Evolving Pharma Trends and What to Expect in 2021

Evolving Pharma Trends and What to Expect in 2021

With so many brick and mortar stores closing last year due to the pandemic, online shopping has become even more popular, and basically essential—especially in the pharmaceutical and supplements world. This has meant vast changes in the way pharma eCommerce websites must operate; a lot of nice-to-haves are quickly becoming essential. Pharma retailers are finding they have to either stay up-to-date on the ever-changing world of eCommerce, or fall behind. 

We’ve been monitoring the market closely and observed some key trends in pharma eCommerce becoming increasingly prominent. Read on for what to expect in the pharma industry in 2021.

Quick, Inexpensive Order Fulfillment is Key

A growing number of people are abandoning their cart as they shop online. Two of the main reasons for this are high shipping costs and long shipping times. People don’t want to spend much on shipping, and they want their orders yesterday (thanks Amazon for both of these). If they have their cart full but then the shipping charge comes up as way more than they were anticipating and/or they won’t receive their order for a while, they abandon their cart and move on to the next site that promises products in a quicker, cheaper way.

To combat this problem, make sure—if you can—that your pharma/supplement company’s shipping costs are low (or free after a certain amount) and that your shipping times are short. It’s usually worth it to make your products a little bit more expensive, by building in some of your shipping costs, if it means keeping the customer’s shipping costs low. In the long run, it’s also usually worth it for your company to take a bit of a hit if it means getting your customers their products more quickly.

If you have a physical building and an eCommerce website, it may be worth it to tap into the new trend of BOPIS, or Buy Online, Pick up In Store. Customers like this option because even though they still need to go to a brick and mortar store, they don’t need to spend time shopping around, as their order is exactly what they requested and it’s already waiting for them when they arrive. If your company doesn’t have a physical location, consider partnering with companies that do have one and also cater to BOPIS customers, such as Kohls.

Pop-up Shops Are Popular for a Reason

With eCommerce on the rise and in-store sales on the decline, in-person pop-up shops may not sound like a great idea. However, over the past few years, eCommerce retailers have learned that pop-up shops do very well. Their unique physical presence helps spread awareness of your company to a new audience.

When picking a spot for your pharma/supplements pop-up shop, choose wisely. Where does your target audience hang out? Where does your brand fit in? Think about cities, towns and then physical locations. The most common places for pop-up shops are vacant storefronts and kiosks in shopping malls. Setting up shop at a farmer’s market is also a good idea for a pharmaceutical audience. When you catch your customers in the right place, you’ll get their attention—and their business.

A Shoppable Instagram Is Essential

One new perk of Instagram for eCommerce retailers is that this platform can now be used to sell products directly. The key here is to have an active Instagram page and then to tag any products you feature. If a post resonates with your customers, they can simply click the photo to see more information and then buy your products in just a few clicks, right from the Instagram app.

Another good, relevant strategy is to partner with influencers who share your company’s vision and can create and share shoppable content for your pharma brand. At InteractOne, we know the value of a great influencer. Read some of our recent blog posts about the rise and power of nano influencers and social media tactics proven to increase traffic to your webstore.

Subscription Services Satisfy Everyone

Year after year, the demand for subscription services only increases, and that’s because they’re a win-win for both customers and merchants.

For customers, they know exactly what they’re getting and when they’re getting it. Their beloved products are delivered regularly as scheduled and always just as expected. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that!

For merchants, having customers enrolled in a subscription service allows the companies to better forecast what’s needed and thus have better management of their inventory. Plus, it’s much better for a company to have a lot of dedicated customers that are loyal to the company week after week, month after month, than to have a handful of one-off customers who order once and then forget to return.

Drone Delivery Is Here to Stay

In 2020 drone delivery became a mainstream reality, with an estimated three million operational drones in the air. With the ever-present desire for convenience, coupled with extended periods of social distancing, drone deliveries are predicted to become even more popular in 2021.

The benefit of drone delivery for eCommerce retailers is that most packages can be delivered within 30 minutes. That makes for a lot of happy customers! Plus, drone delivery can save companies millions of dollars in shipping costs.

The drone industry really took off in 2015, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) streamlined the registration process for companies. However, there still hasn’t been a pharmaceutical company that has fully integrated drones into their operations. With the need to protect patient safety being so important, most pharma companies are hesitant to take the leap just yet. However, as drone delivery companies continue to learn and grow, it’s just a matter of time before pharma companies jump on the bandwagon.

