In the world of digital marketing, new terms are always being coined to keep up with changing technology, processes and ways of thinking. Here at Cosmetic Digital, our digital marketing experts are always keeping up-to-date, so we can pass the benefits onto you and your business.
Two terms that are frequently referenced in the digital marketing world are UX (User Experience, concerned with how an individual interacts with you or your website) and CX (Customer Experience, concerned with the customer’s lifetime of experiences across all channels). Put simply, UX is one aspect of CX.
The numbers don’t lie
Whether you’re an individual practitioner or you’ve built an empire of clinics, your business can hugely benefit from CX. Did you know that Adobe’s Digital Marketing Trends Report for 2020 revealed that CX is set to be the number one brand differentiator this year (and beyond)? In addition, 86% of American Express customers were willing to pay more for a better service, and Oracle found that 74% of senior execs believed CX and loyalty were directly linked*. But how does this translate into the real world?
A simple example
For positive UX, your clients might:
Find your site easily (good SEO ranking)
Navigate through your website easily (good content and navigation strategy)
Book an appointment or perform other tasks quickly (good web development)
For positive CX, your clients might:
Book their first appointment on your site (as outlined above)
Call your business to ask a query – and be answered quickly and effectively
Attend their appointment and have a positive experience with your staff
In other words, both CX and UX need to work in harmony for a client to build a positive association with your business. It’s no use having a website that offers fantastic UX (well-structured, quick to load etc.) if their overall CX is poor (rude staff, lengthy responses, put on hold etc.). Likewise, having a positive CX at your clinic falls down if the client comes to rebook and finds your site is slow, buggy or broken, thanks to poor UX.
Improving CX & UX
There are lots of ways to improve both of these areas for your clients.
For UX:
Take advantage of the traditional marketing route of customer behaviour and user psychology, particularly when mapping out your site structure. Try to anticipate a visitor’s actions on your website and what they’d expect to find there – such as hero pages your clients expect to see.
Ensure your website loads as quickly and seamlessly as possible – no bugs, confusing redirects or broken links (and no pop-ups, unless absolutely necessary!). This can help your clients stay longer online, improving your bounce rate and ensuring a higher chance of goal conversion (e.g. booking a treatment).
Use data, and regularly review your website, to improve interactions in the future – such as how many clicks a client needed to do to perform a task, how long an interaction took, or what their journey might be. Looking into boosting your site speed is a good place to start.
Make use of all the tools and tech at your disposal – and make note of any competitor tricks that might help your own business.
For CX:
Be consistent in the way you talk about your business, treatments and services, as well as the way you treat your patients. Ensure that however your client approaches you, whatever the channel, the experience is well thought-out and simple.
Remember that CX covers not just whether a client will be loyal over time and give you repeat business, but whether they will recommend you to others.
Try to create a personalised approach to your business (for example, recommending similar treatments based on previous consultations or personally following up on a complaint).
Build a clear picture of your ideal client and their wants and needs.
Try to gather feedback at key touchpoints to identify areas for improvement. This can also help with identifying who your client base is.
Always look for ways to improve your customer service – for example, being available outside your clinic’s opening hours or offering drop-in appointments.
Small steps, great gains
We don’t need to tell you that improving CX and UX has some fantastic benefits for your business. But, you might be surprised to learn just how much of a financial boost can be gained from tweaking your UX here and there, such as through:
Increasing loyalty to you and your business
Encouraging clients to re-purchase or re-book
Giving clients a reason to recommend your business, treatments or services
Helping clients feel less sensitive to pricing
Call in the experts
If your UX doesn’t match up to your CX, contact our friendly team today at Cosmetic Digital. Experts at dental marketing, medical SEO and aesthetic web design, our digital marketing team have the tools, knowledge and enthusiasm to help transform your business through social media, SEO and content strategies, as well as through web design and development. To get started, visit our contact page now.