It looks like e-commerce, in general,  is here to stay. 73% of buyers mostly use digital channels now, although just a small portion of them actually prefer buying online. The same goes the other way around. All companies might not feel comfortable turning to e-commerce but they just might have to if they want their business to grow.

The medical industry is not an exception to this. On the contrary, it’s been even more affected since the pandemic. Healthcare and medical companies have been swiftly pushed online in 2020 and it’s clear now three years later that this way of working is not just transitory. 

Although creating the perfect website doesn’t exist, nor there is such a thing as picking the right platform for the right business, still there are certain trends and strategies that can help companies navigate through the field of medical e-commerce. 

5 Trends and Strategies in Medical E-commerce for the Future

We’ve put together a list of the most popular and uprising trends in medical e-commerce for the foreseeable future so you don’t have to do the research. It’s 2023 and AI and technology are throwing us in this whirlpool minute by minute. So what we can predict now is solely based on what we already know. There’s no way to be 100% sure what will actually happen and how the market will develop. Therefore the following trends and strategies are constructed in a way that will allow you to alter and tailor them to the current situation.

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the healthcare market

Currently, AI is all everybody is talking about in all spheres of life. The hype is omnipresent and the excitement from all the available opportunities is so palpable. However, the future will bring a lot of this ado down and we’ll be accepting AI as part of our normal every day.

Reports and statistics predict that AI in the healthcare market will grow from USD 14.6 Billion in 2023 to USD 102.7 Billion by 2028. So embracing AI and using it to your benefit is the only sure thing you can focus on in the future. 

E-commerce is not only used for fashion and entertainment. When it comes to medical e-commerce customers expect the same, if not better and more reliable experience. Fast, user-friendly platforms, trustworthy options, and suggestions are what they’ll be expecting when it comes to their health. The options AI offers in this regard are various and should be used to the maximum to create the best customer experience.

2. Personalize the experience 

Perosnilize, personalize, personlize…

This method applies well to all e-commerce businesses generally. However, when it comes to medical purchases personalization adds to a whole new level of shopping experience. One size doesn’t fit all anymore and customers expect unique and engaging experiences. 

Again AI and technology make this possible and will probably be what you’ll see your competition doing in the upcoming period. Market segmentation and targeting groups are simply not enough anymore. What companies are relying on more and more is Contextual Marketing. It offers more specific information and opens the way for personalization. 

Here are some steps on how to achieve smooth and natural personalization in medical e-commerce

• Always put customers first. The platform/website should be talking to them and addressing them in the second person singular.
• Provide customized communication aimed to target your customers’ needs efficiently.
• The use of names helps tremendously. Have your customers leave their info and use their names to address them and offer products. Something like “Hi, James. The ointment you bought last month is back in stock, order another one here” can go the extra mile.
• Beat your competition in addressing low-stock levels and make sure your customers are alarmed first
• Give targeted information to customers regarding fluctuating prices and keep them in tune with the most accurate pricing for their purchases.

Health is a very personal matter and people like when it’s treated that way. Not everybody’s needs are the same. You keep going to the same pharmacist because they know what you need and what works for you, right? People expect that experience online as well. 

3. Wearable health monitoring devices

Wearable technology is not news in the world of technology, health, and sports. It’s something that is well-implemented and very popular right now. These devices include smartwatches and medical patches. They use biosensors to measure heart rate, physical activity, sleep patterns, blood pressure, etc. 

However, using those devices and connecting them to your medical e-commerce platform can open a whole new realm of tracking your customers’ health and well-being and offering them what they need promptly.

The idea behind this trend is to get the customers to buy the devices from your company and inform them of all the benefits they’ll receive by using them. The buyers must also be informed that the device is connected to your platform, webpage, or software. In this way, all parameters and individual data that are received are collected to offer you insight into the health condition of your customers. This in turn will allow you to offer them products and services based on individual needs and most importantly based on the data collected from the device. 

So, your customers will receive something like “Hi, Dave. We’ve noticed a pattern of disrupted sleep lately. Maybe you should try our new all-natural melatonin-based supplement.”

4. D2C sales will continue to increase

D2C or direct-to-customer sales are becoming more and more present as e-commerce is on the rise. Simply put this way of business `cuts the middlemen` and producers sell directly to the customers. 

The traditional retail business model entails the following steps:

manufacturer/producer ⇒ wholesaler ⇒ distributor ⇒ retailer ⇒ customer

The D2C model cuts out all the intermediaries and brings the product from the source to the consumer directly. The advantages of this model include:

• Controlling brand reputation and awareness

With D2C manufacturers have better control over their brand and the way it’s presented to the customers and the way their brand is built. Brand positioning is crucial for business development, and with this model, the producers have direct input in the process.

• A better understanding of customers’ needs

A traditional business model rarely gives the manufacturer opportunity to interact with the end customers and truly understand their needs and how their product is perceived. The D2C model opens that door and manufacturers can use this direct communication to improve their brand and products to serve their customers’ needs. 

• Tailoring the process to the customers

Medical e-commerce has to adapt to the way customers think and how the purchasing experience evolves. Most shoppers actually prefer buying directly from the manufacturer. So, direct sale offers more opportunities for customers to get what they need, because you (the manufacturer) control the whole process from packaging to product placement.

However, this model has a lot of obstacles too and that’s why it’s not taking over the e-commerce world yet. Selling D2C means that manufacturers have to work on their marketing, order fulfillment, shipping, and much more. At the same time, their biggest competitors are experienced e-commerce retailers that know how to do the job. So manufacturers have a lot of work involved if they want to skip the long line and get to the customer directly. 

Even with that said, D2C is the future, especially with the constant disruption of supply chains. It’s the easier and more preferred way by the customer so it will remain an uprising e-commerce trend in the years to come. 

5. VR and AR for the medical e-commerce

AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) are very helpful tools in medical e-commerce and they should be even easier to implement in the future. They can be especially helpful in purchasing medical equipment or orthopedic products because they can be visualized and virtually experienced before making a purchasing decision.

AR is also very much implemented in Telehealth which is monitoring patients’ health from a distance. It provides virtual examinations, checkups, and recommendations. 

Incorporating AR and VR into medical e-commerce was rushed during the COVID pandemic, but now it’s become an excellent tool to remotely connect with home-bound patients. It’s also a great asset in preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. 

Over to you

We hope that the trends and strategies we’ve put up will meet your expectations and you’ll start thinking about implementing them in the future. As part of healthcare e-commerce, your only choice is to grab technology by hand and head toward the future together. Try to fight it and it will come back and crush you.

So, embrace the changes and handle your business carefully using strategic and creative thinking.

Writer’s bio:

Iskra Stojanovska has been an English teacher for more than 13 years now. She is also a freelance translator, interpreter, and university professor for both. She’s currently looking for a career change and other ways in which she can make use of her knowledge of English. Content writing is a definite choice.