When our teams look at scheduled columns of patients every morning, they\u2019re facing a cross-section of our communities. From a 20-year college student in the morning to a 75-year old retiree in the afternoon, the differences can be stark.\u00a0\u00a0But how much thought do we give to the generational differences between our patients? And if we do, when do we start? While we\u2019re skilled at helping patients settle into the operatory, their journey extends for miles before and after their clinical appointments. Customized care flows from an orchestrated effort by the entire team. First, we must raise our awareness about the people we serve and dive into their tendencies, preferences, and behaviors. While we can\u2019t generalize characteristics, understanding the forces that shaped each generation gives us a foundation to personalize experiences.<\/p>\n
Awareness is only as good as the execution that follows. And if juggling tailored experiences takes more resources than we can muster, we\u2019ll fall back into business as usual. In our offices, that doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019ll provide subpar treatment. But we may not deliver the experience that well-informed consumers expect. That approach may leave us wondering what happened to patients we used to see.\u00a0Today, many Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers open their phones and search for \u201cdentist near me\u201d on Google. In a recent\u00a0survey conducted by Legwork\u00a0<\/a><\/span>, 1 out of 4 Millennials and Gen Xers said they primarily look for a new dentist through an internet search. Beyond that point, each of them may react differently to what they find if they click on your name. Customizing starts with the first click. With a little insight, we can design elements at each stop that help engage specific demographics. Here are a few ways to cater to every age along the way:<\/p>\n A practice\u2019s website\u00a0<\/a><\/span>anchors the patient\u2019s online journey. It\u2019s just a click away from a search by a new patient, and critical functions reside here for existing patients.\u00a0Millennials:\u00a0Half\u00a0<\/a><\/span>of this demographic uses mobile devices as the primary online access point, and mobile usage is 14% higher for Millenials than other demographics. Mobile-friendly websites aren\u2019t enough; aim for mobile-optimized.\u00a0Gen X:\u00a0This busy audience values usability in a website. After age 25, research suggests users need .\u00a008%\u00a0<\/a><\/span>more time each year to complete digital tasks. They\u2019re not old, but they\u2019re nostalgic, and Gen X longs for a practical user experience. Balance function and information on your website.\u00a0Baby Boomers:\u00a0Older online users won\u2019t spend much time on a site that\u2019s hard to navigate or read. A clean design with clear contrasts and easy-to-read fonts will keep older visitors engaged.\u00a0Tie It Together:\u00a0A mobile-forward website from\u00a0Legwork Websites\u00a0<\/a><\/span>combine uncluttered design, patient convenience apps, and engaging content that brings desirable elements to all ages.<\/p>\n Visitors who end up in your chair come from every demographic, but small tweaks help increase conversions. And patients of every demographic bring their expectations from other consumer interactions with a growing emphasis on convenience.\u00a0Millennials:\u00a0You may be surprised to learn younger patients value holistic care more than other generations. For example, recently a webinar attendee\u00a0asked Millennial patients\u00a0<\/a><\/span>how much total body health was something that had come up in their dental experience.\u00a0 One Millennial patient, Michelle, replied, \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s ever come up but now I\u2019m really intrigued by this and would like to know more!\u201d\u00a0 Hank, another Millennial patient, said, \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been brought up to me, but that\u2019s something I would definitely like to know.\u201d Overall,\u00a080%\u00a0<\/a><\/span>of Millennials say providers can serve them better by understanding their interests, goals, and motivations. Impress them by gathering this information before their visits and customizing their experience.\u00a0Gen X:\u00a0This generation juggles a lot of responsibilities, and they make up\u00a033%\u00a0<\/a><\/span>of the workforce. Gen X patients value convenience, and they look for efficient appointments, including online scheduling. Make online scheduling one reason for them to visit your website. Stephanie, a Gen X patient on\u00a0a Legwork webinar panel\u00a0<\/a><\/span>, said, \u201cI LOVE the text reminders for all of us. It\u2019s just way easier because if I\u2019m at work I don\u2019t get interrupted, I just see the text.