Abstract
The purpose of this paper has been to look at the impact of suitable technology on the Walgreens Company. It has been established that the use of the web site by the company has enabled it to access more customers, hence the increase in the level of sales. The company has been able to obtain data relating to the customers; information about the customers and their demands, as well as making available information to the customers so that they can stay informed about the company’s services and products. More so, the company has been able to evaluate the effectiveness of its performance. The decision for the company to set up a website was a better decision since this has enabled the company to improve in the provision of its service and products to the customers ahead of other companies in the industry.
However, the company should still take some more measures that will have to enable it to maintain a leading position in the industry since it faces stiff competition from other companies. Such measures may include engaging in search engine marketing. This is a kind of internet marketing which is aimed at boosting websites and this is carried out by raising the level of visibility in the result pages of the search engines. This will capture the attention of more people. The preferred search engine is Google since it is the most popular. The Walgreens Company to pay Google in order to enable it engage in search engine marketing in order to reach more people who are not aware of the products offered by the Company. This will enable the company to improve its performance through engaging in direct sales and having brand awareness among an increased number of customers..
Introduction
Walgreens pharmacy is the biggest drugstore chain in the United States of America. This company carries out operations in more than 7500 drugstores in all the fifty states of the United States of America (Anon: Frequently asked questions: Walgreens, 2010). Services, shoppers’ goods and pharmacy are basically what the firm offers to its wider clientele. It as well offers wellness and health (services) in the US via drugstores it has.
In a period of more than one hundred years, Walgreens has set up itself as among the most trusted providers (of health care) in this country (Walgreen Corporation, 2006). The company has been committed with the provision of excellent services to its customers as the people they value most. This company currently offers convenient online shopping using their website. The purpose of this paper is to look at the impact of suitable technology on the Walgreens Company. It is going to be established that the use of the web site by the company has enabled it to access more customers, hence the increase in the level of sales.
Literature Review
In considering what information is contained in the Walgreens website or the information that is collected; once a person orders prescription drugs as well as products; the registration process of the company requests one to provide a limited amount of information that is personal or related to health (Anon: Walgreen (WAG) Drops CVS Caremark’s Drug Plan, 2010). This information is fundamental in executing an individual’s order and the website is utilized to accomplish functions such as the auto refills. The web server, in an automatic way, carries out the collection of click-stream information like the address of the website that a person visiting the company’s website came from just before the person visited the website.
A person or customer may make a choice to give out information that is personalized which will enable this person to obtain the customer service that is individualized which can not be offered to the customers that are not known. In line with this, those services that can be offered to the customers may encompass giving out information in regard to the updates to the company’s website, the email reminders, exchanging information with the company’s pharmacists, health content from the company’s website, the photo site utilization and health library (Anon: Walgreens feedback survey, 2010).
The company relies heavily on the information sourced from the clients in its provisions of services that meet the customers need. There is also measuring, evaluation and improvement of how effective the web sites of the company may be as well as the effectiveness of the company’s undertakings (Frederick, 2008).
The company uses cookies in their web site that enables them to remember about the customer’s preferences as well as the passwords and this serves to enable the customer to move in the company’s website without necessarily introducing him or herself once again. The firm applies both the cookie as well as the beacon technology to employ in tracking its pages along with those used by visitors. The cookies make it possible to record information of the session (Anon: Walgreens – a strategic analysis, N.d).
More so, the website of the Walgreens Company makes use of the third-party- service provider (in serving images). A service like this makes it possible to carry out improvements on the general customer experience. The firm contracts a service partner called ‘Omniture’ to enhance its effectiveness (both in measuring and promotion). This also allows the performance of the analysis of the activities of the customers on the company’s web site (Walgreens.com). This information is in turn used by the company to carry out the improvement of the customer’s shopping experience on its website by making sure that the products that are related as well as promotions and services are accessed in the easiest way possible (Anon: Walgreens – a strategic analysis, N.d).
According to Merrill (2010), the Walgreen Company is currently making addition of live chats with pharmacists among other features to its website. This will enable getting the people who engage in shopping to spend more money as well as time online line and in the company’s drugstores. Merrill (2010) goes ahead to point out that “upgrades, such as express refills and an iPhone application have been added this year and more are planned” (Para 2).
