Why get online?

A physical pharmacy without an online presence could be putting your business at a disadvantage. Simply having basic online information has the potential to direct more footfall to your store. It can be complicated to know how to get going though – so we’ve compiled our guide to get you started.

Where to Start?

Conduct an online audit
Even if you think you do not have an online presence, you probably do. Most businesses appear in online directories or search engines. The first step is to ensure that this information is current and accurate.

Conducting a competitor analysis online can also give you a good benchmark of how you compare.

Decide the extent of your online ambition
There are several stages to building a digital presence online that you could choose to work through. The key is not to try and do everything at once. It is much better to give small steps a try and see how they add value to your business rather than to develop something more complicated from the start. There are various levels of websites you can aim for, each requiring different investments.

A minimal viable product (MVP) approach is advisable to begin with. Evaluate what will serve your primary objective, whether it is attracting new customers or offering new services.

Using customer insight
Your existing customers can provide valuable insights into what services or products they would like to see. Local community groups can be a great source of information to understand what people are looking for.

Getting Online

Choose a domain name
This is crucial for your website. The name should be memorable and relevant to your business.

Build the website
There are plenty of tools and templates available to help with building your own website such as SquareSpace, Wix, and WordPress. Each of them varies on how much initial and ongoing support they provide. A good way to decide which website builder is best for you can be to chat to other business owners who have websites you like.  It is not as daunting as you might think.

TOP TIP:
It is critical that your website is mobile-friendly as most customers will access it via their phones.

We’ve developed a simple animation to give an overview of your options:

Develop content
Focus on what the customer is looking for and incorporate that into your website. Using relevant keywords can help your site rank better in search engines. Keep the information concise and to the point. Accreditation logos like the Pharmacy GPHC logo should also be included.

Go live and track your progress

Once your website is live, monitor its performance using free tools like Google Analytics. If you find the traffic is low, reconsider adding any advanced functionalities. Starting small and then expanding is usually the most effective way to build a web presence.

5 Takeaway Actions:

• Claim Your Google Business Profile
  Make sure all the information is current and correct.
• Customer Feedback Loop
  Regularly interact with your customers to understand what online services they would use.
• Start with MVP
  Launch a minimal viable product and iterate based on customer feedback and analytics.
• Mobile Optimisation
  Ensure your website is mobile-friendly as most customers will access your site via mobile.
• Regular Monitoring
  Use Google Analytics to continuously track and analyse website traffic and user behaviour.

For more in-depth information and tips on each section, read the full article on our website.