Patient testimonials are a powerful tool to help you gain new patients and increase your pharmacy profits.
Getting More Conversions From Testimonials
Is growing your pharmacy a goal? Then getting more testimonials should be on your to-do list.
One of the best ways to do this is through social proof, aka testimonials. Our conscious and subconscious minds are constantly influenced by the people around us, even if we don’t realize it. We like to be told we are making a good decision. We frequently examine what others are doing or have done in the past to determine what is the most simple or ideal option for us. Our brain seeks any methods that will allow us to reach a conclusion or solve a problem fast and efficiently.
Using product recommendations, case studies, reviews, and testimonials on your website may improve conversion rates by 34%. A conversion is when someone who is just “looking” at your pharmacy becomes a paying patient or customer. When websites have social proof throughout their platform, users are more likely to feel secure in their purchasing decisions.
Why Do Customers Appreciate Patient Testimonials?
Testimonials are critical for generating new sales and gaining new pharmacy patients as they give implied trust to your pharmacy. Did you know they are also crucial in retaining your current patients too? Current patients like to know they are making a good choice by choosing your pharmacy, and testimonials help with that objective.
According to Trustpilot, acquiring a new customer is 6-7 times more expensive than retaining an existing one, and improving your retention rate by just 5% can result in a 25-95% increase in profits. Demonstrating your appreciation for their support through social proof on your website and social media is one of the most cost-effective ways to boost patient retention.
All Opinions Matter
Your patients will appreciate being asked for their opinion and knowing they are being heard. It is important to acknowledge every piece of feedback, whether good or bad. While most pharmacies publish only good testimonials, using bad reviews can bring added authenticity. If you get a bad review about an area of your service, and then you take action to fix it, then use that review to tell that story. Explain how you listened to the feedback, made improvements, and now hope to serve your community even better.
5 Ways To Use Social Proof To Improve Your Website Conversion Rates
1. Case Studies
A case study is a story that describes how a particular customer or patient used your product or service to solve a problem or achieve a goal. By sharing these stories, you can show potential customers that your products or services are effective and can help them achieve their goals.
When creating a case study, be sure to include:
- The problem the customer was facing
- How does your product or service help them solve the problem
- The results they achieved by using your product or service
2. Video Testimonials
Video is one of the most compelling ways to increase brand confidence and conversion rates. You can do a long-form video and tell a complete story or simply capture 5 seconds of a patient saying “I love your pharmacy,” which is highly effective too.
3. User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is any content your customers or fans create. This content can include reviews, testimonials, photos, videos, and more. UGC provides potential customers with real-life examples of how your products or services have helped others. The best way to get UGC from your patients is to ask them. Let them know you would love to hear how your product and/or service impacts their health.
4. Landing Pages
A landing page is a specific page on your website that is designed to convert visitors into leads or customers. Pharmacies should use landing pages more often. Landing pages allow you to talk specifically about a problem patients have (like a page dedicated to hair loss) or specifically about one of your services (such as compounding). When creating a landing page, be sure to include:
- A clear and concise headline
- A brief description of your offer
- A call to action
- A form for visitors to fill out
- Any testimonials or reviews for the specific topic
5. Star Ratings
The simplest form of a review is a star rating. Patients can quickly click the number of stars they want to give you without adding any commentary. By offering a simple star rating, you are more likely to get an increased number of reviews. While we all want people to give us juicy details in feedback, having hundreds of 5-star reviews is still powerful.
Patient Privacy In Testimonials
Keeping their current customers’ identities a secret isn’t a worry for most businesses. However, for pharmacies, it is entirely the opposite. You want to be careful about publicly talking about someone’s health, not only because of HIPAA but also because of professional etiquette.
Some patients may freely permit you to talk about their stories. I once had a patient with terrible psoriasis, covering most of his body from head to toe. We worked with his doctor to formulate a compound that gave him psoriasis-free skin for the first time in his life. He shouted about his journey from the rooftops and wanted us to do it as well so we could potentially help other patients. He gladly let us use his name, picture, and medical history.
It is great if your patients are like this one, but chances are most won’t be. You can still use testimonials and stories with an added layer of anonymity. Our psoriasis patient could easily have been any of the options below, based on what he was comfortable with.
- Clark Walker, a 42-year-old male with psoriasis (no anonymity)
- C. Walker, male with psoriasis
- Clark W, a psoriasis patient
- C. W., chronic skin condition
- 42-year-old male with chronic psoriasis
You can also have your patients talk about their experience with you as a pharmacy, not necessarily about their medical condition. This way, they don’t reveal any personal medical information.
Automating Testimonials
I highly recommend you automate a testimonial process. Many services do this for a low cost (NiceJob, Trustpilot), and you can also use Google forms for free. A benefit of using a service is it can automatically publish testimonials on your website, Google My Business, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other places. Another way to gather many testimonials is to ask your current patients when they are in the pharmacy. Add a QR code to your pharmacy bags, use in-store signage or use a bag stuffer. Make it easy for them, and you will be surprised how many will tell you they love you!
Using testimonials and reviews is a highly-effective and low-cost way to boost your conversions and increase patients and profit. You can show potential customers that your pharmacy can be trusted by sharing stories of how your products or services have helped others.
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