For Life Marketing: Digital Marketing for Pregnancy Centers
The Importance of Chat & Texting on PRC Websites
Do you utilize chat and texting on your Pregnancy Resource Center’s website?
You may not think of online chat as a priority, but in the digital age, it can bring a variety of benefits such as streamlining appointment making and reaching clients who may otherwise fall through the cracks.
Why Website Chat Is Important
Chat systems are one of the most common ways your clients communicate. People use chat features far more often than they talk to a live person on the phone. Sometimes making a phone call is actually a huge barrier which younger demographics won’t cross.
They might be nervous to talk to someone over the phone and prefer having a bit more anonymity. Or your clients may just prefer that it’s faster and easier to get answers online without having to worry about holds or small talk.
Online chat systems can greatly benefit your center by automating or outsourcing some Q&A and taking up less of your volunteers’ time with phone calls.
Start by deciding which type of chat works best for your clients.
How It Works
There are two main types of web chats.
The first kind operates on your website itself, perhaps as a small window in the corner of the browser. This option is quick and easy, and your client doesn’t need to take any additional steps to use it.
The second option is Web Text which starts on your site and moves the conversation to a text thread on the recipients device. Some clients may prefer the ease of texting on their phone and being able to look back at the conversation, while others may hesitate to give out their number.
Different Types of Web Chat
There are four levels of web chat which could benefit your PRC, with increasing levels of interaction and therefore price.
Live Nurse ($$$-$$$$)
Option Line hosts an online live chat service that women in need can text or call at any time. They partner with local PRCs to pass along the women’s information (if they choose) to expedite appointments.
Heritage House employs nurses full time who can respond to women in need with compassion and qualified support. Then they connect these women to their local pregnancy resource center partners.
Live appointment setter ($$)
Juvo Leads is a highly rated company you can outsource your web chat needs to. They offer a 24/7 live human service which can give custom answers to questions and field new leads to your inbox. They promise they can increase your leads by 40% from your current web traffic.
Staff when available/message when not available ($)
The program Atmosphere offers is an affordable messaging system that connects clients to your staff when they’re available, or sends an automated message to your client if they are not. Your staff can then reply later. There is a greater delay, but this offers your team greater flexibility while being budget friendly, and still has a personal touch.
AI chat appointment setter ($)
Atmosphere also provides a 24/7 AI chat bot which can set up appointments. AI is much more affordable than paying a real person and requires less training of volunteers. That doesn’t mean it’s less effective. Many people prefer the convenience and speed of scheduling and getting fast feedback online.
Etiquette for texting with visitors/clients
If you choose a platform like Atmosphere that allows your staff to reply to clients, there are some tips on etiquette to keep in mind for professional digital communication.
Do’s:
- Respond quickly
- Maintain a professional tone
- Offer clear, concise answers
- Use correct grammar and spelling
- Be empathetic and personable
Don’t:
- Get into a debate
- Guess about information instead of saying “I don’t know” and researching further
- Use slang or chat speak
- Get emotional or ask invasive personal questions
- Read only part of a customer’s query
How to pick the right chat solution
There are pros and cons to each type of chat service, and the right fit will depend on your center’s needs and resources.
Live, around-the-clock services are incredibly expensive, and may not feel like the best use of donor funds. Specialized services which focus on one task like setting appointments will do a great job in that one area, but may feel too limited.
Some chats are automated, which makes them affordable and easy to implement, while programs that rely on having your staff on hand require more training and time.
Some chat programs allow you to test their services with a free trial. We recommend you give a couple a try to see if they fit well with your team and budget!
Results
Live chat works, which is why big companies use it. Companies claim that they can nearly double leads by interacting with website visitors.
Your competitors use live chat. Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers use cutting edge technology to bring as many women through their doors as possible. An abortion minded woman may visit your website, hesitate, and return to the main page of Google. If they click on an abortion provider’s page, they will likely have many forms of contact with an AI or staff. This touch point will make it more likely for them to make an appointment with an abortion provider or supporter.
Don’t let these women leave your website without being seen and heard. Sometimes people need a formula to walk through when they’re feeling overwhelmed, and a live chat feature can make their next steps easy and decisive.
Next Steps
We recommend Atmosphere as a top choice for pregnancy resource centers because it’s affordable, user-friendly, and offers multiple other features to support your operations. For instance, Atmosphere allows centers to easily manage all of their messaging (web chat, text, social messages, and email) in one unified inbox.
If you’re interested in learning more about how Atmosphere can help you reach more abortion-minded women, schedule a walk-through today.
If you need help improving your website, we would be honored to partner with you. It’s an easy process. You can learn more about it, schedule a call to discuss questions and next steps, or get started online.
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For Life Marketing is based in Birmingham, Alabama and would be honored to serve your pregnancy center anywhere in the United States.
We build and maintain pregnancy center websites and offer digital marketing services like: search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (like Google Ads), social posts, social marketing (like Facebook Ads), lead generation, and email marketing.