Google and HIMSS Analytics talked with doctors, IT directors, and hospital executives to dig into their buying habits. No surprise in the initial findings – people go online to do research before buying.
The shopping process is constantly changing for B2B buyers — they now complete more than half of the purchase cycle before even contacting a sales rep. They’re gathering information, comparing options, and doing so without your input.
Doctors and hospital administrators are no exception. We found that every phase of their decision journey is evolving thanks to the web, from information gathering to post-sale and back again.
The interesting part of the report was the web site recommendations. Think your medical device industry site doesn’t need to be mobile friendly? Think again. Lisa Duncan, the Head of Industry for Health Services at Google wrote the report. She identifies these three must-have criteria for web sites for companies that want to successfully sell to doctors and hospital administrators. Read the whole report here.
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Be mobile friendly
Just like the rest of the world, docs and hospital administrators move from screen to screen and device to device during the day. Med device web sites should look the same and work the same on desktops, tablets and mobile phones.
Mobile devices are a constant companion of hospital administrators. Fifty percent use smartphones while making purchase decisions, and of those, at least one in three use them to research with — such as reading product reviews and customer testimonials, and requesting product information. … we predict that medical device-related searches on mobile devices will overtake desktop searches by mid-2014.
Buyers start conducting quick research on their mobile devices while in meetings and then return to their desktops to complete their reading. A mobile-optimized site should make that transition as fluid and frictionless as possible.
Post short, informative videos
Understanding how a device works and fits into the existing work flow is critical for anyone making a buying decision. Device sites should have five-minute videos that fit this need.
Every customer we surveyed said they watch videos to see product demonstrations, and more than 60% watch online procedures and product comparisons. They want to see how the equipment is placed in the room and how the technicians, staff and patients interact with it. Buyers of medical devices and implants use videos to educate the surgeons who use the products, and electronic health records (EHR) buyers watch demo videos to decide whether or not to meet with a rep.
What’s more, videos drive researchers to act. After watching a video, 79% continue on to the manufacturer’s website for more information, and 63% talk to others about the information. Plus, a majority of these respondents directly contact a vendor, demonstrating the effectiveness of online video in landing a coveted spot on the buyer’s shortlist.
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Don’t rely on online forms
If you gauge the success of your marketing efforts by the number of people who fill out a contact form, you may be undercounting the leads your web site is generating. Duncan says that motivated customers often reach out directly:
While 45% of buyers reach out for more information after researching on their mobile devices, they do so directly, with less than 20% of buyers filling out contact forms on-the-go. Use tactics such as incorporating an “email me this” feature that enables mobile visitors to revisit your site later on their desktop..
Companies should also use web site visitor tracking to follow up after a sale.
Of course, it all starts with search. It goes without saying that medical device sites should be optimized with the right keywords so that the sites show up on the first page of search results (also goes without saying that a report from Google would recommend this tactic).
The research for this article is from the Hospital Decision Makers Study, conducted in May 2013, by Google and HIMSS Analytics.
The survey included 749 hospital decision makers in April and May 2013 and 60 in-depth interviews, with a focus on four product areas: Electronic Health Records (EHR), Imaging Equipment (MRI, Ultrasound, CT, PACS), Implants and Medical Devices, and Surgical Equipment.
Respondents included hospital CFOs, CEOs, CIOs, physicians, surgeons, directors of surgical services, directors of materials management, directors of radiology, and IT directors.