In the meantime, the company faces stiff competition from Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which is the retail giant that engage in the sale of similar products to those offered by the firm. The smaller sites that are behind Walgreen like drugstore.com and Alice.com engage in selling household items and vital toiletries (that are normally offered as free products to those clients who shop at the company). As on one hand Walgreen puts focus on wellness and health, on the other hand it is as well carrying out a greater drive online in the general commodities.
According to Mullis (2006), as on one hand Walgreens is the market leader in several levels, on the other hand this company trails CVS in terms of the number of stores. In looking at Drugstore, the objective of Drugstore.com has turn out to be a leader in retailing of health, wellness and pharmacy products. The company is determined to launch a new store of health and beauty on the website of the retailer that is a leader which is Amazon.com (Anon, Walgreens – a strategic analysis, n.d). According to Anon (International shopping; drugstore, 2010), drugstore is the leading online health and beauty store in the United States of America.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis in this paper is that the company’s decision to provide internet for their product was the right decision and it has served to increase the company’s sales.
Methods section, Results and Recommendations
Basing on the literature that has been reviewed, which was collected from various sources in regard to the Website of Walgreens Company, it can be seen that the web site has served to bring up the level of the company’s sales. The company has been able to turn out to be a leader in terms of the website visits and in turn, this has served in enabling the company to stand at a higher level than other companies in the industry in terms of the sales.
The results that have been obtained from considering the information in regard to the Walgreens web site indicates that the company’s website plays a very important role in regard to the company’s performance. Having the customers being able to access information about the services as well as the products that are offered by the company has enabled the customers to obtain these products from the company in a much easier way.
More so, the company’s initiative to use the website to get the information about its customers and also being in a position to measure the effectiveness of their website and promotions they put in place has enabled the company to take the appropriate measures in carrying out improvement in the company’s operations to increase the level of the company’s performance. This performance could not have been realized to this level in the case where the company would not be having a website. However, due to the existing stiff competition the company needs to take some more measures in order to go on winning the competition in the market.
It is recommended that, for the Walgreens Company to continue winning the competition, it should engage in search engine marketing. This is a kind of internet marketing which is aimed at boosting websites and this is carried out by raising the level of visibility in the result pages of the search engines. This will enable this company to be able to access those customers who are not even aware of the products it offers to market but who may still be willing to purchase such products. The company needs to pay money to Google in order for it to facilitate this (search engine marketing). According to (Sherman, 2007), Google is the most popular search engine used by many people and using this as a marketing search engine will serve to capture many customers.
Sherman (200) indicates that search marketing is basically u8sed for two purposes. According to a survey that was carried out; business organizations established that 62 percent of the companies surveyed used marketing search engines for the purpose of branding. 60 percent of the companies indicated that the main objective was to sell the products. The top most choice by these organizations in regard to search engine marketing was direct sales which stood at 60 percent and this was followed by brand awareness that stood at 57 percent.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that, by the Walgreens Company setting up a website, this has served to enable the company to have access to a larger number of customers than before. However, the company needs to take some more measures to maintain the position of being a leading online company in the industry since it faces stiff competition from other companies in the industry. The appropriate measures to be taken here is engaging in search engine marketing that will enable the company to capture more customers and even increase the sales above the present level.
Reference List
- Anon, (2010). Frequently asked questions: Walgreens.
- Anon, (2010). International shopping; drugstore.
- Anon (2010). Walgreens.
- Anon, (N.d). Walgreens – a strategic analysis.
- Anon, (2010). Walgreen (WAG) Drops CVS Caremark’s Drug Plan. Web.
- Anon, (2010). Walgreens feedback survey. Web.
- Frederick, J. (2008). Amid changes, Walgreens retains deep leadership pool.
- Merrill, M. (2010). Walgreens updates web features to boost sales.
- Mullis, K. (2006). SWOT analysis of Walgreens in the competitive pharmacy marketplace.
- Sherman, C., (2007). The state of search engine marketing 2006.
- Walgreens Corporation. (2006). Walgreens historical highlights.