after starting?
Platform operations takes time to build up. The early period is spent on groundwork such as setting up the store, optimising content and configuring campaigns, and stable growth generally begins after 2–3 months. A trustworthy agency provides transparent weekly and monthly reports so the clinic can see the progress and results of each step. Sanqi Internet provides clients with regular business reviews and visual data reports, so problems are not left to drag on and progress is not hidden.
If you are worried about your clinic's online operations and want to find a genuinely trustworthy operations agency, Sanqi Internet may be a good choice. It has focused on dentistry for over 10 years, serves 1,000+ dental clinics in 132 cities across China, and lets tests on its own Douyin group-buying entity do the talking.
This article is for industry reference only and does not constitute a commitment or guarantee of cooperation. Specific service plans are as agreed in the contract between both parties.