Research shows that 88% of consumers research online before making a purchase, so why not be the place to research? The world is becoming increasingly digital, and if your business isn’t already online, it doesn’t exist.
Creating a website for your pharmacy is more important now than ever before. Keep reading to see what makes a great pharmaceutical website and how to create your very own.
What You’ll Learn In This Post
- Why Your Pharmacy Needs a Website
- What Makes a Great Pharmaceutical Website
- How to Create an Effective Pharmaceutical Website
Why Your Pharmacy Needs a Website
Whether your website is used to draw more people in or to serve your existing customer base, creating a digital space allows customers to get a good idea of what you offer before even visiting. Here are just a few ways that your pharmacy could benefit from being on the web.
Capture Local Leads
People have been using the internet to find local amenities, shops, and services for years, and this has become easier since the introduction of location services. Using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques to target local audiences, means you can draw in those more likely to visit. If people can find everything they need to know about your business in one place, such as product lists, opening times, and offers, they can decide if you’re the right pharmacy for them far easier.
Convey Important Information
Websites are an especially effective way to communicate important information about your business to customers. Whether you have adjusted opening hours for the holidays, a new special product, or need to recall an item, a centralized hub for information relating to your pharmacy online helps keep people in the loop.
Improve Customer Experience
A website can automate a large chunk of the customer journey. If you have a straightforward website that a customer can use instead of calling, you’ll save staff time and give consumers the chance to browse on their own time. If you’re used to receiving calls around the same query, you could even add a simple FAQ section to save yourself and the consumer time.
Excellent Examples of User-Friendly Pharmacy Website Design
Retailers across the world have gone digital, capitalizing on the benefits of having an effective website, and pharmacies are no different. Here are just a few examples of well-made pharmacy websites.
DrugMart.com
DrugMart.com uses color, paired with a neat layout, to create a clean homepage that prioritizes features of importance. It places the search bar front and center for easy navigation to the products desired, and maintains a chat bar in the bottom right corner, for any queries or support needed.
WirX Pharmacy
WirX Pharmacy’s website has an inviting homepage, offering their enrolment form as the first option. With a simple scroll, you can see all of their exceptional features, testimonials, and promotional videos. Across the top, you’ll find multiple headings, for effective navigation on their site.
WilliamsburgDrug.Com
WilliamsburgDrugs.com has a fantastic website feature: its clearly displayed accessibility options. With some quick switches, you can make the website more usable for those with an impairment. The site’s home page lets you easily book consultations, with extra services displayed in the headings at the top.
How to Build a Professional and User-Friendly Pharmacy Website
Now that you’ve seen some of the benefits and examples of great pharmaceutical websites, you can begin creating your own.
1. Wireframe Your Website
Wireframing is an important process for creating the layout of your website or app. Simply put, a wireframe is a blueprint that allows designers and developers to clearly see where certain information and features should be laid out. Whether you’re using it for your own reference or to help communication when outsourcing, having a wireframe benefits all parties when it comes to development.
The key thing to consider is the User Experience (UX), and how your User Interface (UI) serves it. Your user interface is what the user will see when accessing your site, and its navigation. Ultimately you want an accessible site, which means clearly laying out your site and following good UI/UX principles, like putting a search bar at the top of your site.
Related Article: A Review of the 8 Best Wireframe Tools
2. Style Your Website
You need to decide how to style your website, and that involves several decisions. You want a site that’s engaging and customer-friendly but also keeps on brand. If your site has a completely different color scheme to your pharmacy, customers might think they’re on the wrong site.
You should consider font style and size. For example, using contrasting fonts is an excellent way to highlight important text. It may even be worth considering using animations on your webpage for a more engaging look. Keeping your site on-brand and engaging is the key to getting customers to engage consistently.
3. Hire a Website Developer
If you’re not experienced when it comes to developing a website, you may want to consider outsourcing this stage. However, if you choose to outsource, there are some important things to consider before you employ a development agency.
Make sure you look into your chosen developer’s portfolio and try to find projects of a high quality and potentially similar nature. If the developer you’ve found has a lot of experience in high-functioning websites and they’re still operating long after launch, that’s a good sign.
You’ll also want to make sure the developer is able to offer post-release support for ongoing maintenance.
Related Page: 7 ways Progressive Web Applications Can Benefit Your Business
4. Publish and Maintain Your Site
Now you’re finally able to publish your site and start reeling in users, but, by no means is your work done. Going forward you’ll want to carefully monitor your site for further improvements
Any website will encounter bugs no matter how well the site is developed. It’s important that you use a developer with post-release support options to help swiftly and efficiently resolve issues as your site continues to grow. Bugs will be detrimental to your user experience, and customers will lose faith in your site if they consistently run into errors.
You can also look at what people say about your site, and what the honest customer opinion is. It may be that some features are less useful, or that your site desperately needs a new feature. Customer insight is really important, and reviews can help you improve your site and service as a whole in the future.
User-Focused Website Development from Idea Maker
Idea Maker has an expert team of web developers ready to bring your pharmacy online. With a long list of developed websites, there’s no one better to support you on your journey. Idea Maker also has an experienced team for all your graphic design needs, from brand development to mobile accessibility. Get in touch today, and schedule a call to see how we can help you create a professional and user-friendly pharmacy website.