Health is very important to us – so we expect certainty and a sense of security in all matters related to it. Many of us decide to purchase additional healthcare. When choosing a provider of private medical services, we are guided mainly by the offer. However, satisfaction with the services of the selected provider may change after the purchase itself.
It is worth paying attention to an additional issue, seemingly unnoticeable, but very important, which could turn into a business advantage. An issue to help reduce costs and increase sales. It’s all about usability.
Each problem is also a chance for success
On the Polish market, the best-known companies from the private medical sector, such as Luxmed, Enel-med or Medicover, make it easier to arrange, plan visits or receive test results via the Internet. These types of solutions are good practices and can be particularly useful for people with e.g. reduced mobility. Provided that registering and using it is intuitive and gives the user satisfaction.
A well-designed platform helps reduce the cost of handling hotline inquiries, while increasing brand trust. Positive customer experience is also a greater chance to recommend services to friends, companies or partners. Problems encountered on the website or in the application may translate into customer loss. By looking at the key players on the market, you can see significant opportunities to improve services in this area.
3 cardinal sins
1. First contact – information chaos
The first step in a relationship with a company in the digital world is usually visiting its website. This is a key moment – the first impression often has a significant impact on the company’s image in the eyes of the client, as well as on the choice of services offered. It is also a very important place to look for contact information (e.g. telephone to make an appointment) or log in to online service. If there is information chaos in this place, the client may not only get irritated, but also get lost, not being able to find the information he is looking for.
By skilful handling of elements and highlighting the most important information, you can not only make it easier for users to navigate the website, but most importantly – increase conversion (i.e. increase the performance of activities desired by the company, e.g. increase in sales of services or registration). UX optimization ( user experience ) is also helped by the appropriate organization of content and navigation (the so-called optimization of information architecture). The frequently used “everything is important” tactic is usually very harmful and causes harm by overwhelming the user with the amount of stimuli and information.
2. Illegible offer
From the business point of view, one of the main goals of the company is to present the offer and encourage users to buy medical packages. The need to clearly and legibly display complex services in many options is the main challenge here. Often, unfortunately, people who want to learn about the possibilities and choose the right option may have a problem with it.
The use of more understandable and less complicated proper names, descriptions, and more emphasis on the possibility of comparing the available options can significantly improve the decision-making process and increase the attractiveness of the offer. Managing the content of this type of complex websites is not easy, especially when the website has been around for some time and the overlapping sections of the website are no longer consistent. Audit of the content, consistency and adaptation to the needs of the target group in terms of the information contained and the manner of its transmission (e.g. the vocabulary used) help to increase satisfaction in long-term relationships, convince customers to buy insurance and improve the company’s image.
3. Confusion of the user
Some companies, in order to facilitate the entire process, have introduced separate services for the purchase of medical packages. Taking simple steps in this area, such as integrating and visually organizing the existing platforms (some companies also have additional pages dedicated to other services or options), applying good practices for presenting the offer and compiling various types of insurance, and optimizing user paths similar to e-commerce. lower the entry threshold for new customers. Easier access to information and the lack of anxiety related to the entire process always increase the users’ decision-making.
The most common mistakes and their consequences
1. Information chaos
Excessive accumulation of elements of various types and the density of texts on the page.
Consequence: It is difficult for the user to focus on one thing and find specific content, feels overwhelmed by an overload of information in one place.
2. Complicated navigation and information architecture
Subpages of the website are not organized, links are not grouped in a logical and chaotic manner .
Consequence: Difficulty in finding the information you are looking for.
3. Absence or inadequate prioritization
All elements, sections and buttons are equally important, no color highlights.
Effect: The user has to put a lot of effort into finding something on the page, he gets tired.
4. Not optimally prepared content and offer presentation
Complicated proper names and long descriptions, no clear comparison of options among themselves .
Consequence: The user does not know what to choose – the difficult decision-making process lowers the conversion.
5. Lack of consistency of the website
Different appearance of individual pages / subpages of a given platform .
Consequence: The user is confused and confused, not sure what page he is on, whether he is still on the same provider’s page, and how to go back to the previous view.
6. Unexpected redirects The
user is transferred to different looking subpages, new tabs are opened in the browser .
Effect: The user closes the pages that he can deem advertising.
7. Accessibility standards not met (eg WCAG 2.0 1 )
For example, too little contrast between the background and the text, too small buttons .
Consequence: Some users cannot use the online service or it becomes tiring to use it after a long time – greater load on the hotline.
8. Bad experiences in other channels, eg on the hotline, in the application.
No response to contact attempts, difficulties in obtaining information .
Effect: Transition to competition, negative image of the company.
9. High entry threshold
Require large amounts of data before providing simple information.
Effect: Discouragement, irritation and frustration, reduced conversion.
Know your user …
… As himself. This should be the commandment of every website owner. It becomes even more important when we target our services to a specific group of recipients. This is the case in the medical industry, where more often than elsewhere, the client may have sight, hearing, elderly or motor problems. For this reason, it is crucial that the parties meet WCAG 2.02 standards.
Maintaining the rules that increase the accessibility of the website (e.g. the use of appropriate contrasts between the text and the background, the appropriate size of the text) will not only facilitate its use, but will also expand the group of its recipients to people with smaller or greater disabilities (e.g. by introducing keyboard control or adapting the view to screen readers). Consequently, the burden from telephone customer service is shifted to self-service (customers sign up for visits themselves, reducing the number of telephone inquiries).
The overall customer experience in contact with the company ( customer experience) is not limited only to the website, but also includes contacts with representatives and employees (both telephone and direct), a mobile application and an online patient platform. Here, too, the knowledge of the customer (his needs, expectations, limitations, etc.) plays a key role, as this magical factor – the sum of the user’s experience with the brand – will largely influence his decisions and further actions.
1 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) – a collection of documents published by WAI containing recommendations for creating accessible websites. On October 15, 2012, the WCAG version 2.0 guidelines gained the status of the international standard ISO / IEC 40500: 2012. ( https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Content_Accessibility_Guidelines )
2 See above (footnote no.1)
