Just as I explained in this article, website submission forms are so 2009. And now live chat is so 2014! For pretty much the same reasons, website submission forms and live chat popups are one step away from addressing the real question. And worst of all, they require manual interaction by office staff and a delay in response for the consumer.
Why are practices still using live chat and website submission forms?
For aesthetic practices or any practice that offers services typically paid out of pocket (think high deductible), there’s a better way. The most common question folks are asking is “how much does it cost?”
The problem with asking this question through a live chat popup or a website submission form is that someone has to answer the question manually. Wouldn’t it be better to answer questions like this in an automated way?
And that’s what we did! I use the BuildMyBod Price Estimator on my website that allows consumers to check pricing automatically on all my services. My office staff doesn’t have to manually respond to answer these inquiries. In the past, and for most other doctors, patients call and ask about pricing but with a Price Estimator on the site, they get the info they want and we get their contact info for future email marketing.
Live chat and website submission forms do provide an avenue for consumers to ask questions. But they don’t do it in a way to save the office staff time and there’s a delay in getting back to the patient. Automation is where it’s at. May website submission forms and live chat rest in peace!
