With the demand for better quality healthcare on the rise, consumers have certain expectations when they log in to view healthcare services online. If your healthcare service does not take into consideration these 5 key features of healthcare websites in 2018, the consumer/potential patient will browse on by without giving it a second glance. If you wish to provide top rated services and create high rankings of customer satisfaction, then it is important to have a website which will reflect your services and staff accurately.
1. Staff Directory and Profiles
When potential patients find your website, they will want to know a little about the professionals working there before they decide to book an appointment. It is important to have a current staff directory listing each professional and their speciality or field of expertise. Along with their name, have a short bio for each, to introduce them to clients and have them feel they know who they might be seeing to take care of their health concerns. Short reviews from patients are a great idea too, since trust and comfort are important in the healthcare field.
2. Online Appointment Booking
People move at a much faster pace today than ever before. Patients want to be able to book appointments when it is convenient for them, whether that be during office hours or at 2 a.m. when they are up with a sick baby. With the rise of the digital age, it is important to have an online appointment booking option on your healthcare website. This allows clients to see what is available anytime of the day or night and select what time slot works for their schedule.
Online appointment booking also means you will spend less on administrative time spent answering and/or returning calls to patients. You could simply download the daily appointment schedule and have it readily available to plan your case load for the day.
3. Pricing Information
No one likes surprises when it comes to finances. If your website features pricing information for the services provided (or at least most of the services provided) then potential clients/patients will have the fore-knowledge about the financial commitment they are making when booking your services. Making informed choices gives clients a sense of control over their own situation. This is also helpful when clients are trying to stay within the perimeters of their insurance limits.
If you do not feel comfortable listing all your services and corresponding prices, you could list key services or the most commonly used services along with a disclaimer explaining that some pricing may vary if patients have special cases or extensive circumstances. This allows your business some flexibility with incurring liability.
4. Mobile Friendly Content
It goes without saying that many people access the Internet most often from a mobile device. It is key that your website contain mobile-friendly content. There truly is nothing more frustrating from a consumer’s perspective than logging in to get information, only to find out that the webpage you are trying to view is not available for mobile devices. Being accessible to potential and current patients means your services are visible anytime, anywhere and creates a positive customer experience immediately.
If you don’t want to provide mobile content for every aspect of your website, you could have a specific website just for mobile use, which is less graphic intense and does not provide financial options such as payment online. You could allow users to view pricing and biographies, but payment options could be made only from desktop computers.
5. Online Payment Options
Healthcare is a business just like any other and as such, should have the option for customers/clients to pay for their services received online. You could add a shopping cart feature or allow clients secure access to their invoices to be paid after the fact. Patients could view how much has been paid by their insurance provider before making their own payments, therefore putting them in control of their own account.
This feature could also benefit your healthcare service by allowing patients to make a down payment prior to receiving services and securing their treatment date. This will help in preventing last minute appointment cancellations since clients will not want to forfeit their deposits.
Important to note about this feature is that security of your website is of the utmost importance. Patients should feel secure that their information, both financial and medical, will not be compromised through the worldwide web.
Conclusion
In days gone by, having a brick and mortar healthcare office was enough to have patients come in and use your services. However, times have quickly changed, and clients expect more from the businesses they hire, including healthcare providers. Digital presence is key to having a successful business and with these five key features of healthcare websites in 2018, you will ensure you are current, and convenient for your clients, both potential and current. To reach out to customers or potential customers use of push notification is a great option.
