paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel.
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
Effective communication and online presence play vital roles in becoming successful. From sparking interest in your products to establishing trust in the market, from fostering collaborations to educating on the innovations without compromising secrets, from improving conversion rates to adding a competitive edge, refining your communication strategy can unlock a wealth of opportunities. But communication goes beyond copywriting. Website optimization, colors, distribution channels - all play a role in pushing your brand forward.
Websites in biotech and life sciences aren't just mandatory. They're an investment meant to yield returns. Unfortunately, I see many sites failing to justify the money, time, and effort spent on them.
So what makes a good website? A good one generates:
To be more than a mere expense, a website's content and CTAs should lead to:
In essence, every component should attract people to your brand. It can be through a click, a download, or a meaningful connection.
I've found that biotech websites often fall into the trap of trying to convey everything at once. And it's natural to share all the benefits upfront. Yet, I've noticed this can lead to visitor paralysis rather than informed decisions. Transparency isn't about laying all your cards on the table immediately. It's about not concealing them. It's a delicate dance of revealing information at the right time in the customer journey.
Try to understand your audience better. What are their motivations? What questions do they have at each stage? The common stages are: awareness, consideration, decision and after purchase . Grow understanding gradually. Familiarity breeds preference. That's called a "Mere exposure effect."
For a biotech website, a home page is an entry point. It offers introductory information that piques interest and invites exploration. Where would you include more technical aspects of the product? Or science that went into developing it? On the technology or product pages. By this time visitors are usually further along in their journey. They will be looking for details. "A curiosity effect" is at play here. Thus, they can delve into the complexities. This approach provides information when the visitors are ready to receive it.
What about other touchpoints? For presentations, chunk information. It's about guiding the audience through a thought process, slide by slide. For materials like flyers and white papers, consider the audience segment. Each segment will have its level of education on the topic. Tailor content to it.
For biotech websites, it might be tempting to want to impress. So you may want to include some cool animations and interactive infographics. But here's the thing: they can cause some nasty hiccups in comprehension and marketing. Heavy assets like these slow down website load times. They also interrupt the seamless flow of information. This buffering is a bottleneck that hinders comprehension. Aside from that, search engines also flag those sites for poor user experience.
For those keen on using videos, embed explainer videos. Yet, the appropriate use of heavier assets tends to be outside the website:
As for your website? Keep it slick, fast, and to the point. Let it be the place where your info flows uninterrupted and your message gets across loud and clear.
Tough one, I'm not going to lie. On one hand, there are privacy concerns. On another, nothing makes the idea more trustworthy than seeing it being in use by real people.
Many resources say that anonymous social proof will harm your brand. But it may serve a different purpose here. Usually, social proof shows who and how many people love the product. In return, it signals the quality of the offer. But with novel solutions, the question to address is different: has anyone even used it and is it safe? As a customer, I'm looking if anyone is using to assess if it is safe to use. Social proof signals safety, not quality.
So, how to include social proof without violating customer trust and privacy?
Biosensor and analytics platform, first-in-class therapeutics, treatments for genetic disorders, precision medicine, protein-based immunotherapies - you name it. There is no end to drug discovery pioneers and therapeutics revolutionists. And all have clear labels of what they do and barely any notion of how they do it.
Why does the how play such a crucial role?
To start with, it grounds the mission in reality.
In the sea of cutting-edge and state-of-the-art technologies, how is your differentiator. A concise explanation of your approach transforms your vision into an actionable plan. It also suggests reliability. Trustworthiness matters in a cluster of optimistic promises and sometimes unproven concepts.
Moreover, in an industry shrouded in secrecy, sharing a glimpse of your method sets you apart.
What is a better way to differentiate yourself than to do what no one else does? How about opening a curtain on a method or technology? Your biotech company doesn't even have to reveal trade secrets. A simple outline of your approach can showcase your uniqueness.
To help you articulate your how, think of these two prompts:
Biotech companies and drug discovery businesses are all pioneers at some point. Even a brief competitive analysis will show the sameness of biotech brand messaging.
