Online Scheduling — What is it?
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Matt Prados
Online scheduling allows a chiropractic practice to offer its patients an easy-to-use method of scheduling a real-time appointment from the convenience of their own homes. Using a computer or mobile device, patients (or potential patients) can book a real-time appointment without having to pick up the phone and speak to the front desk staff. That means what they see online is what’s actually available in your scheduling software, so they can schedule an appointment on their own, at any hour of the day, and on any day of the week.
You can simply add a button to your website that reads “Schedule an Appointment.” Patients click the button, provide their contact information, and then choose the type of appointment, provider of choice, appointment day, and appointment time.
Then you are notified immediately of the appointment that has been scheduled. You can do whatever followup you choose and enter the appointment data to your practice management software. It couldn’t be simpler.
Do your patients want it?
Recent polls show that 77% of patients would like to be able to schedule their appointments online, but only one in five are provided the option to do so.
Specifically, millennials are now using online scheduling more than any other age group. They clearly prefer using online scheduling to traditional methods of booking appointments. However, it’s not just millennials; it’s surprising how wide the range is for this preference. In general, patients are looking for quick solutions. They lead busy lives. If you can have a software handle something that typically takes eight minutes, must be done during normal business hours, and requires paid staff, you have the edge over your competitors.
Allow your patients to schedule when they are available versus working around your schedule. Many patients work 9-to-5 jobs and can only call in after you’ve already closed. Don’t miss a patient’s call only to play phone tag trying to get the patient scheduled. And don’t pay for a shoddy answering service to simply take a message for you, or potentially put off the patient with poor service and understanding of your practice.
Cash In
It’s estimated that by the end of 2019, over 65% of all healthcare providers will offer some form of online scheduling, and that over 60% of patients nationwide will be booking their appointments using these online systems.
That results in almost 100 million appointments being booked on the internet, versus over the phone or in person.
Cash in on that 100 million appointment market, and make sure that you’re not the only chiropractor in town who requires that you call for an appointment.
Prospective patients are already online when searching for a new chiropractor. Most search online listings, your website, and reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook when choosing a chiropractor. Capitalize on the fact that they’re already online by providing an immediate scheduling option that is available 24/7.
Do your staff members need it?
Almost half of all online appointments are booked after normal business hours. That means that you could potentially double your appointments by offering an option to book any time, any day.
There are a couple of options for booking after hours. First, you can hire an answering service, but most likely will get marginal-quality service, and most only take a message for your staff to call back and book an appointment. So, that’s not necessarily worth the cost. Second, you can use an intelligent software like Review Wave
Online Scheduling. Patients who call in after hours can be directed to your website to schedule their appointment. Patients then book a real-time appointment, and your staff members are notified immediately. Problem solved!
Typically, more appointments mean more work for your staff. However, with online scheduling, it actually means less work yet more revenue. Allow the online scheduling software to do your work for you. Let it go through the back and forth of determining the type of appointment, best date, best time of day, etc. The average scheduling phone call typically lasts eight minutes. Imagine taking that off your front desk’s shoulders and automating it. Give your staff a break from the phones so they can work on more important tasks, such as improving customer service and quality of care.
Can it affect your SEO?
Does online scheduling really work as an online marketing tool? Is it necessary if you already have a strong online presence with lots of reviews and listings online? The answer is simply yes!
While SEO is a loaded subject, and there are many different ways to optimize your web presence, it’s always helpful to provide a feature such as online scheduling. It’s not just another widget to add to your website.
Website Traffic — By using an online scheduling feature on your website, you can keep traffic on your website rather than drive it elsewhere. Beyond that, patients will keep returning to your site to book every time they need an appointment, which compounds the traffic on your site. That means more page clicks, longer time viewing the site, more traffic in general, and a higher trust factor with Google. (They trust a busy, highly viewed site much more than a lonely site with no visitors.) Keep in mind that a lot of phone calls is great, but it won’t get you anywhere on Google. Lots of site traffic will!
Better User Experience — The goal is to provide the best user experience possible on your website. A poor experience can lead to the person leaving the site within eight seconds. To offer a seamless, enjoyable experience, offer online scheduling so people can learn about your practice, become interested in your services, and then immediately book a real-time appointment with no waiting.
Offering online scheduling on your website clearly impacts your online marketing, and has more benefits than just getting you more patients and more appointments. Without it, you’re clearly losing additional customers, more revenue, and the added benefits in the SEO realm.
Do you really need online scheduling?
The answer should be clear by now. Not only are patients asking for an easier way to book appointments when they’re available, providing this option dramatically cuts down on your staffs workload. It automates menial yet tedious tasks and frees them up to focus on more important things, such as customer service, quality of care, and patient retention.
Above all, it increases your patient base and revenue. What more could you ask for?
Matt Prados has spent 10 years doing digital marketing for chiropractors, helping hundreds achieve success online. He has an in-depth knowledge of what’s effective with online marketing, andfound a missing link needed to succeed. He launched Review Wave, an automated feedback platform for reviews, and now online scheduling.