Automated Marketing Driven by Artificial Intelligence

Many businesses are already utilizing Artificial Intelligence in their marketing, and those that continue to do so will keep winning big. That’s because artificial intelligence helps businesses qualify leads faster and more accurately, and helps them show visitors more appropriate content. By delivering a progressive sequence of questions in automated chat conversations, businesses can quickly identify customers’ needs and then sort them into specific personas based on these needs. The AI then shows the customer relevant content that meets those needs. This reduces demand on human customer service, and assists visitors quickly and efficiently. It’s another win-win for businesses and customers, saving everyone time.

Video Content is Vital

Much has been said about video and its huge effect across all industries, but its influence is only growing. As more websites incorporate video content, it only proves to be more powerful and popular with consumers. The more compelling your content, the more likely you are to attract and retain customers.

The possibilities with video are as wide-ranging as your imagination. In the past year we’ve seen everything from short explainers on products and services, to full-blown series of videos like the Mayo Clinic Minutes, which offers general health and wellness tips.

Businesses that engage in social listening and pay close attention to what their audiences are searching for, and that then cater to those needs with easily digestible video content, will be the winners in 2021 and beyond.

Conclusion

These are just seven of the key evolving trends we’re seeing in the pharma/supplements eCommerce space. Want to find out more, and take advantage of these trends? InteractOne can help your pharma or supplement business stay ahead of the curve and increase sales. Contact us today for more.

Get in Touch

Connect with one of our experts today to discuss your eCommerce needs!

Contact Us
The Beginners Guide to Creating Brand Guidelines

The Beginners Guide to Creating Brand Guidelines

How do you truly know who and what your brand is without a brand guideline? A brand guideline explains the importance of your brand, who you are and the design and copy elements – and importantly – the standards of your brand. You will want to have a physical guide on-hand so your and existing and future employees can keep your brand consistent and cohesive. Surprisingly, many companies of all sizes do not have a brand guideline to reference. How are your employees supposed to know who your company is all about if they don’t know for themselves? In this article, we’ll break down the must-haves for any brand guide and how to establish them.

Brand Story

Where do you start a brand guide? The best way to start your guide is with your brand’s story. While crafting your company’s story, you should concentrate on answering the following questions: 

How did you start? 

Why did you start? 

What was the progression of the business?  

Explaining the story behind your webstore will help give your company, future employees and customers a taste of who you are and why you are here. Your brand’s story needs to be informative but also in your company’s voice. This section is the first step in showing off your business’ personality. 

Nutraceutical has a thorough yet simple way of explaining their brand’s story:

Brand Values

Your brand values are where you explain what your company stands for and why you do what you do. This section is a great place to make a list of what you and your brand value. Making a list will help you and your employees visually see what needs to get done and how those activities align with your values. While figuring out your brand’s values, many companies choose a specific social cause to support. A social cause can coincide with your brand story and mission statement. In today’s marketing climate, many social issues that companies follow are sustainability, inclusivity, freedom and safety. Surveys show that 76% of respondents would or have purchased from a company that supports organizations or causes they approve. While 67% of respondents have stopped or will not shop from companies that do not have aligned views on social issues. Therefore, while setting up your brand’s values, try to stay as clear as possible and implement it in the right way like on your about us page or a social media bio or about us section.

Mission Statement

Every brand needs a mission statement. A mission statement explains what the business or organization is, why it exists and the reason for its being. Keep your mission statement between one to four sentences long. You want to keep it simple yet concise. It helps your company refocus attention on accomplishing future goals, let’s customers know the company’s purpose and serves as a guide for decision making. Your mission statement may also go on your about us page on your website with your values and brand story, so customers can understand who and what you are a little more.


Schuler Shoes effectively expresses its values and mission statement on one page:

Audience and Competitors

While creating your guide, you will want to describe your target audience. Explain your targeted customers’ location, age, gender, interests and other relevant information. The more information you have about your audience, the easier it will be for you and your team to connect with them, either in-person or via marketing campaigns. Also, include a list of your top competitors and why they are your competition. Identifying your competitors will help you and your employees see what the other brands are doing throughout the year and how to have the same or better standards and marketing efforts.

Design Elements

The design of your brand is important when implementing any marketing strategy. This is where your customers visually understand who you are. You will want to explain all your design elements within your brand guideline document, so your brand looks cohesive on every marketing strategy that you implement. Essentially, your brand guidelines will have a style guideline within it. A style guide is a set of standards that defines your company’s branding. Design elements to include in your style guidelines are the font, font size, typography, brand colors, image/video sizes, layouts, logos and any other information about designing. It is best to include examples of incorrect and correct uses of the design. Make sure every graphic designer and copywriter has a copy on-hand of your style guide because it will be vital to their success and the success of your advertising efforts.

