Why It’s Dangerous for Healthcare Brands to Overlook Post-Purchase
For #health brands that are serious about growth and performance, the post-purchase experience is an area that can’t be overlooked. Unfortunately, many executives in the healthcare space do just that—they focus almost exclusively on patient acquisition when planning for success. In doing so, these key decision makers miss out on a huge opportunity to create a smooth, engaging user journey following purchase.?
By minimizing the friction of #postpurchase activities (e.g., delivery, product use guidance, etc.) health brands can…
Drive loyalty
…all while strengthening their reputation.?
In today’s competitive landscape, it’s time to recognize the power of cultivating relationships throughout the entire patient journey, from the pre-purchase experience to the oft-ignored post-purchase experience. This article will highlight why it’s dangerous for healthcare brands to overlook post-purchase, and what you can do to start making positive changes to your post-purchase experience.
(Prefer video?—You can learn more about post-purchase’s role in #healthcare here.)
Danger #1 - Friction that leads to fracture
Most of the purchases you make as a consumer are low-value, low-emotion—groceries, clothes, kitchenware, etc. As such, you rarely second guess what you buy.
But for high-value, high-emotion purchases (e.g. a new prescription, medical device, etc.), you’ll quickly express doubts about your choice if your pre-purchase expectations aren’t met to perfection. The division between pre-purchase assuredness and post-purchase regret leads to friction that’s capable of fracturing the relationship between brand and patient.
If only I’d chosen the red pill over the blue pill…
In any health-related purchase, there’s an opportunity cost to choosing one brand over another. Normally that opportunity cost is negligible—there’s not going to be much friction between buying a bottle of Advil instead of a bottle of Motrin.
But for specialty products (e.g., medical equipment), vanity products (e.g., generic minoxidil versus Rogaine), and nutritional products (e.g., Kroger multivitamins versus HUM Nutrition) the opportunity cost in the mind of patients is high, which means the risk for friction is also high.??
Where things get tricky for healthcare brands is when the performance between two items—for example, two vanity medicines (e.g., Sildenafil via Hims versus via Roman)—isn’t going to be different. In such a scenario, your only opportunity as a brand to differentiate yourself from the competition (and avoid churn-inducing friction) is through the post-purchase experience. An exceptional post-purchase experience (from proactive, transparent order tracking, to helpful product usage advice) helps patients confirm their purchase decision was the right one.?
Danger #2 - Improper product use
You know it’s imperative that your products be used as directed to ensure maximum efficacy and optimal results. The trouble is your patients don’t—at least not all of them, and even those who do know could probably benefit from a friendly reminder when they’re sitting at home.?
Enter the post-purchase experience.
From branded order tracking pages to post-delivery follow-up messages, the post-purchase phase of the customer journey is an excellent time for you to remind patients of all the little things they should do to see the best results possible.
My acne isn’t getting any better…?
Imagine you’re in charge of retention marketing at Proactiv. Of the many products and treatments you sell to patients, you’re most well-known for those that treat acne, and your Proactiv Solution? subscription is a top seller.
But for best results it’s imperative that your patients follow your application instructions to the letter—if they don’t, there’s an erosion of efficacy. Reduced efficacy leads to suboptimal results, and suboptimal results lead to a dissatisfied patient who’s more likely to cancel their subscription and move to a competitor.
Fortunately, you can deploy post-purchase messaging as an onboarding engine for new patients. For example, you can use your branded tracking pages to provide educational content for new patients related to the product purchased (e.g. an application instruction refresher for Proactiv Solution? users), accelerating time-to-value and reducing the likelihood of dissatisfaction and churn.?
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Danger #3 - Patient dissatisfaction
A study from PwC related to consumer “willingness to pay for different #healthcareproducts and services” noted that 40% of patients are ready to churn away from their current provider at any given moment.
An unhappy patient is a dangerous patient—not only can they churn away from your business but they can leave scathing product reviews and discourage their friends and family from ever buying from your brand.
That’s why a strong post-purchase experience is a powerful ally for any healthcare brand. Not only does it make it easier to pull patients back from the ledge when they’re teetering on the edge of churn, but it dissuades those who do churn from leaving negative feedback that might discourage net-new patients from engaging with your brand.???
Danger #4 - Lost sales
Higher ad costs, deteriorating ad measurement, and higher product return rates are conjoining to make today’s environment a costly one when it comes to acquiring new patients. The most cost-effective way to boost revenue for health brands is to maximize sales from existing patients.?
A strong post-purchase experience simplifies the process of upselling and cross selling because it introduces key messaging (e.g., new product offers, exclusive perks, loyalty programs, etc.) in a high-engagement environment (e.g., the typical patient opens an order tracking email no less than three times). For example, consider the following branded tracking page for Lucky Vitamin…
This branded order tracking page not only updates the patient in terms of their expected delivery, but it also introduces them to two distinct special offers crafted to cultivate additional sales (something a carrier tracking page simply can’t do).
You should know…
Better Way Health is seeing a +20% engagement rate with product recommendations integrated into its branded tracking pages—learn more here.?
Danger #5 - Leaving patients underwhelmed
Patient expectations are increasing at an unprecedented pace—people want services and solutions that make their lives easier at every turn. One of the many areas patients want improved care is in the arena of digital wellness. At least 65% of patients “want to increase or maintain their current usage” of virtual healthcare services.?
As patients do more of their healthcare-related shopping online, the onus is on healthcare brands to provide an experience that meets patients where they are—at home. Doing this well requires more than a navigable website with a catalog of quality products. It also requires more than an intimate understanding of each patient’s preferences and needs. What it really requires is excellence from pixel to package.?
Excellence from pixel to package
In an era of expanding digital health solutions where patients obtain everything from their care to their prescriptions online, healthcare brands must invest in post-purchase. Why?—Because post-purchase technology is the only way to ensure patients continue to receive an excellent experience with your brand before, during, and after treatment.?
Post-purchase technology is how you ensure your patients never need to call you to ask “Where is my order?”.?
It’s how you prevent patients from encountering points of friction (e.g., improper use) as they utilize the medicines and devices they’ve purchased from your brand. It’s also how you introduce those same patients to new products and promotions that you’re offering, increasing your revenue stream in the process.?
You should know…
Nunn Hydration saw a 100% reduction in “Where is my order?” inquiries to their support center by switching from default carrier tracking pages to branded order tracking pages with proactive shipment notifications—learn more here.???
In sum…
Post-purchase is now an integral part of capturing, engaging, and retaining patients in the healthcare industry.?
There are a variety of strategic opportunities for healthcare brands to focus on when it comes to? post-purchase, from reducing delivery-related friction, to cultivating long-term loyalty, to making sure that patients use their products the right way for optimal results.?
An unsatisfactory #patientexperience can be eliminated by implementing post-purchase technologies?tailor made to meet the needs of modern healthcare brands.?
Figuring out how to navigate this ever-changing landscape on your own can be overwhelming; but luckily, you don’t have to go it alone. Discover how you can improve your post-purchase experience by talking to Narvar about all the innovative solutions available at your fingertips—schedule a demo here.