Managed Website Chat

It’s usually only the largest dental practices that have the resources to dedicate full-time representatives to talk to patients online. And what do you do if someone wants to chat in the middle of the night? The solution lies in having a reliable website chat management system.

Website chat gives dental offices a huge advantage in attracting more patients. Live chat has been shown to double the number of dental website visitors who make appointments. Historically, around three percent of site visitors made an appointment. With live chat, the figure has risen to up to six percent and sometimes more.

Managed website chat can also strengthen patient loyalty by making communicating with you easier and enhancing your overall service to patients.

What is Website Chat?

A web chat system gives visitors to the website instant communication with the business through integrated live-support software. This interaction can be by humans or virtual assistants or a combination of both.

Site visitors don’t have to download any special software or use an external chat app. Website chat takes place directly within the web page itself. A chat window on the page enables the visitor to type messages directly into a text field. They can use this much like any of their favorite chat apps.

What Can Live Website Chat Do for Your Practice?

Incorporating a live chat feature on your dental website gives visitors an instantly accessible, simple means of communicating and interacting with you.

This type of support channel gives prospective patients and current patients what they want and often expect – a better alternative to phone calls and emails. Live chat combines the digital expediency of email with the immediacy of a phone call.

Research on website chat for businesses has shown that:

  • Almost 80 percent of consumers prefer the instant communication of live chat.
  • More than 70 percent believe live chat is the most satisfactory form of communication with a business.
  • Live chat support has a customer satisfaction rate of more than 90 percent.
  • Live chat costs businesses from 15 to 33 percent less than phone support.
  • In 2022, over 85 percent of businesses are expected to be using live chat support.
  • More than 50 percent of customers like live chat because it allows them to multitask.
  • On average, it takes less than a minute to resolve a consumer issue with live chat.

As a communications tool, live chat enhances the user experience of your dental site visitors and making a website simple and easy to use is key to turning site visitors into paying patients.

Webchat can also be used to help your office identify any issues with your site and build a database of contacts for future marketing campaigns. This goes a long way in helping you get more patients through your door on a long-term basis.

Why You Need Managed Website Chat

While chatbots may be useful in providing automated answers to frequently asked questions, managed website chat is powered by human interaction with site visitors – live chat assistants who can have real conversations with people and build relationships.

This is particularly beneficial for dental offices, who’re dealing with patients who may have serious oral health concerns and need to know they can trust you to resolve these issues.

The live chat expectations of these people are very different compared with buying a new toaster or kettle, and the vast majority will prefer – and appreciate – being able to talk to a real person rather than an AI (artificial intelligence) machine.

A human assistant can provide a far more personalized, warmer, and pleasant experience for site visitors, and can improvise and customize answers to specific questions.

Advantages of Managed Website Chat

Managed website chat will give your office important benefits not just in generating new business but also as a tool to help patient retention. These advantages include:

Fast Patient Support

If patients can’t quickly find the information they’re looking for on your website, they may try another dentist’s site and be tempted into switching to their practice. Managed chat services are much faster than other customer support channels and can often provide a complete resolution without the need for further action. Managed live chat with a human also makes patients feel important and valued.

24/7 Response

Patients and potential patients may visit your website at many different times of the day. That’s one of the main benefits of having a website – it’s always open. However, it’s impossible to provide 24/7 patient support with a small team. With a managed live chat service, a dedicated agent can provide answers and personalized human responses to your site visitors all hours of the day or night. This service also gives you a cost-effective way to stand out from the competition.

How to Get the Best Managed Website Chat Service for Your Dental Site

Advances in digital technology have given rise to a major shift in customer behavior and expectations – and dental patients are no exception. They demand real-time communication, and more often than not they want it online. Furthermore, 70 percent of all consumers say they prefer talking to a person rather than an AI automated system.

Statistics show that live chat has become a top consumer priority in communications, and managed live chat gives you a major competitive advantage as a fast and cost-effective way of turning dental site visitors into patients and building loyalty.

Live chat management allows you to open up conversations and talk to people in real-time, so they can quickly get the information they need. It can also provide valuable feedback about anything they’re struggling with on your website, such as site navigation.

If you have live chat managed by an experienced specialist dental marketing consultancy, they’ll know all about your business and how to provide a valuable service for your dental site visitors.

They’ll be able to seamlessly integrate live chat into your website as user-friendly dental productivity software designed to maximize return on investment. Contact DentalROI to find out more about how managed website chat can benefit your office.