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Web-Side Manner Mistake #2: Talking Rather Than Listening

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webside_manner_mistake2Imagine a patient enters your hospital’s front doors. As they step into the main lobby they are bombarded with giant billboards declaring your hospital’s most recent accolades and accomplishments. From the information desk, a hospital staffer begins loudly reading these billboards with a bullhorn. Each miniature commercial ends with the hospital employee following the patient down the hall yelling, “LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!” The patient is overwhelmed, bewildered, and most likely, a little irritated.

Sounds silly, right? Yet nearly every healthcare system website we see takes this “me first” kind of approach. If a patient walked into your hospital today, most likely they would be greeted warmly by the information desk attendant and asked “how can I help you today?”– why should their digital experience be any different?

Patients who visit your website may have very different needs, but they all need help navigating the wealth of information available on your site—and they want to be heard. Consider asking your site visitors what they need versus telling them what you want them to hear.

THE CURE

Take a look at your home page. If most of the real estate contains messages about your healthcare system rather than the patient needs, it’s time to change the conversation.

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Excerpted from Improving Your Web-Side Manner: 5 Mistakes Even the Best Health Systems Make–And How to Fix Them. Download the complete guide here.

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