Firstline Live 2009: Stay competitive with a Web pharmacy

Feeling the squeeze of the slow economy? Are you doing everything you can to combat a business downturn? If your practice's Web site isn't set up for product and pharmaceutical sales, you might not be maximizing potential income or offering your clients top-notch service. High profile online companies specializing in such sales pose a real threat to your business. If your clients are comfortable and happy shopping online, why not adapt and keep their spending in-house?

These days it's relatively easy to add an e-commerce element to your site. Many Web hosting companies offer the service, infrastructure, and related templates as part of your agreement. Once an online store is in place, all that's left is to market it to your client base.

Gina Toman, practice manager at Seaside Animal Care in Calabash, N.J., told the Firstline Live in Kansas City audience today that the process of organizing and promoting products in a virtual store is similar to that in an actual practice: Keep your best products in easy-to-spot locations, keep inventory up to date, and make it easy for customers to browse.

Following through on this process may help keep your practice viable by profiting more from your existing clients and keeping them happier.