New Product Announcement – Maximizing Online Outcomes Series

by Dennis McGuire on December 20, 2011

As we reach the last two posts in our series, “Maximizing online outcomes,” today we’ll examine another way your website can be used to increase engagement, and ultimately, revenue. You can use your website as an interactive nerve-center for important announcements and news. Take the case of a new product or service announcement. From research and development to capital investments in equipment and technology, new product development is an expensive endeavor. In order to begin to recoup these costs as soon as possible, a new product needs to be successful immediately. Part of making a new product more successful is to create awareness and education, beginning with its launch. Consider a new pharmaceutical product. While the average R&D cost of bringing a new drug to market is a hotly debated issue, most experts agree the price is somewhere between $21 million to $333 million. Keep in mind that this enormous expense only accounts for the research and development portion of creating a new pharmaceutical product. Healthcare providers and pharmaceutical reps must be educated about the new drug and its benefits. Additionally, awareness about the new drug should be created and promoted via television, radio, print, conferences, etc. These costs could easily add tens of millions of dollars to the final price. With these extremely big numbers in mind, it is important that the pharmaceutical company capitalize on its promotional investments by generating interest and awareness about its new product. As a rule, most advertisements send viewers to the pharmaceutical company’s website. Yet, when you visit a pharmaceutical product website, the experience is nothing short of boring. A few images, some copy about the features and benefits of the new drug and possibly a link to watch television commercials online. Not exactly an engaging experience! If you want to learn more about the product, most pharmaceutical websites provide giant PDFs with tons of fine print and disclaimers. While including this legalese may be mandated by the FDA, isn’t there a better way to convey this information in a manner that is both educational and interactive? This situation is the perfect opportunity to utilize website technology to engage the viewer. From interactive demos to videos of doctor testimonials and narrated research studies, pharmaceutical companies have many options when it comes to bringing their new product to life. Another solution might be adding a digital character to the website. In the case of CodeBaby Conversations, we can create a character with a customized appearance that resonates with the target demographic so the visitor immediately feels the product is relatable. In addition to a customized appearance, CodeBaby Conversations are designed to interact with visitors based on their unique actions. In keeping with our pharmaceutical example, a digital character could be added to the more text-heavy parts of the website to answer questions, provide a product overview or guide the visitor experience. Rather than making it incumbent upon visitors to read a large PDF or find answers to their frequently asked questions, the CodeBaby Conversation can provide interactive support and guidance. In this scenario, the visitor has an engaging and informative web experience, which helps the company better capitalize on its advertising and promotional expenditure. The product is better positioned for a memorable and successful launch, which is the optimal outcome.

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