Start A Community Pharmacy E-commerce Website Today

Pharmacy e-commerce website

It took more years for telephone, fax and others to hit 10 million users in Britain than the merger three years it took the internet. That says a lot about the wide acceptance of the internet. And we are yet to see the peak of what can be done with the internet. That means that more is to come. And community pharmacies must look now at the internet and act fast. There is a great possibility that just like other businesses, community pharmacy is going into e-commerce. E-commerce websites are becoming the go to.

Just a few days ago, I talked about building a blog as a community pharmacy owner. But today, we will look at another inline presence which is an e-commerce website.

Read Also: Why community pharmacy should start a blog

A website is actually a static online page. I always recommend it for every manufacturing pharmaceutical company. It is necessary along with a blog. As for community pharmacy, I recommend an e-commerce website. Although, that can be run along with a blog and website. But having all three may be too bulky for just a small community pharmacy business hence the need to streamline. A blog and an e-commerce website is ok.

An e-commerce website is an online shop with a catalogue of products available in the physical shop. It is like a market. The various functions of the website depend on how it was built and the purpose.

It is good for community pharmacy to start an e-commerce website now. From projection, many businesses will go online and pretty soon. It is not a wise decision to wait until then. Start now because the internet will have a major impact on pharmacy in the near future. And there will be an advantage when you are already in it. Like what somebody said, 'think global, act local.'

Benefits Of E-commerce Website To Community Pharmacy

1. Wide audience: the internet is growing and more people are getting involved. In the past, a 40 years old man will claim the internet is not for their age. But as the young men who embrace the internet are getting old, they still want to continue using it because it is now part of them. This shows that a time will come whereby both the young and old will be involved in the internet.

2. Easy to shop: it becomes easy for your clients to know products available and at what price.

3. Speed: the time the client will spend from shop to shop looking for a product is wisely spent at home shopping. And when order is placed, it takes just a trip to get it to the desired destination. It saves the client the time coming to the shop and going back home.

4. Electronic prescription: some countries are shifting to electronic prescription. Clients will prefer a community pharmacy with an e-commerce website that one without when filling such a prescription.

What Can Be Sold

Most countries have regulations on what can be sold online. This restricts products displayed online. In Nigeria, a community pharmacy e-commerce can sell complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), over the counter (OTC) drug, cosmetic and home medical products.

E-commerce Website Design

The design of a community pharmacy e-commerce website should be simple. A brief description of the product, add to card and payment method is all that is needed to kick start. However, countries currently having electronic prescriptions can incorporate a page for uploading the prescription. A mobile app makes online shopping easy. Update the site with information like discount sales, popular and others. A community pharmacy blog can be used to promote the e-commerce website.

Will E-commerce Replace Pharmacist

That question was asked about so many online options today but time solved them. There are limitations in some e-commerce websites on pharmacist and client communication. However, many e-commerce websites have incorporated an email chat with buyers on consultation. This does not remove the services of a pharmacist. The services pharmacists render are invaluable and cannot be replaced by e-commerce. There are ways to wrap around that. As the internet keeps evolving, more solutions may come like video chat with clients.

Read Also: How community pharmacy can increase revenue

How To Build An E-commerce Website

There are so many free and paid e-commerce builders out there. Free are usually not appealing. Paid have more functionality and flexibility. WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS). A professional can design it with more function to suit your taste.

But before you go into it, think of it as a separate business. Ask questions pertaining to how it is run. Which area will you cover? Who will.cover the cost of the waybill? How much will the waybill cost of you decide to do it? How fast can you deliver? These and many more questions need answers.