It’s no surprise that there has been a global increase in people wanting to take their health more seriously and into their own hands. We see it everywhere now, health professionals are offering online programs, nutrition plans, fitness routines, supplements, cookbooks, new technology and so much more. People want access to healthcare in a variety of ways and not just inside clinic doors and under one-on-one care. This is where e-commerce has entered and bridged this gap. There is now massive untapped potential to utilize e-commerce in the healthcare industry and you need to be taking advantage in your practice if you haven’t already started. The increase in demand for quality healthcare and products as a whole makes it evident why selling online is here to stay and your sign to get in on the action!
Why Your Patients Want You to Sell Online
First and foremost, finding ways to extend your practice online, whether its supplement sales, additional products, virtual care or online programs, can be viewed as all of the things, products, or practices you currently recommend or refer your patients to go out and purchase/invest in to support your professional advice. Selling online is basically a way for you to be (virtually) more available and give your patients more access to you and your knowledge. The best way to look at selling online is as an extension and additional support to your existing care. Your patients trust you, they will have an interest in new forms of care, especially if it’s offering them more and it’s so convenient.
Convenience
Probably the most obvious and beneficial reason your patients want you to sell online is the convenience. The fact that your patients can now access healthcare from the comfort of their own homes and delivered right to their door is a beautiful thing! The convenience of an online store where you can sell products you recommend, programs, and more, will also be a leg up to attract new patients. People look for online options in many industries and healthcare is no different. This is a huge benefit and tough to beat.
Patient Experience
You also need to review your patient experience and realize that adding online sales as an extension to your care will only enhance their experience with you. Anything that will provide more convenient access to you, your recommendations, and care, will keep your patients very happy! Think of certain touchpoints and follow-ups throughout your patients’ journey with you that can also be brought online. You can automate systems and even add more of a personal touch to make their experience more seamless. Sitting down and strategizing these small ways to enhance their experience goes so much further with them than you may realize. The happier your patients are, the more people in their lives they are going to tell about you and that’s what we want!
More Access & Variety
In addition to being convenient, you can add a variety of online sales to benefit your patients. You can offer a wide range of high-quality products and offer DIY programs that will increase your chances of selling more because you’re able to provide more options. This is a lot easier to do online versus in person and your patients have the ability to browse and compare products, costs, and reviews of what you’re offering. You can also implement subscription-based products or product bundles. An example can be a supplement bundle subscription so your patients never have to worry about running low on their favorite supplements. This is a fantastic way to keep your patients accountable and keep your revenues high!
Patient Reviews
Most online stores have the option for consumers to provide genuine feedback about the products or programs they’ve purchased. In any avenue of your practice, your patient testimonials are your best marketing tool! This will help your new visitors when browsing your online store and help them pick the most suitable option by getting first-hand advice from existing patients of yours. This helps build trust amongst your community and yourself and will further enhance your reputation as a healthcare expert within your industry.
What You Should Consider Selling
Supplements
As previously mentioned, there has been a huge increase among the general population of interest in healthcare and a shift toward prevention. More people want to take charge of living healthier lifestyles and preventing illness. This is where supplements have come into the picture and have been making huge waves within the industry. There has been a massive increase in supplement sales since 2020 and it’s estimated that a quarter of all supplement sales will be made through online purchases by 2024 according to Grand View Research.
When it comes to supplements, the amazing thing is there truly is a market for everyone. From immune-boosting to brain health, to mental health support, beauty care like skin, hair, and nails, energy-boosting, sleep support and so much more. There is also a variety of supplement forms such as powder, gummies, and tablets. It’s a market you really don’t want to ignore and get your hands on as soon as possible. You have a huge range of products to select from to sell to your patients and target their biggest pain points. When you think of a conversation with a patient who is suffering from x,y, or z and you recommend going out and purchasing a specific supplement to help aid the symptoms or heal their issues, they will trust you and go out and purchase these supplements. Reality is people are already buying, may be getting from big box retailers instead of you and are not accessing the highest quality products on the market. Why not take control of this and provide the right products and have patients buying from you, their trusted health professional.
Virtual Care
Virtual care will look different for every health professional. You may want to create fully online programs for your patients, implement virtual appointments to create more convenience, automate your booking systems and communication with your administrative team, or even introduce your own app. There are a lot of options when it comes to virtual care. The benefit of incorporating virtual systems for your practice is a convenience for you and your patients, a seamless patient experience, and providing you with more quality time when you are with your patients one-on-one. These methods are also incredibly beneficial in keeping your patients more accountable when things are set up to be more convenient for them. Providing them ways to follow up and “visit” more means they are staying on top of their health and you are staying top of mind!
Time To Get Started
The reality is that e-commerce has completely transformed the health industry and is absolutely not going anywhere. It’s provided patients access to more healthcare and on a more convenient, regular basis. The global interest people are having in taking health into their own hands is what health professionals have always dreamed of and what is skyrocketing these new methods of care. It’s only a matter of time before you decide to take that next step to level up your practice and get your offers out there online!
Want to discuss how to add your own supplement line to your practice?
Book a discovery call to see if the Supplement Fast Track Program is right for you!
Let’s chat!