As an independent pharmacy, you’re facing more competition than ever – from national chains to online retailers, like Amazon. Whether you’re well-established or just opened your doors, marketing your store is critical to your long-term success. Marketing helps establish your brand and awareness in your community, so it’s easier to attract and retain customers. However, with time and budgets, many independent pharmacy owners are not prioritizing marketing. So, the question arises, how can independent pharmacies effectively market their stock without going beyond their already limited resources? The answer may surprise you, but for many it can be found in existing pharmacy management software. Here’s how BestRx is helping its pharmacy customers market and grow their businesses:
Automatic evaluation questions
Although it may seem successful and online positioning is given to high bidders, one (free) old-school method of marketing remains extremely effective. Word of mouth marketing and customer reviews still carry more weight with other consumers than other forms of marketing. In fact, it is estimated that over 90% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase.1. That’s because people want to do business with companies they trust, especially when it comes to health-related services. Independent pharmacies excel at developing strong relationships with their customers and providing personalized care, which means they are doing everything you need. You just need to find the word!
When a person is looking for a pharmacy, they usually start by searching for nearby options online. They then look at reviews of each store to help them weigh their options. This means that even if your store is one of those listed, if you don’t have reviews or your rating is low, you may be able to find their products from your competitors. That’s why it’s so important to regularly ask for customer reviews, especially for your Google business profile. Google is the most used and trusted search engine and having lots of positive customer reviews will help you:
– Improve your online position. This is because Google’s algorithms are structured to associate more positive reviews with a business’ reputation and credibility. Basically, the higher your pharmacy ranks, the more relevant Google thinks your listing will be to searchers.
– Get a better star rating, which is your average customer satisfaction score. In general, the higher your rating (4-5 stars), the more clicks your Google Business Profile will receive.
– Thanks to a continuous flow of feedback, identify areas where you can improve to better serve your customers.
Establishing a process to boost online reviews doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. using Messaging interface In BestRx, pharmacies can send their patients’ review requests via email or text message. The email request has a customizable message and a link to your Google Business Profile, website, social media pages or a review site like Yelp. Pharmacies choose when they want review requests to be sent (after a prescription is marked as issued) and the software takes care of the rest.
This way you can get new customer reviews and increase your online visibility – without adding extra work or financial investment to your pharmacy. Additionally, the messaging interface provides a variety of electronic interfaces for patients to track their medications and connect with your store.
Online patient portal + mobile application
Today, there are millions of mobile apps available, and the average person has approximately 40 apps installed on their smartphone. As more and more business is done online, customers want to find their same convenient medicines. This includes requesting refills and connecting with their pharmacy anytime, anywhere. This is where independent pharmacies typically lag behind larger retail chains because these web-based services can be expensive and require technical expertise that smaller pharmacies don’t have. That’s why BestRx has made it a priority to launch an online patient portal and mobile app for your local pharmacy.
“Marketing is always about how to reach an audience. Thanks to the advancement of technology, what has changed are the channels you use to engage with your audience. People today spend more time on their mobile devices than ever before. Hemal Desai, president of BestRx, said that small businesses that can’t find a way to reach their users on their mobile devices will find it difficult to keep up with their competitors. “BestRx has always focused on providing independent pharmacies with the tools they need to remain effective and our Local Pharmacy app is a perfect example of how we continue this commitment.”
Your local pharmacy offers independent pharmacies an easy and affordable way for patients to find their medications online and compete with big box stores. A convenient, web-based portal and mobile app offers many benefits to your customers and your store, including:
– Adding better access and care to customers.
– Simplifying the prescription process, enabling patients to request refills with just a few clicks.
– Automatically route prescription requests to your pharmacy’s refill queue, eliminating manual entry by your staff.
– Allowing customers to easily track the status of all their medication requests.
Enabling you to provide medication instructions and respond to customer inquiries electronically, reduces time spent on the phone.
Using BestRx’s web-based patient portal and mobile app, pharmacies can improve their customer experience, work more efficiently and grow their business – without investing the time and money to develop their own online solution.
Customizable customer loyalty programs
Attracting new customers is five times more effective than retaining existing ones. That is why pharmacies should have programs designed to help them Keeping. Active customer base. Establishing a customer loyalty program is a cost-effective way for pharmacies to:
– Improve their customer retention rate.
– Encourage repeat business.
– Build strong and lasting relationships with customers.
– Provide added value and differentiate themselves from the competition.
– Increase their income.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “Do I really need a loyalty program?” and the answer is yes. Not only the big chains, but your customers want it. Consumers these days want to feel connected to the businesses they use, and having a loyalty program is a key component. In fact, according to Hubspot, about 70% of customers say a loyalty program is a meaningful part of their business relationship.2
Often customers do not return, simply because they have no incentive to return or because they feel their business is worth it. However, when they are encouraged to come back, long-lasting relationships can develop. Not only does this mean recurring revenue for your store, but repeat customers have a higher lifetime value than one-time shoppers.
Establishing a points-based customer loyalty program is an easy solution for independent pharmacies. Plus, BestRx’s point-of-sale software, BestPOS makes things even easier for pharmacies. Customizable loyalty program Built together. That way, you can set up a loyalty program that works for you and your customers. You can decide which purchases qualify for points, reward values, and how. Remember, the goal is to encourage customers to make repeat purchases and increase their points, but the amount needed to earn rewards shouldn’t feel out of reach.
While promoting your pharmacy may not always seem like a priority, implementing strategies to build your online presence, strengthen your reputation in your community, and encourage repeat business is essential to your long-term success. Additionally, using your pharmacy management software, there are many ways to market your store without adding to your workload or expenses. know more How BestRx is helping pharmacies grow their business.
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