An online booking platform enables patients to schedule medical appointments efficiently and conveniently, alleviating the workload on your front office. However, merely having an online presence might not suffice in today’s competitive healthcare market. Your appointment forms likely need optimization.
Improving your existing forms with a focus on conversion rates can lead to more patients and growing revenue.
Below are some tips to get you started.
Keep it Simple, Stupid
To make it easy for individuals to complete and submit forms, there are some best practices you can follow.
- Although healthcare typically involves long forms, aim to use the fewest fields possible.
- Avoid redundant questions that ask the same – or similar – questions
- Avoid multiple columns – research suggests that single columns are easier to use
- Use radio buttons (or checkboxes for multiple responses) instead of drop downs
- Order questions based on complexity – start with the easiest to answer, and end with the hardest
- Show form errors in real-time – don’t make users wait to submit a form.
- Make it crystal-clear if a field is required
Optimize for Mobile First
Today, 92.3% of internet users access the web through a mobile phone. This staggering statistic emphasizes the importance of catering to a mobile-first audience. To effectively engage this audience and boost your conversion rates, it’s crucial to build your appointment form with mobile optimization in mind.
A mobile-friendly design not only enhances accessibility for users on the go but also elevates the overall user experience. By ensuring that forms are easy to navigate and complete on a small screen, you encourage users to take action, ultimately driving higher engagement and conversions. Embracing a mobile-first approach is no longer optional; it’s a necessity in today’s digital landscape.
Make a Clear Call to Action
Clear call-to-actions (CTAs) play a pivotal role in encouraging patients to not only complete the form but also book an appointment. A well-crafted CTA can significantly increase the chances of conversion by guiding your audience to take the next steps without feeling overwhelmed.
To achieve this, write a clear and concise call to action that directs them precisely on what to do next, whether it be scheduling an appointment or filling out necessary information. Additionally, ensure that the CTA is surrounded by fewer elements and more white space, which helps to draw attention and improve its visibility.
By focusing on these details, you can create an effective CTA that enhances user experience and drives desired actions.
Pre-Fill Patient Information
Enhancing conversion rates involves not just attracting new patients but also retaining existing ones. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) streamline the retrieval of patients’ medical histories, making this information quickly accessible.
By pre-filling details for returning patients based on secure identifiers, EHRs reduce delays and ensure timely consultations. Additionally, they simplify and expedite the appointment booking process, providing healthcare providers with essential clinical information. This ultimately boosts patient satisfaction.
Diversify Your Support Channels
The modern customer expects 24/7 customer support across multiple channels. To increase the likelihood of converting leads into appointments, consider leveraging multiple communication channels. In today’s digital age, you can reach out to prospects through direct mail, personalized video messages, chat and social media. However, even as you adopt a multi-channel approach, ensure a consistent and seamless customer experience.
Emphasize Trust
Trust is essential in healthcare, not only from a regulatory standpoint but also for acquiring and retaining patients. Patients often abandon appointment forms due to security concerns, especially when asked for sensitive personal information.
Ensure your forms are protected with an SSL certificate that encrypts form entries. Websites and forms that can be trusted usually show a lock in the address bar. Ensure that your investment in patient security is prominently displayed underneath submission buttons.
A/B Test
To continuously improve conversion rates, take time to monitor and analyze key metrics. Performing A/B testing on the form will help you determine the version of your appointment form that performs better. Test different aspects such as page placements, button text, button colors, form fields and layouts. That way, you can track trends and make changes to ensure you incorporate what works best for you.
Convert More Visitors to Patients
Optimizing your online appointment forms is crucial to improving conversion rates and enhancing the overall patient experience. By adhering to best practices such as simplifying the form, prioritizing mobile-first design, creating clear calls to action, pre-filling patient information, diversifying support channels, and emphasizing trust, you can significantly boost engagement and satisfaction. Additionally, continuous A/B testing allows you to refine and adapt your forms to meet evolving patient needs and preferences.
Implementing these strategies will not only streamline the appointment booking process but also foster trust and loyalty among your patients, ultimately driving growth and success for your healthcare practice.