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Consumers and Nutraceuticals: Online Buying Trends
The nutraceuticals industry has done better than many healthcare fields on the Internet. While online prescription services have been plagued with legal issues, the less stringent regulations covering nutraceuticals has allowed the industry to thrive. Consumers are purchasing a wide range of nutraceuticals, spending several billion dollars on vitamins supplements, and functional foods. Vitamins, supplements, and other nutraceuticals comprise one of the fastest growing industries on the Internet.With so much money changing hands, competition for pieces of the nutraceutical pie is increasing steadily. Both newcomers and veterans of the nutraceutical industry need to know what trends are driving the online purchase of vitamins and supplements, and how recent government legislation is affecting the industry. Beauty and the Nutraceutical Market Beauty is one of the driving forces behind the nutraceutical industry. Forty-three percent of all online nutraceuticals purchases are intended to increase beauty or slow aging. It would be reasonable to assume that the aging baby boomer population is driving the demand for beauty-centered nutraceuticals. It's reasonable, but it's not exactly true. The demand for beauty related nutraceuticals is not confined to a single age group. While baby boomers have long been considered the primary market for beauty nutraceuticals, younger generations are purchasing equal amounts of nutraceutical beauty products. Nutraceutical consumers are concerned with self-care and preventative healthcare, and younger generations are taking advantage of nutraceutical products now with an eye on the future. Functional Foods: Increasing the Scope of Nutraceuticals The line between the vitamin/supplement market and that of functional foods is a blurry one, and many nutraceuticals can be considered both. An increased consumer interest in functional foods has seen a boom in the demand for both grocery stocked and online functional foods, which has in turn led to many new products hitting the market. Functional foods include any beverage or food product enhanced with vitamins, enzymes, herbs, or other nutraceutical supplements. In the US, functional foods are allowed to make the same claims as other nutraceuticals. They can list up to seventeen possible health benefits, but cannot claim to cure or treat specific conditions. Functional food's popularity has spurred a legal debate. Do such products constitute food products, or should they be considered drugs? At present, functional foods can make possible health benefit claims, so long as the product is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) under the terms set out by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. They are not, however, considered drug products under FDA guidelines. There exists a large potential for growth in the functional food market for nutraceutical companies. Functional foods that can claim anti-aging and beauty benefits have the potential to be extremely popular, as of course, do any functional foods that promote weight loss or weight control. Consumer Trust and the Nutraceutical Industry As consumer awareness increases in the nutraceutical market, so too has the need for accountability. In 2006, one of the most important changes to the nutraceutical market came in the form of a bill passed by the Senate and House of representatives. The bill, an amendment to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, requires diet supplement producers to report any adverse effects to the Food and Drug Administration. Industry leaders have reacted positively to the bill. They are confident that the bill will reflect the high standards that characterize most supplemental products, while revealing unsafe practices by less scrupulous members of the industry. Under the requirements of the new amendment, all dietary supplements are required to include a contact number consumers can call to report possible adverse effects. The supplement company has fifteen days to forward the consumer's concerns to the FDA. These new regulations will have a great effect on nutraceutical companies. Customizable Nutraceuticals and Interactive Websites Consumers are becoming accustomed to a degree of control and customization over the products they purchase, whether they are ordering customized computers or nutraceuticals. Some nutraceutical companies have had success marketing individually designed nutraceutical products online. Online questionnaires on nutraceutical sites gather information about each consumers needs. A personalized regime of vitamins and supplements is then created based on the age, gender, weight and health of each customer. Customizing nutraceutical products offer two benefits to both consumers and nutraceutical businesses. First, customers feel more involved in their healthcare, strengthening the role of nutraceuticals as personal and preventative healthcare. Interactive website elements reinforce this feeling of self-determination and independence. Secondly, a customizable system that allows customers to design their own vitamin and supplement packages lends itself to repeat business. Once the customer has entered all their information into the system, and a list of recommended nutraceuticals has been generated, the business has the option of suggesting recurring purchases. The consumer's order can then be automatically refilled at set intervals, so the consumer never runs out of product. International Expansion and the Nutraceutical Market Some US-based nutraceutical companies are beginning to expand their business to global levels. Japan, for instance, has high consumer interest in nutraceuticals, and the industry is eyeing the Chinese market with some interest. Expanding in international markets has many advantages for the US nutraceutical industry, but does come with some complications. Other countries have their own unique regulatory bodies and laws governing nutraceutical products. Certain European countries, such as Germany, have a long tradition of regulated herbal and dietary supplement products, and such products have broad acceptance among the population. The European Union has created an umbrella regulatory system for nutraceuticals, which American companies will have to comply with in order to do business in Europe. The nutraceutical industry in the US is thriving. The industry is better regulated than it has been in the past, both in terms of self-regulation and government legislation. The growing popularity of functional foods has increased the borders of the nutraceutical industry, and interactive websites increase the likelihood of repeat business, while opening the possibility of international marketing. The industry is coming of age, and its future looks bright indeed. Search for Your Health Domains » Health Sites on the Web: 10 Keys to Success
