ALWAYS ON

Do client questions about your injectable services drain your time that could be better spent providing services in your clinic?

LISA KELLY

Lisa Kelly is the founder of Websites For Clinics by Salon Solutions, industry experts helping aesthetic clinics, doctors, dentists and nurses attract new clients and generate new bookings to grow their clinic business.

AI and smart web tools, when used with best practice website design, can empower your clients to make informed decisions about your injectables and other services, 24/7 with minimal time from you.

A successful marketing campaign directs potential clients who are interested in booking a treatment with your clinic to your website. However, the main barrier to achieving this goal is often unanswered questions and doubts. Responding to these is a time-consuming but necessary investment if you want to secure a booking commitment. Ensuring that your website addresses these doubts and instils confidence is one of its most critical functions. Luckily, there are some tried and tested techniques and cost-effective technologies you can incorporate into your website design to solve this problem.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WEBSITE BEST PRACTICES FOR CLINICS

Your treatment pages are a tool that you need to use to address the concerns and questions of your potential clients. They should include clear and concise descriptions of the treatment, including what the procedure involves, how long the treatment will take, how many treatments are required, whether there is any discomfort, details of any side effects, how long before you see results, and information on the clinical science explaining why it works. You should also clearly communicate the conditions the treatment is suitable for, and what the anticipated results will be.

The best websites incorporate video content on the procedure, but at the very least, you should include high-quality imagery. Try to anticipate the questions your potential client may have and create a frequently asked questions (FAQs) section. Testimonials play a crucial role in normalising the procedure and enabling the client to relate to other people with similar issues.

Staff bios and images of your clinic allow the client to visualise their visit and begin the process of forming a relationship with you and your practice. They also allow clients to do their own background checks on your experience and credentials. However, there are many people who will not seek this information on your site and will prefer to ask questions directly. This is where emerging technologies play a key role.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND AUTOMATED DMS

Using solutions like ManyChat, you can configure the answers to basic questions directly when a client uses direct messages (DMs) on social media platforms like Instagram. These work by using pre-formulated answers to common questions and can send more information using trigger words or questions. This can be achieved through a series of communications asking the user to select options and answer automated questions, which could result in them being sent a link to book a consultation for a procedure they are interested in.

CHATBOTS

Alternatively, you can incorporate a “chatbot” into your website that uses text responses and is designed to simulate human conversation using learning technologies to understand the client’s question and provide relevant responses. You have probably seen these being used in large businesses, where a pop-up will appear and ask if it can help you. It is now the default position for most customer help options. The chatbot can be trained to provide options to your client, such as “issue type”, and can then provide a set of preset answers. In the past, this technology was prohibitively expensive, but now it is very affordable with several options built specifically for aesthetic clinics. These tools can also collect key client information and set up a consultation appointment.

With the growing sophistication of AI, newer, more sophisticated technologies are emerging that can do far more than a chatbot. While a chatbot can provide predefined answers to a set of questions, an AI assistant can offer personalised and tailored responses.

AI ASSISTANTS

It is now possible for an AI assistant to “read” your website and digest what services you have to offer, including all the key data regarding the treatment descriptions you have added to your website, as well as all research available on the internet. It can interact, answering individual and highly personal questions with text or by voice in a friendly and professional manner. This technology can not only “understand” the meaning of your clients’ questions but also their intent and respond with specific answers to their enquiries using data synthesised from the information you have provided. Over time, you can train it to become more accurate to reflect your clinic’s brand. Imagine having an avatar that looks and sounds just like you, answering your clients’ questions, capable of directing them to key information on your website, collecting important information and booking consultation appointments while you get on with treating patients!

More than ever, your website is a critical tool for your clinic to interact and engage with people who might be interested in your services. When the cost of these technologies is compared to the enhanced customer service, time saved and increased appointments, the benefits greatly exceed their investment costs.