Most pharmacy business owners are so overwhelm with running their business and bringing up other marketing avenues becomes difficult or a distraction. As a pharmacy owner, you should consistently be adding more ways to your marketing mix in order to grow your business and serve your customers better.
Of all these marketing strategies, is getting your pharmacy on the internet a necessary strategy? Is it important to the day to day running of your business or can it be of any help to grow the business? Most pharmacies are not online (although not supported by any study, I believe less than 1% of pharmacies worldwide are on the internet at all). One reason for this may be because most pharmacy owners themselves do not have any online presence. Another reason could be that they do not understand what benefits their business could derive from being online. The task of putting their business may seem like rocket science to most.
In this article, you will find out how your business can benefit from online presence, see how you can get your pharmacy business online and realize that establishing an online presence for your pharmacy can be incredibly easy. You will also understand how to use the internet in your marketing mix.
Why Does Your Business Need To Be Online?
Being online is not only about having a website for your pharmacy; it also includes having social media presence, being on business review websites, listed in business directories, selling on ecommerce websites and so on. You can be using one or more of these and you can proudly say your business is online. Below are a few reasons why your business should be online:
Educate your customers: You can educate your customers and patients through your online estates like your website, social media (Facebook, Google plus, Twitter). You can post educative information on disease conditions, drug usage, lifestyle advice, dieting etc.
Follow up on your patients: You can follow up on your patients through their treatment. Depending on the design of your website you can have a one on one contact with each patient. Through this medium you can counsel him, give him advice and answer his questions.
Easy to find: When your business is online, it becomes easy to find. When someone searches for pharmacies in a particular location, your pharmacy will pop up on the search and you will be contacted by this person. This means that you can get their businesses.
Makes your business looks bigger: When you have a website, people tend to see you in bigger light than you really are. A website gives your business an impression in the mind for people that breeds respect for your brand and acceptability. They equate your business with big multinational establishments. They also see your business as modern and up to date.
Establish yourself as an expert: Since you use your website to educate your patients and customers, you are using it to establish yourself as an expert. You position yourself as the go-to when it comes to patient education and they will come to you whenever they need advice. This is an opportunity for your to convert them into loyal customers.
Appear as serious business: When you have an online presence especially you own website, you appear like a serious business to your prospective partners. It makes your business stand out and they see you as being in control.
Sales platform: You can sell your products through your websites. Examples of products you can sell through your website are nutriceuticals, herbal preparations, medical equipment, books and informational products.
Get feedback from patients and customers: Your web presence provide an avenue for your customers to read about you and to also get back to you. You can get feedback about your business through your online presence. If you have a website, your website visitors can contact you through the contact form provided, call you through the telephone number provided or use your email to send you a message. You must always provide a way for your customers and patients.
Share your business information: You can use your online presence to share information about your business. Information you can share includes changes in your business, photos, your plans, events, promotions, partnership and so on.
Cheap advertisement/marketing: Your online presence is a very cheap way to advertise and market your business. Of all advertising methods being online is the cheapest and more far-reaching. So you should take advantage of this.
How To Get Online
Getting your business online is very simple. As mentioned above, there is different ways of creating an online presence for your pharmacy business.
Social media: This is as simple as creating a fan page on Facebook, business page on Google plus and/or a twitter account for your business. You can search out relevant social networks and create an account for yourself and your business.
Directories: There several directories both locally and globally, search them out and list your business in relevant directories.
Your own website: This is the only online presence you control over. It is your own online real estate. You can put anything you wish on your website and control the design as you wish. This is your direct identity on the internet and you can go a great mileage with it.
Do you want to take your pharmacy business online? Do you want professional that can help you with achieve this quickly and at an affordable cost?
Then you can call +234 803 353 1140 to get help. You can be sure to get the very best service from them. Best of all they are pharmacists and therefore they understand your business and practice very well.