Special feature
healthcare providers were breached in the United Self-managed may be for you if:
States alone. The estimated cost to U.S. companies in • You want to be able to have complete control over the
2019 from hacks and ransomware was north of
$7.5 billion.
It is wise to assume that this trend will only gain
momentum.
look, feel, and operation of your e-commerce solution
• You are tying your e-commerce to other important
aspects of your business or marketing strategies
• You have the ability to maintain the platform, keep it
secure, manage its updates, and ensure inventory is
current and accurate
Protecting Customer & Patient
Personal Data A self-managed solution will have a higher initial cost of
Building on the cybersecurity component, healthcare implementation but may have lower long-term costs tied
businesses are required to take steps to protect their with running it compared to a fully managed solution.
customer and patient data. Instances where negligence
or ignorance resulted in personal information being
accessed can result in massive fines. Violations
of HIPAA - the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act - can reach $50,000 per record.
Marketing
Fully-Managed E-Commerce
If you choose to use a third-party to power your
e-commerce, such as Sightly, you are opting for a fully-
managed solution. Fully-managed solutions offer a
lower cost of entry compared to a self-managed option,
but also come with monthly pricing models and some
“If you build it, they will come”. restrictions on what you can/can’t do.
That may have been true back in the “wild wild west” Fully-managed is for you if:
days of e-commerce, but that is not necessarily the case • You aren’t interested in maintaining e-commerce
today. In a competitive landscape, marketing is key to
drive traffic to your e-commerce platform. There are a
myriad of ways you can do this, from in-office word of
hosting
• You don’t mind losing some flexibility with respect to
design or functionality
mouth to the digital marketing staples - pay-per-click • You want to get your feet wet before fully committing
and search engine optimization. • You want the ability to rely on experts to handle the
To realize a strong return on your e-commerce
technical parts of e-commerce
investment, you’ll need to also invest in marketing it. To E-Com or Not to E-Com?
Self-Managed or Fully-Managed
E-Commerce? E-commerce can be a powerful addition to your
There are two ways to run your e-commerce platform:
a self-managed solution, or a fully-managed solution.
Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and which
is best for you very much depends on your needs.
business, but it needs to be implemented properly
and in alignment with your larger business goals. It
is not an insignificant investment, but with the right
strategy, it is one that can be a game-changer for your
business. OP
Self-Managed E-Commerce
If you are hosting your own e-commerce solution - such
as using WooCommerce connected to your WordPress
website - you are using a self-managed solution. Self-
managed solutions are very powerful from a technical
point of view and afford you total control over your
e-commerce platform.
Cameron Martel is an experienced digital marketer,
managing SEO and content campaigns since 2005.
He currently works with dozens of eye care practices
through his work with Marketing4ECPs. Cameron
can be reached at www.marketing4ecps.com or
[email protected].
Optical Prism | April 2020 35