Generating leads in the senior living industry has always been labor intensive, but never more than during the last year. With a light beginning to shine at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, however, it’s time to look ahead and find ways to gain new leads. While there is no magic wand to wave, here are several solutions that can help generate leads even during the health crises.
Solution #1 — Make the most of what you have. Enlist current residents to share how much they enjoy living in their senior community and why. These testimonials can just be written as direct quotes, or short simple videos can be made, and both can be added to the website to engage visitors and those taking virtual tours. Testimonials can also be used on social media channels and in electronic newsletters. And an added bonus is that residents who agree to take part will be thrilled to become instant celebrities and goodwill ambassadors! For examples of different senior living testimonials, check out some of them on YouTube.
Solution #2 — Reach out with proactive live chat. A year into the pandemic, use of live chat continues to be strong as many people choose to use the internet as a vehicle for research, communication, purchasing, and decision making. Live chat, well done, is fast, efficient, empathetic and provides highly skilled and trained chat hosts who are experienced in the senior living industry. Combined, these assets help assure prospective residents and their families the senior living community is a caring one that puts people first. And the results can be excellent.
According to the whoson.com article, “The ultimate compendium of live chat software statistics, “The addition of live chat software to a website typically causes a 20% increase in conversions,” and “Proactive chat earns 105% ROI.” Learn more about the benefits of live chat in our blog, “How to Generate Leads Without Cold Calling.”
Solution #3 — Speed up follow-up. No matter where a prospect originates, it’s only as good as the follow up by staff. The search for the perfect senior living community can take seekers down many paths, so the sooner the follow up, the less likely they are to turn to a competing senior community. Each prospect deserves one-on-one attention delivered in the shortest possible time. This not only tells them they are valued, but also that they are respected, something that is essential to building trust and gaining new leads. Find out how to capitalize on leads and prospects in our blog, “Best Practices for Live Chat Leads.”
Solution #4 — Maximize mobile. More and more, people are accessing the internet using mobile devices, with a whopping 504% percent increase in use from 2011 through 2019, according to qz.com. That means ensuring an excellent mobile experience on your website is mandatory, including paying attention to factors such as:
- Screen size.
- Text size.
- Button size.
- Scaled down menus.
- CTAs that fit the space.
The better a mobile website is for the user, the less frustrated (and less likely to move on) visitors will be. Don’t forget that live chat is mobile friendly and can make the whole experience more profitable for everyone by making contact quick and painless. Find out how helpful live chat on mobile can be in our blog, “How to Get More Tours and Consults on Mobile.”
Solution #5 — Website updates for 2021. Yes, each new year comes with new website challenges, even during a pandemic. Not surprisingly, user experience (UX) is at the top since a bad experience is akin to the kiss of death for a business. Among the many ways to ensure a great UX are:
- Fast loading speeds.
- Easy navigation.
- Help such as videos and user guides.
- Design that is seamless and functional.
Another key aspect is use of local SEO, which provides results to searches that include “near me” or a specific day or time of day such as “now.” According to the Search Engine Watch article, “SEO Trends 2021: What every marketer should know,” the use of mobile local search is booming and “around 46% of all searches on Google are local.”
Strong and easy-to-use customer support is also front and center in 2021, and it’s another way live chat can be of enormous help for senior living communities. Not only does fast and knowledgeable assistance help solve problems, it also provides a way to kick-off relationships that can become leads and conversions. Until life gets back to some semblance of normal, expert customer support that’s live, empathetic and HIPAA compliant can provide senior living communities with a bridge to new leads. More information can be found in our blog, “How Live Customer Chat Support Helps Assisted Living Communities.”
These are just a few solutions for senior living communities to generate leads and at SiteStaff, providing solutions is what we do. Contact us today to learn how SiteStaff live chat can help you find the solutions you need.
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