Ask Alex

“ What prevents new patients visiting my website from booking with me online?”

There are loads of factors that affect the conversion rate on your website, when it comes to new visitors becoming patients and booking appointments. The convenience of online booking is irrefutable as part of modern life, but, in our industry, it’s not the norm. Online booking is something that more clinics want to do than actually do. At our agency, we work with clinics to help them establish online booking that is manageable and address their fears.

The fear points are usually:

• Admin and upkeep

• Implementing and trouble-shooting costs

• Patient dissatisfaction

I would argue that one of the main reasons that new patients aren’t booking online, especially if they’re new to the aesthetics world, is ‘choice paralysis’.

Often, on clinic websites and booking system, there are far too many options when it comes to both treatments and sub options (ml, area, devices by name) on your systems. Too many options can overwhelm people and make them click away, in search of simpler terms, or something that feels right for them.

My advice is to not make new patients think too hard by reducing choices online. Offering a simple consultation option for face, body, skin, and hair allows patients to feel like they are booking online and committing to treatment, without having to select through modalities. Then at consultation, you can speak to them about the treatments they are considering and walk them through their best choices. Often, you’ll find that what they booked online and possibly paid a deposit for isn’t the treatment you deliver, so why put in barriers to enquiry?

(The same could be said for your website, but I think that’s for a whole other column!)

I would always recommend speaking to your online booking software provider (if they have advisors available) on best practice. Web Marketing Clinic clients have experience of this from Aesthetic Nurse Software and Pabau and have found a solution that works for them. We’ve observed more success in online bookings when options are reduced. It sounds counterintuitive but it’s not! Existing patients can be offered more choice in your software if you’re not re-booking them after their last appointment.

Of course, if these new patients do call on the phone or enquire via email, you’ll have more opportunity to guide them through booking and ensuring the correct treatment or consultation is booked first time, but this shouldn’t prevent you from being able to offer an online option to those out-of-hours browsers or those who hate picking up the phone!

There are loads of other factors on your online booking system, your whole website and online presence that contribute to your overall conversion rate with new patients. I think choice paralysis is something you need to address on your booking system or on your website content, and it’s an easy win to increase your bookings. Any questions? Want to suggest the next column topic? Follow and DM me on Instagram @webmarketingclinic.

ALEX BUGG

Alex Bugg works for Web Marketing Clinic, a family-run digital agency, which specialises in medical aesthetics. The business builds websites and delivers marketing campaigns for doctors, nurses, dentists, distributors and brands. Contact her at: alex@webmarketingclinic.co.uk or follow her on Instagram: @webmarketingclinic