The health and wellness industry continues to grow, and supplements are no exception. From vitamins to protein powders, selling supplements online can be a lucrative business. However, the industry’s regulatory requirements, marketing limitations, and customer expectations can make it challenging to launch a successful online store.
If you’re looking to sell supplements, choosing the right e-commerce platform is critical. Shopify’s restrictions on certain supplement categories can limit your business’s potential. BigCommerce, with its flexibility and robust feature set, is a superior choice for supplement sellers. In this guide, we’ll explore the unique challenges of selling supplements online and how my BigCommerce store launch services can help you build a compliant, scalable, and successful store.
Challenges of Selling Supplements Online
1. Regulatory Compliance
Supplements are subject to stringent regulations, including FDA labeling requirements, health claims restrictions, and ingredient limitations. Navigating these laws is essential to avoid penalties and build customer trust.
2. Payment Processing Restrictions
Many traditional payment processors categorize supplements as a high-risk industry due to the potential for chargebacks and regulatory scrutiny. This can make finding a reliable payment gateway challenging.
3. Marketing Restrictions
Google Ads, Facebook, and other platforms often have strict policies around advertising supplements, particularly for weight loss or performance-enhancing products. This limits paid advertising opportunities and requires alternative strategies.
4. Intense Competition
The supplement market is highly competitive, with large brands dominating search results and customer attention. Standing out requires a professional website and a well-thought-out marketing plan.
5. Brand Requirements
Some supplement brands require a consultation before they will allow a customer to purchase. Others have MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) pricing which can be difficult to manage without the right tools.
How BigCommerce Solves These Challenges
1. Compliance-Friendly Features
BigCommerce provides the flexibility to meet industry-specific compliance requirements, such as:
- Customizable product pages to include FDA-compliant labeling information.
- Space for third-party testing certificates or lab reports.
- Tools to display disclaimers and usage instructions prominently.
- Customer groups to control sales of specific brands to only authorized shoppers
2. High-Risk Payment Gateway Support
BigCommerce integrates with multiple payment processors that cater to high-risk industries, such as Authorize.Net, NMI, and USA ePay. This ensures your transactions are smooth and reliable, even for restricted product categories.
3. Advanced SEO and Content Marketing Tools
Given the restrictions on paid advertising, SEO and content marketing are vital for driving organic traffic. BigCommerce offers:
- SEO-friendly URLs, meta tags, and site architecture to improve search rankings.
- Built-in blogging tools for publishing educational content about supplements.
- Easy integration with email marketing platforms to nurture leads and boost retention.
- Integrations with loyalty and rewards apps to build a loyal customer base
4. Scalability and Performance
BigCommerce is designed to grow with your business. Its robust infrastructure ensures fast load times and a seamless shopping experience, even during high-traffic periods. This is crucial for standing out in the competitive supplements market.
5. Advanced Merchandising Tools
To make shopping easy, BigCommerce allows for extensive categories and subcategories, the ability to shop by brand and built-in product filters that enable customers to quickly find the product they want. Customer groups and customizable themes give supplement sellers the ability to restrict sales by brand to authorized customers only.
Why Work With Duck Soup E-Commerce?
Launching a successful supplement e-commerce store requires expertise in both web design and industry-specific challenges. I’ve worked with many supplement retailers over the last decade, and I understand the unique supplement landscape.
Here’s how I can help:
- Custom Store Design: I’ll create a professional, user-friendly website that showcases your brand and builds customer trust.
- Compliance Assistance: From disclaimers to MAP pricing, I’ll ensure your store meets all regulatory and brand requirements.
- Payment Gateway Setup: I’ll help you connect with payment processors that specialize in high-risk industries, ensuring seamless transactions.
- Marketing Strategy: I’ll advise on SEO best-practices, help implement email marketing automation and recommend apps to ensure you can attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back.
- Ongoing Support: Whether you need technical assistance or strategic advice, I’ll be there to help your store succeed beyond your launch date.
By leveraging my expertise and BigCommerce’s powerful platform, you can build a store that overcomes the challenges of selling supplements online.
Ready to Build Your Supplement Store?
Don’t be discouraged by the challenges of selling supplements online. With BigCommerce and my expert services, you can launch a compliant, scalable, and successful e-commerce supplement store.
Request a Quote today and start building your supplement business!