Is Your Site Special Enough To Meet The Challenge?
According to an iCongo survery, free shipping, online-only pricing lead shoppers online; 45 percent plan to make retail purchases with their federal tax rebate.
iCongo, Inc., a leading develop of e-business systems and software, released the results of a consumer survey conducted by Harris Interactive® that reveals how the rising price of gasoline is reflected in American attitudes towards shopping.
One third (33 percent) of online U.S. adults indicated they are more likely to shop online rather than in-person at a store due to the high price of gasoline.
Time For A Website Checkup
If your website is in dire need of a ‘facelift’, is a non-changing 2-4 page dinosaur, is listed on your supplier page without any real identity to your pharmacy, or – worse yet – you subscribed to the fact that your pharmacy doesn’t really need a ‘web presence’ – you are facing another facet of potential extinction.
Older shoppers to Gen Y’s: I have repetitively heard the excuse that some pharmacies have older customers that ‘don’t use the internet’. Since I am in Florida, with a higher population of older patients, I can speak freely to say ‘that just isn’t true’. Older customers have computers! They exchange e-mail, get pictures of their grandchildren and book their travel plans on-line! Limited income is now giving them an opportunity to extend the shopping experience due to rising gas prices.
ALL of the ‘gens’ shop on line. This is part of their existence. If your site doesn’t give them the choices they want – they will find sites that do. You must appeal to the future patients and customers – otherwise, you face a dwindling customer base.
Unique Products: Whether you want to list product on your website to drive traffic to your pharmacy or decide on full e-commerce, you must make the products something that just isn’t found in many locations. Pharmacies also have to get out of the ‘mind-set’ that general “OTC” is something they must absolutely have on their site! Cotton balls, Band-aids and aspirin are available at every store. Your selection of products must be in the niche market! You will not only have higher margins but will bring in new patients and customers!
There are many ‘professional products’ offered by suppliers that only sell to licensed practitioners and pharmacies. Most of these products are not usually found in your standard mass chain pharmacy.
Integrative medicine and natural products are nothing new to your older patients, as they grew up with many of them! Younger customers are looking for this branding, along with homeopathic and organic!
Home Page Chaos: A pharmacist recently contacted me and asked me to take a look at his ‘home grown’ website. I hit the homepage with a thud – as it was total pandemonium! Information was scattered, no organization, and the amount of ‘discount’ products looked like a garage sale or auction page! To be honest – I had no desire to stay on that site – let alone buy anything on it! He was very proud of his ‘creation’ – but, as a consumer and a web savvy customer – I was horrified.
Creating your own website makes about as much sense as a general layperson creating their own prescription! Remember what your profession is – and leave the web creation to the professionals!
Information Overkill: Any site that is 100% information – will cause even the most interested patient to get that ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ look. Although compounding pharmacies have a unique and different story to tell than a mainstream independent pharmacy, there seems to be a philosophy that they must only supply ‘information’ to appeal to both patients and physicians. Even if the information changes, there is no real ‘call to action’ for anyone to return. Many of the sites are nice, but boring. The investment can be considered a waste. As with everything in life – there must be a good ‘balance’.
Exactly Whose Site Is This? Ever been to one of those lovely esoteric sites – with beautiful artwork and soothing music in the background? Yes – it offers a ‘Zen moment’ – but, when you keep looking – you begin to wonder exactly who they are, what they sell or what is their message? Although this is a ‘no-brainer’ – you would be surprised at how many pharmacies fall for that ploy. If they don’t know who you are – you have paid money for no good reason.
You get what you pay for: A web presence is a direct reflection of your pharmacy.
I cannot emphasize that enough. If you don’t believe there is ‘value’ in a professional site filled with changing information and marketing tools, then your patients will also think poorly of your pharmacy. Cheap is cheap. Bottom line….and it shows. A well designed site reflects the fact that you have good self-esteem for your pharmacy and follow that through in customer service.
Return On Investment (ROI): A good web presence, with an ability to encourage patients and customers to sign up for information e-newsletters, offers you the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with your patients – with a click of a mouse! Their trust in your advice, consultations and information can be continued through e-mail communiqués. With a simple ‘copy-and-paste’, you can let them know about a new medical study, additional products you have added for their health and well being and new special services you offer. They will go to your site and better yet – go to your pharmacy! New customers and patients will sign up because they know you are up-to-date and have their medical concerns as your first priority.
It has been said that if a retailer of any sort does not have a good web presence now, they will not be in business in the next 5 years! Independent Pharmacies need 'every tool in their tool box' to continue thriving in this ever changing world.
Karen Sulprizio
Email Me or Call Me: 1-866-312-8324
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