Designing a health web site isn't a hit or miss affair. Certain elements of site design and content consistently appear in successful health sites. The difference between a popular health site and a failed one often depends on how the web site owner interprets and implements the following ten success strategies.See What's Out There Before designing and launching a health web site, it's instructive to see how much competition you have. The good news? Not much when compared with other industries. Although there are thousands of medical centers, services, and wellness stores, they have been slow to take advantage of the Internet. While big name companies have extensive and well-established sites online, there is plenty of room for smaller health sites to carve out their own niche. What Are the Big Guns Doing Right? While few health businesses can hope to compete with the major pharmaceutical company sites and information sites such as the Mayo Clinic website, studying the major players provides clues to their success, and sometimes mistakes to avoid. A successful health site has closely examined other health sites, with an eye to design, content, and services. Build upon strategies that already work. Reliable Content Reliable, well-written content is the background of many types of web sites, but especially so for medical sites. A number of studies have reported that the majority of health site content is either flawed, self-contradictory, or just plain wrong. The Journal of American Medical Association reported in 2001 that up to 53 percent of health sites contradict their own content, raising the question of site accuracy and reliability. While this is a serious challenge for health sites, the situation also offers opportunities. With so much erroneous information online, the health site that offers accurate information written by subject experts is clearly at an advantage. Accurate information builds trust between any website and its visitors. For a health site, such trust is essential. Simplify the Medic-Speak While medical site content must be written by experts in the field, it does not follow that content should sound like it. The average web visitor will not come to the site with an extensive medical knowledge, and their medical vocabulary is usually limited. You cannot, for instance, use the term enuresis and assume readers will know it is the medical term for bed-wetting. Medical terminology should not be overused on a health site. When specific medical terms are necessary, they should always be clearly defined and explained. Too much medic-speak, and visitors become confused and seek information elsewhere. Here lies one of the challenges to any successful health site. Sites often must explain complex medical condition clearly and simply, without overusing the medical terms that describe those conditions. Up-to-the-Minute Updates To keep content as accurate and timely as possible, a successful health site has to update and review content on an ongoing basis. Any new development in the site's subject areas should be reported as soon as possible. The site may wish to have a news section, where updated information and breaking medical stories are featured. Showcasing updates to site content builds trust between the site visitor and the health site. Regular updates also give site visitors motivation to revisit the site to discover new developments. Accessible Information Health sites need to be accessible to people using different screen resolutions or Internet browsers. Some site visitors may have vision problems, or have disabilities that make computer use difficult. Resolution and browser problems are problems best solved by the web site designer. Large, clear fonts can make sites more accessible to the visually impaired. Information should be kept as short as possible without sacrificing accuracy. Some people have difficulty scrolling down long websites; it is often better to divide a long page into multiple pages that don't require scrolling, and to provide easy-to-follow links to the next section of the article (for an excellent demonstration of how to do this, examine how the Mayo Clinic divides up its articles on diseases and physical conditions). Privacy Policies Any web site that gathers private information has to have both a clearly written privacy policy and a method of securely storing such information. Private information gathered by a medical or health site is especially sensitive, and a successful health site takes every precaution to ensure that client information is kept safe, and deleted when no longer needed. The web site's privacy policy needs to be clearly spelled out, so the client is assured that the site will not use his or her information for any purposes other than the ones specified. As concerns about identity theft grow, a well-written privacy policy and secure data storage are becoming essential for the successful health site. Easy-to-Use Services If a heath site offers services, whether in the form of online appointment bookings, prescription renewals, or an online health store, services must be streamlined and easy to use. Any difficulties clients have accessing services need to be addressed immediately. Internet users aren't very forgiving about difficulties when trying to access services; one problem, and users go elsewhere. Security is also a concern when providing these types of services. Users must be assured that their private information is not at-risk, and all transactional data should be sent using secure socket layer (SSL) technology. Limited Graphics Graphics certainly have their place on a successful health site, but only when used sparingly. Too many graphics increase a web page's load time. If a page takes longer than fifteen seconds to load, it's taking too long. Fifteen seconds may not seem long, but for a user waiting for a page to load, it seems like an eternity. While graphics should be limited, they can be very helpful to a health site. Some concepts that are difficult to describe in writing can be portrayed easily as an image. Multimedia can also be used to show concepts that words alone cannot convey. Style and Content While accurate content is important to a health site, site design has an immediate impact on site visitors. A study at Stanford University discovered that 46.1 percent of site visitors decide if a site has credible information based on the site's layout, color scheme, and font choices. A health site that matches a visually appealing design with accurate content is well on its way to being successful. Search for Your Health Domains » Alternative Medicine Practitioners: Successful Practice Promotion Online