Terms like "first-in-class," "revolutionizing," “innovative,” and "cutting-edge" sound impressive but non-descriptive. These buzzwords can inflate discussions without improving understanding. Besides, they pigeonhole your ability to compete into being the first to create a new drug. Yet, the startup competitive landscape thrives on progress. Which often requires a biotech product that is better rather than the first.
So, how can you still make a powerful impression in the biotech sector?
Transform your adjectives into verbs. Verbs imply actions. They make things tangible and trustworthy. Upgrade pioneer, revolutionize, and innovate from mere descriptors to calls to action.
"Choosing the right verb gives depth to your writing. Verbs power your sentences, so make sure they're supercharged, strong, and specific... Adverbs, on the other hand, seldom do much for your sentence...Adjectives, too, are often unnecessary. Nouns are wonderfully resonant in and of themselves. Then there are qualifiers, which are like water in vodka - they dilute its strength," - William Zinsser, "On Writing Well"
Clarify. For example, "revolutionize" has many interpretations. Asking your target audience to revolutionize their workflows can feel out of reach. Is there a more effective approach? Yes, tell exactly what your audience gets from working with your business. Here's a helpful trick:
Most resources suggest to avoid jargon. I think it's more about knowing when to use it.
Consider the following:
Websites often serve as the first touchpoint and main educator. Here clarity is paramount. The home page should remain jargon-free. Reserve the technical details for deeper, specialized pages. Aim for not more than 10-15% of jargon throughout the site. Remember, people Google their problems, not drug names. So your language better include jobs-to-be-done and benefits to rank better on Google.
Silent marketing materials such as flyers should aim for accessibility. So keep jargon to a minimum. Design flyers and trifolds for scanning. Conversely, white papers and case studies can accommodate more specialized language. Why? Readers expect to invest time to explore those materials. So they have more attention span.
However, conferences or webinars usually rotate around a specific and niche topic. So jargon becomes more acceptable and expected.
The guiding principle? The more engaged and knowledgeable the audience, the more appropriate the jargon is.
In short, drop headings like “Our science”, “Our product” or “About us”. They harm your website's searchability and conversion rates. How?
To begin with, Headings 1 and 2 are important markers for search engines. They help categorize and rank content.
Also, vague headings like "Our science" provide little context for the reader. Yes, they state you work in science, but what science? Data science, life science, or pseudoscience. These titles don't help comprehension. And when comprehension is insufficient, the bounce rates go up.
Most visitors scan websites, focusing on prominent headers and often bypassing paragraphs. So you should strive to include the most insightful parts of your brand story in the headings. As a rule of thumb, aim for your target audience to get a clear idea of your business by only reading the headings.
To enjoy some SEO perks, use specific keywords in your digital marketing. Especially, pay attention to long-tail ones in prominent headings, like Heading 1 and 2.
"It's generally agreed that how you use headings doesn't specifically impact your SEO. Making minor tweaks to individual headings likely won't help your performance. However, there are indirect benefits. Using headings creates texts of higher quality that are easier to read. A better text is better for users, which is better for your SEO," - Yoast, “How to use headings on your site”
Instead, use "Our science," "Our product," and "About us" as labels above your headings. Choose Headings 5-6 for them. These will better facilitate user experience and assist Google's ranking algorithms. Both are said to eventually have a positive impact on sales conversion.
I've recently read a series of articles . The couple was trying to sign up for clinical trials as their last resort in fighting cancer.
Despite a shortage of participants, finding and signing up for a clinical trial is no easy task. The main problems are low searchability and the current design of enrollment processes. As a result, they offer little hope or choice to those eager for solutions.
Heartbreaking as it was, the writer, doubling as the patient, suggested a valuable insight. No website leveraged content or SEO in the biotech industry when it came to clinical trials.
“It would not be hard for trial sites to hire search engine optimization (SEO) specialists and target pages at keywords likely to be of interest to persons searching for clinical trials. It wouldn't be hard to bid on Google or Facebook ads targeting patients. To my knowledge, no trial sites do,” - writes Jake Seliger in his article “Puzzles about oncology and clinical trials.”
