The role of pharmacies in the UK has expanded in recent years, and they now do far more than simply dispense prescriptions and sell over the counter healthcare products. They are also trusted sources of information and advice, and suitably qualified pharmacists now have the power to prescribe for minor ailments and screen for certain health conditions.
As web development techniques evolve, the role of online pharmacies is also steadily increasing, and it’s crucial to have a well-designed website to remain competitive. Here are some key features that will help to boost the visibility, accessibility and credibility of your website.
Online prescription services
The ability to order repeat prescription medications online is literally a lifesaver for many people, whether because of concerns around contagious infections that may be picked up in-store, or due to mobility or other limiting health conditions.
It’s also a hugely convenient service for all pharmacy users, and can be integrated with regular reminders to make sure that they never run out of medication. Therefore it’s now a feature that should not be overlooked in any pharmacy website.
User-friendly navigation
Online pharmacies are a broad church, and they should be easy and convenient to use. Your web designer should put clarity and ease of navigation first, and not attempt to dazzle with cutting-edge design or features that could potentially confuse or distract users.
The design should be clean and uncluttered, with prominent menus and a logical and intuitive navigation system. Popular pages should have clear links and be reachable in a couple of clicks.
Customer support
Healthcare is a topic that can be confusing and generates a lot of questions. Make it easy for users by having instant customer support in place. This doesn’t have to be via live agents, as there are now tools such as AI-powered chatbots available that will be able to answer the most common questions.
This will reduce the volume of telephone or email queries that you receive, allowing staff to focus on other areas of the business rather than dealing with repetitive and easily resolved customer service issues.
High accessibility standards
In the UK, there are mandatory accessibility requirements for public sector websites. It is best practice for all web designers to follow them wherever possible, particularly in the healthcare sector where the website will need to be accessed by people with disabilities and restricted mobility, or cognitive impairment.
The designer should pay attention to matters such as clear fonts that can be scaled up in size, high contrast for readability, text captions for images and videos so that they are understandable for audio-assisted users, and a navigation system that functions with the tab key as well as the mouse.
Information and advice pages
When customers visit pharmacy websites, they are not always looking to make an immediate purchase, but researching information about health conditions or healthcare and wellness advice. Therefore your website should include educational materials such as blogs, videos, FAQ pages, and general healthcare information.