\u201d\u00a0Baby Boomers:\u00a0Expect the cohort of patients over age\u00a065\u00a0<\/a><\/span>to double in the coming years, and they\u2019ll bring increased digital competency with them. Older patients may be more likely to engage our practices on the phone. Some appreciate voice appointment reminders more than text messages.\u00a0Baby Boomer patient, Bob, shared as a Legwork webinar panelist\u00a0<\/a><\/span>, \u201cI\u2019m thankful that my dentist calls me and leaves a voicemail about my upcoming appointment.\u201d But give them options, and automate delivery to help them stay on track.\u00a0Tie It Together:\u00a0A suite of convenient tools integrated into\u00a0a single platform\u00a0<\/a><\/span>appeal to everyone.\u00a0Legwork Online Booking\u00a0<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0Legwork Reminders\u00a0<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0and\u00a0Legwork Comfort\u00a0<\/a><\/span>are just a few of the usability tools patients love to find.<\/p>\n After we successfully deliver an implant-supported denture, we could consider the journey complete. But the patient experience flywheel continues to turn long after they walk towards the exit, and we don\u2019t want to leave it to chance.\u00a0Millennials:\u00a0Online reviews matter to every demographic, but\u00a070%\u00a0<\/a><\/span>of younger visitors share their healthcare experiences online. And almost every patient who chooses your office will check reviews. For example,\u00a0Millennial patient Hank\u00a0<\/a><\/span>got his dentist recommendation from a colleague but conducted a quick search online at reviews before making his final decision. To generate more reviews, automatically request them via text or email after your patients step out the door.\u00a0Gen X:\u00a0Happy patients become loyal patients, and Gen X tends to be\u00a0more loyal\u00a0<\/a><\/span>than older and younger consumers. When they discover a service or product from a brand they love, they\u2019re not likely to change. Engage them with regular updates and insight that helps them cement their relationship with your brand.\u00a0Gen X patient Eric said\u00a0<\/a><\/span>, \u201cAs far as rating [my dentist] online or going on their own website, I\u2019d be happy to do it; they\u2019d just have to remind me. That\u2019d be the best way to get me to do it\u2013ask me to do it as I leave.\u201c\u00a0Baby Boomers:\u00a0Older patients continue to adopt technology, and half of them spend about\u00a015 hours\u00a0<\/a><\/span>weekly online. In terms of writing reviews, all three\u00a0Baby Boomer webinar panelists\u00a0<\/a><\/span>said they would be happy to leave one if simply asked to do so. Baby Boomers are also interested in using patient portals, but the platforms should be accessible with minimal navigation requirements. Show them a single-click patient portal from your homepage.\u00a0Tie It Together:\u00a0Our teams focus on helping patients flowing through the office; that\u2019s where their energy should go. But delivering more touchpoints beyond appointments adds key ingredients to experiences everyone talks about.\u00a0Legwork Reviews\u00a0<\/a><\/span>automates the flow of positive feedback, and\u00a0Legwork Campaigns\u00a0<\/a><\/span>keeps the conversation going with periodic emails, blog posts, and social media posts.\u00a0Legwork Patient Portal\u00a0<\/a><\/span>gives patients a simple, secure home for payments and scheduling.<\/p>\n COVID-19 hit our practices from multiple angles and amplified the pressure to deliver exceptional experiences. Complex forces working before the pandemic picked up tailwinds that now demand we adapt like the most nimble brands in the world. Fortunately, we have the resources to stand out and help patients along their journey with tools like the\u00a0Patient Demographic Marketing Kit\u00a0<\/a><\/span>! Download this free packet today to learn how to communicate more effectively with every segment of your patients.<\/p>\n [dr_grillo_bio]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Dr. Greg Grillo When our teams look at scheduled columns of patients every morning, they\u2019re facing a cross-section of our communities. From a 20-year college student in the morning…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legwork"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Stop 1: An Engaging Website<\/h3>\n
Stop 2: The Essential Appointment<\/h3>\n
Stop 3: The Inevitable Exit<\/h3>\n
Patients Aren\u2019t Waiting. We Can\u2019t Either.<\/h2>\n