Why a Search Box is Not Enough on Your Life Science Website
E-commerce websites for life sciences, biotech and healthcare. Increasing your online sales.
E-commerce for life science research resources and healthcare products continues to grow year on year. Although the life science research industry has been slow to adopt e-commerce as part of their business plan, it is proving to be a substantial growth area. With customers becoming more willing to buy your type of products online, as long as the process is as easy and smooth as possible. Having an e-commerce section on your life science or biopharma website is an effective way to build your brand and position yourselves as the go-to experts in your field. Offering not only a great buying experience but additional customer support and guidance to build essential customer loyalty.
Customer behaviour is rapidly shifting toward online experiences and that includes your customer base. They shop online for personal purchases, so it is a natural step to buy online for business product procurement.
Starting or promoting your life science e-commerce business you need to consistently maximise online sales. User Experience is key to this. Having a well-built life science research e-commerce website is key to your success. If you have a substantial product range your customers need a way of finding the product they want, quickly. The standard solution for this is a 'search' feature on your website.
Customers need to quickly find products. With a large range of life science products, large content websites, a 'search' feature is an essential element to help your customers find what they need. Especially if you have many hundreds of products or items available to your customers.
However, be careful not to entirely rely on customers using your search feature. Your search button could be your greatest asset or a way of losing a new client. Here is why...
Do your customers know what they are looking for?
The process of typing a product name into your life science website search box relies on the searcher knowing what they are looking for. Unless you have an incredibly, AI-based search function then the search can only display results based on words used on your website and is typically looking for an exact match or suggesting similar phrases.
But do they know your specific product descriptions, product codes, product names and versions?
Do they know in-depth your digital health product range?
For regular, returning customers that might be the case. But what about new customers?
New customers go through a process of discovery. They need a solution and are looking for a product like yours to help them with their research or medical needs. At the first part of this process, they are using broad phrases and terms that may not be exactly matched on your website search box. How can you help them find what they need and familiarise them with the names of your products?
We can help you create a website experience that educates and informs new customers, building trust, brand awareness and product loyalty.
Do YOU know what your customers are looking for?
Do they know your specific product descriptions, product codes, product names and versions?
Performing keyword research and customer research is the perfect way to get a greater understanding of how your customers describe what you provide. They are looking for a solution, but may not know the exact product name. Getting closer to them and understanding their needs will help you to refine your website content and may inspire new product solutions or services. Your customer support team are a great place to start as they have regular conversations with your customers and hear at first hand what they need. You can create additional website content to answer their questions.
We can help you create informed, clear and compelling website content that builds your brand and informs visitors.
Would a filter provide a better User Experience?
You often see a filtering mechanism on e-commerce websites. This is a great feature to offer visitors if they don't exactly know the product name or number. Giving your visitor a clear and easy to use filter process helps them work out the best product for their situation. We have created custom filter functionality on many websites and know how powerful this can be in quickly guiding users to the solution they are looking for. Filtering can be more helpful than a search feature for many visitors.
A different journey for different types of customers
Creating customer profiles is a key element for a successful life science e-commerce website. Typically with life sciences or healthcare products, you will have a range of audiences. Each audience type will enter your website in a different way. They will search in a different way. Using different phrases, needing to solve different problems. Your website needs to cater to these different customer journeys. A search box may not be a feature they use straight away on your website. On your key landing pages, your content needs to be focused for each audience type, guiding them down their own, tailored journey on your website.
Do you need help mapping out your customer journeys?
We design, build User Experience and User Journeys for international life science, biotech, bioresources, medical devices, geo-science, healthcare, energy and niche technical markets.
Why not grab one of our 15-minute website project accelerator sessions. Click to find out more.
A better 'no results' page
A basic 'no results' page is a frustrating experience for your visitors. Just asking them to 'search again' doesn't help your customers find what they need. Creating a helpful, comprehensive 'no results' page is an opportunity to keep customers on your website and help them find what they came for. Page content that guides them to; information pages, product guides, customer services, case studies, research examples, success stories are going to be much more helpful than just zero results.
A process of research and informed decisions to reach an end-point purchase.
Customers go through a series of decision points before their final choice. Your life science e-commerce website needs content that supports each stage of your customer's research process. If your website content only provides end-point information then you are missing out on helping potential new customers during their research phase.
We can help you create your 'research phase' website content, providing new customers with useful insight and support during their journey to purchase.
The Takeaway.
Having a search box on your life science e-commerce website is an important feature. Having this alone means you are missing out on critical online sales.
You have a few seconds to help your visitors. It is a well-known statistic that people asses a website within less than a second. If your customers don't know what to put in the search box or can see a route to finding out what they need they will leave.
We can help you create an e-commerce website that appeals to new customers who want to buy and be informed.
Think wider than a 'search box' helps our customers, there is more that needs to be provided on your e-commerce to drive online sales and compete in this ever growing marketplace.
"An exceptional resource on how to represent your Life Science or Biotech business online. Read this and you'll find a practical approach to engage with highly-discerning customers across the life sciences market segments through your website".