Tone of Voice

Just like with your visual design elements, your tone of voice or copy standards must be clearly defined. Defining your tone will have an impact on all the written copy you use in everything you implement for your business like your website, social media, text messages, advertisements, customer service, emails and any other marketing effort. You will want to explain the type of voice your company portrays based on your target audience. Explain if your customers are more conservative, youthful, energetic, open-minded, etc. It is also good to include examples of instead of this, we say this and past work. You can also put copy information under your style guidelines.

These are the basic tips to get your brand guidelines started. You can add more information like your brand identity, questions and answers and any other relevant information. Also, remember to update the guide every time you change or add anything to your brand and style guide. Creating an effective brand guide requires a team of experienced marketing and design professionals. Our team at Interactone has many years of experience creating compelling branding design material for high profile clients. For more information and help with your brand guidelines or any other marketing efforts, contact us today.

Get in Touch

Connect with one of our experts today to discuss your eCommerce needs!

Contact Us
Best Places to Advertise Your Apparel Webstore

Best Places to Advertise Your Apparel Webstore

Apparel webstores do not have the same access to real-life customers nor a physical store location, like brick and mortar retailers. They do not have signs, flyers or physical people or clothing for customers to see. Everything is virtual. With a virtual store, you have to be a little more creative with your advertising. Here are the best places to advertise your apparel webstore.

Email

For most merchants this will be the first place you advertise your apparel store. You already have your customer contact info, so you don’t have “media” costs. In an email, you can include your products, promotions, company updates and any other relevant information.

Padawan Series: Email Marketing Best Practices for Apparel & Accessories

 Recommended Extensions for Your Email Marketing

Social Media

Consumers spend about 2 hours and 24 minutes per day on social media with Facebook and Instagram being the top two platforms. Customers like seeing how garments look on people before purchasing. Facebook and Instagram target ads based on location, interests, recent searches and more. So Social Media is an increasingly effective way to reach your target market. You can also have many types of ads on both — display ads, video ads, lead ads, etc. You can also advertise on Pinterest with its new Shoppable pins.

Social Media Tactics to Increase Traffic to Your Webstore

Google Shoppable Ads

Similar to Adwords, but shows more information than just copy. Customers can also see the price and an image of the product. This ad format also allows brands to highlight multiple products on a single ad unit that will appear at the top of Google Images. Perfect for showing a collection or complete outfit.

Paid Advertising

Many apparel companies utilize paid advertising like Ad Words and display ads for many websites. For Adwords your company will want to use profitable keywords and create great text ads. Display ads (aka banner ads) that are shown on many different websites and social media are effective for growing brand awareness

Live/Virtual Events

Advertising for your apparel webstore doesn’t just end on the internet. You can also advertise at live or virtual events. You can set up an in-person/virtual booth at different events that fall under your niche (beauty, sports, medical, religion, etc.) At your booth, you can have business cards, displays, catalogs, and even merchandise ready to be sold. Great opportunity to have a sheet to collect potential customers information like name, email and phone number.

Complementary Brands 

Your apparel webstore can create a partnership with complementary brands like beauty and sports to cross-promote. Find a company with a similar audience and products that pair well with apparel and accessory items.

Creating effective digital marketing programs requires a team of experienced professionals implementing a data driven strategy.  Once created, digital marketing programs require consistent review and fine tuning in order to provide great results.  Our team has many years of experience creating,maintaining and optimizing digital marketing campaigns that power growth for our clients.  Contact us to learn more and speak with our solution experts.

Get in Touch

Connect with one of our experts today to discuss your eCommerce needs!

Contact Us
How to Optimize Your Homepage Design

How to Optimize Your Homepage Design

Your fashion eCommerce website’s homepage is your digital storefront. And just like your physical storefront, it needs to be welcoming, well designed and easy on the eyes.

A recent study by Shopify found that over half of buyers have shifted more of their spending online during the pandemic, and 40% said an easy-to-navigate website made their shopping experience a positive one. 

With so many choices out there, it’s crucial to make sure your web store provides a positive user experience. This involves multiple elements, but rethinking your web design is key. On average, visitors will spend 10-20 seconds on your homepage before they bounce. So you need to make a strong first impression, fast

Here’s how to optimize your homepage and get your visitors to convert to customers.

Use a strong header image

Your homepage should display your unique value proposition, or what gives people a reason to choose you over your competitors. This could be your sustainability efforts, your distinctive designs. Anything that sets your brand apart.

Using a strong header image that clearly communicates your brand’s unique style straight away is not only immediately enticing to your visitors, but also reduces the number of choices they have to make. Give them one compelling thing to click on and you take away the paradox of choice, making their shopping experience much more enjoyable.

Everlane is one such example of a brand that features one strong image “above the fold,” or in the upper half of the page. Their homepage presents their latest campaign in a way that feels evergreen and fully representative of their brand, regardless of how new or old the product is. The photos are friendly and inviting, drawing the visitor in.

