This post is part of our regular series of interviews with people across Asia-Pacific who’ve caught our eye, using the Internet to create, connect and grow.
Lucy Ross of Health Express in Christchurch
How would you describe Health Express in one sentence?
A small Christchurch pharmacy taking on New Zealand.
Why did you choose to go online?
Our pharmacy is a small family-owned store nestled in a residential area that does not get a lot of foot traffic. After the Christchurch earthquake, meter-wide cracks and debris on the roads cut us off from our customers. We had no choice but to find new ways of reaching them, or risk losing everything that we spent years building. Launching a
website that allows us to deliver over 8,000 products within 1-2 business days, and switching on search engine marketing meant we could easily spread the word about our new website to people in New Zealand who might be interested. Almost overnight, we went from being a small brick-and-mortar store, serving just a few hundred local families, to a modern, connected online business with the entire country at our doorstep.
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| Keith Meyer and Crystal of Health Express NZ |
What difference has the Internet made to Health Express?
It has increased our sales. The average offline customer stocks up on a few supplements or health care products that cost on average around NZD30, but online we are educating our customers and selling higher ticket items which can cost as much as NZD300. Our online presence also drives offline sales. Sometimes customers will find us on the Internet, love our content, then drive to our store to buy from us because they see that we know our stuff. What’s more, online advertising data allows us to manage inventory risk better by knowing what customers want.
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| www.healthexpress.co.nz drives traffic, both online and offline |
Where’s the Internet going to take Health Express next?
We are constantly introducing new products and driving targeted traffic using Internet advertising. We now have a responsive website so users can buy on the go, and we are looking forward to embracing new technologies as they arrive.
Who’s your Internet idol?
It would probably have to be copywriter and internet marketer
Ted Nicholas, who taught me about how good quality content that focuses on the customer is a great way to educate them online.
Posted by Lucy Ross, Health Express NZ
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