A website can complement and support an alternative medical practice, as well as advertise the practice and educate the public on aspects of the medical discipline. Alternative medicine sites offer health professionals opportunities to reach people outside of their practice's immediate area.The primary target audience for a practice's site is generally the same community in which the clinic or health professional has his practice. One way to access a local audience is to combine keywords appropriate to your practice with the name of your town or district. For example, the keyword "acupuncture" yields thousands of results in a search engine. ''Orange City acupuncture" or ''acupuncture in Orange City" yield less results on a keyword search, but are more likely to be used by members of the Orange City community. As a result, the more specific keywords are more likely to bring together community members and your practice. Listings in regional online Yellow Pages are also valuable tools for alternate medicine practices. Many people approach alternative medicine with misconceptions or skepticism. This means that an alternative health professional often devotes valuable time to refuting myths or correcting mistaken beliefs. A website is a useful tool for alternative medicine professionals who need to educate patients and dispel myths. Website content can cover realistic expectations of treatment, clear up common myths or misconceptions and discuss the history of the medical discipline. Websites also allow health professionals to list their credentials, medical philosophy and persosnal information. When designing a site for your alternative medicine practice, be sure to include contact information, clinic address, phone number and hours of operation clearly visible on the home page. A well designed website can be of use to a larger audience than the practice's local community. Larger sites can offer a library of online articles related to alternative medicine in general and the health professional's discipline in particular. As you are building your site, keep in mind that search engines favor sites with regularly updated, relevant material. By periodically putting up new information or news articles related to your practice, you can help your website receive better ranking within search engines. Some alternative health websites offer forums where site visitors can ask the health professional questions about the practice and alternative medicine in general. While such forums can encourage visitors to return to the site, they do require a carefully worded legal disclaimer to protect the health professional. Site visitors should understand than any advice offered does not replace personally consulting a health professional. A number of alternative medicine sites sell products related to the health discipline, allowing the practice to extend beyond its geographic limits. A chiropractic clinic might offer braces, vitamin supplements and other general products designed for healthy bones. A message therapist could offer oils, books and instructional videos. Health professionals who don't wish to run online stores can make affiliate deals with product suppliers they trust to link to their sites. Alternative medicine practices don't need to restrict websites to contact information and office hours. A good website educates its visitors and benefits both the alternative medicine professional and his patients. Search for Your Health Domains » Would You Like to Estimate Potential Profits and Business Expenses for Your Health-Related Business?
Click here and see a breakout of expected revenues, costs and net profits. It is a terrific tool, and could be very helpful as you plan your health-related business.Search for Your Health Domains » Wellness Industry $79 Billion and Growing. Is This Your Business Opportunity?
According to the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) US retail sales of consumer packaged goods (health industry- and wellness industry-related) reached $79 billion in 2005, constituting total year-over-year growth of 15%. These findings are part of NMI's annual Health & Wellness Trends Database™ (HWTD) research study of 2,800+ U.S. consumer households.Vitamins, Minerals, Herbal & Dietary Supplements accounted for $19.6 billion in 2005 sales. Search for Your Health Domains » Three Out of Four Adults Have Used Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States
The Institute of Medicine, a division of the National Academy of Science, released a report in 2005 noting that 3 out of 4 adults have used complementary medicine at some point, and that nearly half of all woman have tried complementary medicines at some point.This sector, along with nutritional supplement sales and wellness-related businesses are growing at a tremendous clip — partly to meet the needs of aging baby boomers who are seeking to stay healthy and active. This growth — and the billions spent in these areas — represent real business opportunity. Search for Your Health Domains » Promoting the Small Medical Practice: Ten Steps to Success
Small medical practices can promote themselves effectively online, increasing local awareness and bringing in more patients. Smaller medical practices don't need a widespread audience as long as they can reach web surfers in their local community.
The following are ten steps that can help a small medical practice bring in more patientsLocal Keywords Small practices should include local names in their keyword lists. A small site cannot compete with larger sites for the same medical keywords. The site performs much better in search engine rankings when those same keywords are combined with the name of the local town or district. Local Directories By all means submit small medical sites to the large search directories, but don't neglect smaller local directories. Local city directories offer a number of services to the community, so are regularly used by local web surfers. Online Consultations A relatively new concept, driven by Medem, is the online consultation. Small practices can partner with Medem and offer online consultations, expanding their treatment range. Online Stores While not suitable for every small medical practice, online stores associated with a practice's website can sell medical products and living aides, increasing the practice's profits and offering more reasons for web surfers to visit the site. Blogging A blog, or online journal, can greatly improve a web site's rankings. Medical practice blogs could include breaking medical news, medical staff's personal opinions of new treatments, and discussions of local events. Provide Content The more relevant content a site provides, the better it performs in the search engines. Medical articles, descriptions of medical conditions, Frequently Asked Questions and other appropriate content will all help promote a medical practice web site. Careful Linking The more sites with related content that link to a website, the better the site performs in search engines. A small medical website could link to local community services and request that those services provide reciprocal links. Biographic Information Small medical practitioners should include a biographical section in their websites, including any medical training and areas of specialty. Not only does a biography page put a human face on the practice, it's a good opportunity to scatter more local keywords through the text. Contact Information A web site is of no use to a small medical practice if prospective patients can't find you. Contact information should at least be easily visible on the site's home page, and ideally be on every page of the site. Patience Finally, one last tip. Patience is needed when launching any web site, especially one aimed at a local community. It takes time for search engines to spider and list new web sites, and even more time to generate links and write content. With time, a site can be a valuable addition to a small medical practice. Search for Your Health Domains » |
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