Page 11 - HME Business, August/September 2018

10 E-COMMERCE WINNERS
10 E-COMMERCE WINNERS
Now that providers are starting to
enter the world of e-commerce, what are some HME categories that genuinely sell online?
FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, providers have been entering the wild and woolly world of e-commerce, and while it’s been a bit of a learning curve, they are starting to hit their stride. They are figuring out how to pair e-commerce with their existing brick-and-mortar businesses. They are starting to figure out how to reach their customers online in a scalable way that leverages their expertise. They are starting to figure out what model of e-commerce works for them (see, “HME’s three e-commerce models” on page 15). And they are trying to figure out which products sell.
To that last point, HMEB asked Christina Throndson, director of business development for VGM Forbin to discuss the HME product categories that are natural sellers in an HME context. Some might seem like naturals and others might surprise you, but we deter- mined a top 10 and not only got Throndson’s thoughts on why these categories are e-commerce winners, but also assembled some great examples of the types of products that can fall into those categories.
Before we dive into those categories, Throndson highlighted that many of these products not only drive new revenue, but accomplish another key objective for providers: they promote patient re-engage- ment. HME providers are very unique businesses — they do a whole lot more than online retailers — but one thing online retailers do well
is drive re-engagement.
“I hate trying to relate or reference Amazon as a comparable model
to our HMEs because that’s not necessarily the right fit for everyone by any means,” she says. “But, when you make a purchase from Amazon, before you check out, it’ll give you suggestions of products that other buyers have purchased. [Amazon has] new sections on their app that let users show how they used their products. They check in with you. They’re really trying to re-engage you.”
That’s a lesson providers should take to heart, because they are so good at establishing patient relationships.
“How can providers continue with that stickiness, that relationship, whether it be through sharing knowledge and expertise, tips?” She says, adding that providers can monitor client activity and see when they browsed certain products and then check back in to see if they are still interested in that product or something that’s related to it. “Maybe it’s, ‘Hey, you want a CPAP? How are you going to clean that?’ Giving that information, you’ve now gained a partnership with me as an individual. I rely on you and I trust you to provide that information and want to tell more people. It builds our reputation as a whole. It’s got to be regular. It’s got to be relevant. It’s got to be reengaging. It’s not just a one-and-done.”
Management Solutions | Technology | Products
hme-business.com | August/September 2018 | HMEBusiness 11
By David Kopf and Leila McNeill