Have a clear visual hierarchy

Keep the design of your homepage simple, and have a logical navigational structure. Make it easy for your visitors by prioritizing important products and putting key information front and center.

Fawne Shoppe has a straightforward visual hierarchy on their homepage, starting with their most recent drop and descending through the collections. The call to actions (“shop now,” “have a look,” “shop our edit”) are consistent, but not repetitive. A banner menu at the top enables visitors to immediately see and navigate their most popular shopping categories, such as “new,” “designers,” and “baby” and “kids” clothes.

Make it engaging

Fashion retailer Madewell was found by SEM Rush to be one of the most engaging US fashion eCommerce websites, with a low bounce rate of 22%, and it’s easy to see why. A recent visit to their homepage presented their latest collection with fresh, welcoming photos and a hard-to-resist offer of the “ideal fall wardrobe, narrowed down to six easy pieces.”

You can make your homepage equally as engaging by championing your key offering(s) with a strong design and appealing color palette. Pay attention to what your customers like about your brand and put that in the spotlight on your homepage. Speak to them with a warm and friendly tone, and try to reflect the values you share, to make it resonate.

Kabayare Fashion is another client of ours who does this well. Their homepage features large, compelling photos followed by special items from their latest collection. They also feature blog posts which speak directly to visitors, whether to wish them a happy holiday or to share style advice. It’s thoughtful content that engages and encourages their visitors.

Present your best offer

Aside from stunning photography of your latest and greatest products, your homepage should feature your best deals. This could mean a seasonal sale, special promotion, or membership discount.

For example, direct-to-consumer lingerie brand Savage X Fenty leads with the latter, promoting their “New Xtra VIP Xclusive” offer to encourage new visitors to sign up to their subscription service. Urban Outfitters plugs their latest sale with a bold banner ad at the top of their homepage that features a “limited time only” discount. Whichever option is relevant for you, lead with your best offer and keep it simple with one clear call to action.

Include important information in the footer

Homepage footers are not to be overlooked, as they’re a place many shoppers are trained to go to to find lower priority yet still important information. Here you should have links regarding contact information, customer service, and refund and exchange policies. Beyond this, also include your social media links, email sign-up field, brand information links and a careers link.

The footer is also a great place to enhance shopper trust by featuring the logos of credit cards and other payment options you accept, as well as badges for security services you have an account with, such as McAfee or GeoTrust. This shows visitors that your store is both reputable and user-friendly, which is especially important for the 17% of consumers who abandon their carts due to a lack of trust.

The footer can also be a place to put useful information such as a list of “top searches,” which is what Madewell does in the footer of their homepage. It allows their visitors to easily click through to popular items such as “skinny jeans” and “tote bags.” These kinds of details show that you’re paying attention to what your customers love about your brand, and suggests that you want to make things easier for them.

Conclusion

These are all relatively simple steps to achieving a strong homepage design and creating a positive user experience. Once you’ve done all of this, ensure your homepage is refreshed regularly, as you release new collections and as seasons and demand changes. With a little effort you can create a highly favorable online shopping experience.

We’ve helped many of our clients design and develop engaging homepage designs. We also work with our clients using best-in-class conversion rate optimization software to improve their homepage engagement and conversion. If you’d like to know more about how we can do the same for you, please contact us.

Get in Touch

Connect with one of our experts today to discuss your eCommerce needs!

Contact Us
Magento Enhancements, SEO Checklist, Nano Influencers in the September Orange Report

Magento Enhancements, SEO Checklist, Nano Influencers in the September Orange Report

September 2020 ORANGE REPORT

For this month’s Orange Report, we’re sharing a few of our best and most recent blogs that speak on all things Magento, eCommerce, and Digital Marketing. Like always, we encourage everyone using Magento to make the most of its functionalities by incorporating the very best Magento extensions and news.

SIGN UP FOR THE ORANGE REPORT

Everything you need to know about eCommerce, digital marketing, and Magento.

SEO Checklist: What to Fix to Drive Sales

There are three types of SEO categories companies must focus on: technical, on-page and external. Follow the steps in this checklist to improve these segments and  you’ll be on your way to improved SEO, better search rankings and more traffic to your site.

NEWS: Announcing New Enhancements from Magento

Magento has added many new enhancements to their platform. Keep reading to learn all about what’s new, how it can benefit your eCommerce business.

Padawan Series: Image Search Engine Optimization 101

The journey to maximizing the visibility of your images across platforms – and using that visibility to boost traffic to your website – begins with some proper SEO and image optimization

The Rise & Power of Nano Influencers

Nano Influencers have increased in popularity for brand collaboration because they are affordable and easier to work with. Here’s what to know and how to get started.