Customers expect more than the tried and true methods used in the past to entice them to spend money.
What works today may not work tomorrow as technology continues to evolve. To compete, independent pharmacists must be prepared to embrace change. Online shopping is nothing new, but people are doing it more often than ever, with 58.4% of internet users saying they make at least 1 online purchase every week.1
The pandemic has dramatically changed what people use the internet to shop for, and groceries have seen a particularly big increase. This is also true at the pharmacy, with many wanting to have prescriptions delivered to their home or order refills and over-the-counter medicines, but then pick up purchases in store.
“We know how important innovation is right now because the world is changing at a rapid pace,” said Tricia Simpson, vice president of pharmaceutical distribution marketing, e-commerce and transformation at Cardinal Health. “An independent pharmacy can focus on driving future success by taking a step or two toward innovation. That could be adding a relevant solution or building e-commerce capabilities for prescription refills and OTC products.”
Harnessing the power of e-commerce requires only 3 steps for the independent pharmacist:
Keeping the personal touch. With 62% of online customers saying they make purchases based on prior customer service interactions2, ensuring customers have the opportunity for face-to-face interactions can lead to customer satisfaction and repeat customers . This personal touch is what makes the independent pharmacy so important to the community.
Develop and maintain a presence on social networks. It may seem like a full-time job, but these Facebook and Instagram posts are a free way to get a pharmacy’s name out there and provide customers with a way to contact the pharmacy at any time.
Use of in-store/online promotions. Everyone loves a deal and independent pharmacists can provide them.
After all, independent pharmacy customers want what has always been the secret to independent pharmacy success: an unparalleled customer experience. Today, they want that experience in the form of à la carte services and the latest technology.
The Cardinal Health™ Pharmacy Marketing Advantage PLUS or PMA PLUS digital solution is a way for pharmacies to marry the old with the new. The platform offers customers an easy way to order prescriptions and OTC products using a smartphone, tablet or computer. It also offers pharmacies thousands of products for customer delivery or in-store pickup.
“Historically, many independent pharmacies have been limited in shelf space because of the size of the store,” Simpson said. “Now with PMA PLUS, independent pharmacists have access to both a customized e-commerce website and an inventory of thousands of products that don’t need to be stocked in-store. When a customer orders products through the e-commerce site , Cardinal Health sends them to the pharmacy for in-store pickup or delivery to the customer’s home.”
Pharmacists using PMA PLUS receive a custom mobile responsive website; search engine optimization services to ensure your pharmacy is well placed in search results; a mobile app with top-up and marketing capabilities; the ability to send a weekly newsletter to patients; and a data-driven analytics dashboard.
PMA PLUS worked for John “JJ” Bernabei, RPh, CEO of Tri-State Medical Group Pharmacies, including three Medicine Shoppe stores. “We’ve been around our website and mobile apps, but we needed someone who knew best practices and could do it for us,” Bernabei said. “With PMA PLUS, Cardinal Health not only does the work for us, it is individualized for each of our stores. Now that our patients have a selection of products to choose from through our e-commerce site, they spend more money on OTC items they can get from us. We make money and continue to build our relationship with them. We provide them with their prescriptions and we also provide them with everything they need for their daily life in terms of their health.”
References
Kemp S. Digital 2022: Global overview. News release. Published January 26, 2022. Accessed July 27, 2022. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-global-overview-reportE-Commerce Statistics for Retailers and Online Shopping in 2022. News Release. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
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