In this blog series, we explore experience design for the patient and member journey.
Strategy to Improve Digital Experiences in Healthcare
Continuous Change, Always Consumer-Centered
Designing and creating content for a website is not a one-and-done deal. It’s an ever-evolving venture. Your website is your largest and most expensive marketing tool – you’d be remiss to be anything less than a forever-student of your site.
A good way to continually study your site is to watch people from outside your organization interact with it. Use heat map testing, facial recognition studies, first-click design testing, or eye tracking.
Also, consider listening to recorded calls from your call center and learn the terms your patients, members, and other customers use as they seek assistance.
For healthcare providers, a user test can be as easy and inexpensive as setting up in the cafeteria once a month and informally polling people about where they’d expect to find specific content on your site, or any troubles they’ve encountered on their own.
Testing often shows that what works for one business line may not necessarily work for another. For example, in a colonoscopy campaign we conducted, the image of a convenient and modern facility performed 10 times better than one that featured a doctor. This was an interesting shift since, in service lines like heart, oncology, or pediatrics, an image with an expert almost always out-performs a facility picture. In this case, however, the user’s main intent in their colonoscopy appointment is convenience. Additionally, a slightly less personal image helped some subjects feel more comfortable, given the sensitivity of the procedure.
Sample A/B testing on call-to-action button. Simply changing the button to white notably increased conversions.
Studying your site also means digging into the data beyond volume-based metrics. Top doctors, bounce rates, exit rates, etc., if studied in a vacuum, might not mean what you think they mean. Instead, make sure you continue to path the journey, even in reporting.
In summary:
- Be a forever student – can your visitors do what they came to do on your site?
- Heatmap and A/B test
- Track visitor behaviors against perfect paths
- Listen to your call center calls
- Conduct eye tracking and facial recognition studies
- Get quick feedback with impromptu user studies in the cafeteria
- Dig deeper into your analytics—track the journey over volume-based or aggregate data
RELATED: Explore the Digital Essentials
Bonus Tip: Share Wins
As much as we talk about being human-centric, it’s still important to show stakeholders that your team is achieving results. Consult regularly with your business line marketing teams and stakeholders to understand which lines need help and how you can support them to achieve their goals.
SEE ALSO: Build Winning Healthcare Site Experiences + Keep Internal Stakeholders Happy
Talk about wins from a digital point of view, but also talk about life beyond clicks and Google Analytics. Ask how your consumers connect with their healthcare ecosystem. Dig deep to understand more about those consumers, their care, and how it all ties to the digital experience.
Positive patient and member experiences in the digital realm will result in immediate and long-term effects for your organization. When you adopt a consumer-first approach to conversions and other KPIs, you’ll build loyalty and make it easier for patients and members to manage their care with your teams and through experiences that you create.
Consumers Expect More From Their Healthcare Experiences
Our healthcare experts will help you to:
- Evaluate/audit your healthcare consumer journey
- Build the perfect journey with your team
- Identify tracking measures
- Create a content activation plan and tools
- Journey watch
- Test methodologies and plans
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We help leading healthcare organizations confidently navigate regulatory requirements and trends spurring consumer-centered transformations. Learn more about our solutions to better reach and engage healthcare consumers, and contact us to discuss your specific needs.
