The pharmacy business is unique. The competition in the pharmaceutical industry is quite high, and you have to fight for the attention of the consumer not only with active advertising. Today, the global Internet traffic of mobile phones exceeds the traffic of PCs. More than 57% of users prefer to google information from mobile devices, which means that the demand for mobile applications is growing.
Mobile app development reduces the distance between the company and the client, which is why the mobile application for the pharmacy business is an excellent tool for interacting with the client.
In this article, we will analyze in detail the advantages of mobile applications for pharmacies, talk about the functions that they can have, and understand how mobile app development affects the pharmacy business.
Why Does the Pharmacy Business Need a Mobile App?
Mobile app development for the pharmacy business solves several key tasks and opens up new opportunities. Just imagine, now the client does not have to go to the pharmacy to find out the availability of the desired drug, its price and whether the pharmacy is open at a given time. But what other benefits does mobile app development provide for pharmaceuticals?
Mobile App Benefits
- Increased sales through selection of related products and growth in the number of customers
- Personalized notifications about promotions and discounts
- Increasing the level and speed of service through process automation
- Virtual loyalty program card
- Online catalog of products with a detailed description and the ability to check the product in stock
- Possibility to book or order a drug
- Map with the location of the nearest pharmacies with opening hours and detailed information
- Increase brand awareness and increase competitiveness through the introduction of unique tools and capabilities
This is not the whole list of benefits of a mobile pharmacy application. The application can be implemented with various tools that simplify business. For example, if the desired drug is not in stock, the recommendation system can choose an alternative, so the client buys the right drug, and the pharmacy does not lose income.
A mobile application for the pharmacy business is not only a convenient tool for employees and customers, it is a source of free advertising. Increasing the average check, retaining the consumer, increasing awareness, flexibility and improving the image component of the company - this is what a mobile application means for the pharmacy business.
What Functionality Should a Pharmacy App Have?
Statistics show that people are increasingly interacting with applications rather than websites, so developing your own pharmacy application can play a key role in the fight for a potential client. But what functionality should a pharmacy application have?
A pharmacy application can have completely different functionality, it all depends on the needs of your customers, but pharmacy applications often have these functions:
- Online catalog of products with a detailed description
- Possibility to book drugs
- Online chat with a consultant
- Information about the availability of drugs
- Personal account and loyalty program tools
- Information section
- Notifications and Reminders
The list goes on and on, depending on what features your customers need. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, which is why you should analyze your customer base, collect feedback, and see what works best in the market.
Why Do You Need a Pharmacy Application If You Have a Website?
As we know, users prefer mobile devices when they are trying to find something, especially if they need to find something urgently. Once on a poorly optimized site, the user is likely to leave it. There are 2 solutions for this task:
- Development of a native mobile application
- Development of a progressive web application (PWA)
Mobile app development can find the right solution for your business and be a great addition to your website. Let's take a look at this using PWA as an example. The user will not even need to go to the App Store or Google Play to download your pharmacy app. When a user visits your site, he will be prompted to add the application to the device's desktop, and that's it. The application itself is often less than 1MB. PWAs have limited functionality, but it will be enough to get acquainted with the catalog. Native applications, on the other hand, are not limited in functionality, you can add a map with the nearest pharmacies to them, and discount cards that can be read using NFC.
The conclusion suggests itself - your own application brings your business to a new level, enhancing the image of your company, thereby attracting more customers. Having a website is not enough, because the lion's share of users use smartphones. The website can be well adapted for mobile devices, but the native application will still be more user-friendly and reduce the distance between the company and the client.
Conclusion
A mobile application for the pharmacy business is an excellent tool that allows you to automate some processes and increase sales. Mobile app development is a key argument in a highly competitive environment, as it allows you to provide a better service to the client. This is a great advertising tool, because pharmaceutical companies will be willing to pay you to advertise their products, so the development of a mobile application can pay for itself.
Does your business need its own app? The answer is yes! Can Owlab make a quality product for you? The answer is yes! Our company has extensive experience in creating applications for the medical field.
Contact us and we'll find a solution for your business!