MONTHLY MASHUP: ZocDoc and Amazon.com

ZocDoc lets you find and schedule an appointment with a doctor in your area who accepts your insurance. The entire searching for and booking an appointment process can take as little as 5 minutes. The website is often referred to as “OpenTable” for doctor’s appointments. How easy is that?

Today’s mashup will focus on small ways for ZocDoc and Amazon.com to learn from each other.

1) and 2) Direction: Let the site direct the consumer down one path. Currently, you can click the area surrounded by box 1 as well as fill out the information in box 2. Going via box 1 leads you to the same place as box 2 but the web user has to still enter the box 2 information. The site should streamline the user by disabling the link in box 1.

1) Rank by Relevance: Take up the listing model by Amazon.com, and add a place to choose your doctor by “relevance.” Customers should be able to search by proximity, relevance to illness, rating, etc. Right now, there is only a search for language and gender and you’ll have to do the rest by eye-balling the list.

2) Example: Why is Dr. Khalilnejad second when she isn’t even an allergist, which I specifically requested for? That’s like asking for a book and only getting magazines in your search.

1) Cell Phone Verification: Most people have cell phones. Obviously those who don’t have cell phones with texting capabilities cannot use ZocDoc. ZocDoc should have an alternative way to confirm reservations, perhaps via email + home phone.

2) Amazon.com Learning: Incorporate an option so that people (who want this option) can request a text code to enter before using the listed credit card. Amazon’s “one-click” option will be the death of me.

1) Appointment Download: Very essential.

Amazon, Zappos, and the like: Please implement an option where I can download onto my calendar a note/reminder on the day I expect to get my package. Please put in the appointment reminder my tracking number as well so I don’t have to dig through the Amazon website or my email for it.

And for those of you curious about the revenue model for the business, doctor’s pay $250/month to be part of ZocDoc. In August 2011, ZocDoc raised $50 million from DST Global (adding to the $20 million the Company had previously received from Founders Fund and Khosla Ventures). Although undisclosed, the business is now supposedly valued at around $700 million.