Rarely anyone provide information on trials in easy-to-understand language. Almost no one mentions how to qualify for them. Which on its own is a bottleneck in a customer experience. And no one does it with SEO. That sounds like an opportunity for an effective marketing strategy to me.
"In 2020, 41% of Americans reported not knowing anything about clinical trials.' - “Clinical trial Participation Among US Adults”, HINTS (The Health Information National Trends Survey)
While I haven't explored the legal side of this approach, the idea presents a dual win. One could provide vital help while driving more website traffic. And marketing teams like traffic. It provides data to estimate the interest. It also supports the proof of the concept.
So why not use SEO to 'hijack' the online presence of larger pharmaceutical sites? What a great industry trend would it be? How well would it align early-stage biotech companies' values with their success metrics?
The impact of color often precedes even the recognition of a logo. Terry Goldstein's sequence of cognition – colors, shapes, symbols, words – underlines this. Colors signal the status and state of a startup. It silently communicates messages before a single word.
The role of color as an interface is versatile. It's not only about aesthetics; it's about trust, user experience, and differentiation. A website stuck in the 90s color palette might signal outdatedness. Meanwhile, clean and elegant colors convey modernity and reliability.
Among the most common challenges are:
The book "The Senses: Design Beyond Vision" describes color as a way-finding element. It's not only about visual appeal; it's about guiding, understanding, and remembering. Colors enhance recognition and help in consuming information. For example, people with severe Alzheimer's respond better to brightly colored tableware. It aids their food intake. This shows how colors can be a passive guide. Color can provide direction and feedback, crucial for user interface and experience.
In biotech startups, striking the color balance can help develop better brand perception. It can become a step from blending in and standing out. The challenge lies in choosing a palette. A good one will serve both the business and the customer. It will reflect the innovative nature and meet your audience's expectations.
In short, why do we use color?
Khroma helps me quite often when looking for color combinations.
Social media strategy often takes a backseat. After all, who has time to share thoughts when there are so many fires to extinguish? Yet it's a powerful tool for building a presence and engaging with a wider audience. Here's how to leverage each social media platform:
It's worth thinking of social media as more than event and feature announcements. It's where you can build a community. It's where you can become a thought leader and an industry expert. It's where you can drive meaningful traffic to your site.
Podcasting is a growing powerhouse in content creation and content marketing. Like blogs and social media, they're potent for community building and brand engagement. It can also serve as an easy-to-consume educational resource.
In Biotech and Life Sciences, there is lack of accessible and narrative-driven content. When you're an insider (industry leader, startup, university) finding info is a no-brainer. But what about your wider audience outside of biotech industry? Those who dive in out of necessity? Like those seeking clinical trials? These are your potential users.
This gap is a missed opportunity for engaging potential customers. Hubspot reports that 68% of podcast subscribers pursue products mentioned in the episodes. Like blogs, podcasts are long-form content which is great for highlighting your science. Content in general boosts brand visibility. But long-form content can educate the target audience on biotech products. They're also perfect for networking through interviews.
One common mistake is focusing your marketing message on the fascinating technology.
The problem is that this isn't where the value lies. Remember, the essence of a startup is to uncover and solve neglected problems. It's about offering “a better way to do things." In return, this approach democratizes access to resources and services. Thus, making them more accessible and widespread. And this is where the value is for biotechnology industry.
The biotech product's value lies within commodifying the resource.
Product value = Capture resource + Commodify the resource
I'm going to wrap up here. The landscape of biotech messaging is ever-evolving. Staying ahead means refining and adapting your approach. Feel free to use these insights to transform your startup's communication. It's the details that turn good things into exceptional. Engage, enlighten, and inspire – your innovative solutions deserve no less.
Customer journey map by frog design
Customer journey mapping by Hubspot’s Growth-Driven Design
Coglode Cookbook — a deep dive into behavioral nudges
“On Writing Well” by William Zinsser, April 2016
“How to use headings on your site” by Yoast, October 2023
“Please be dying, but not too quickly, part 1: a clinical trial story” by Bess Stillman, October 2023
“Puzzles about oncology and clinical trials” by Jake Selinger, October 2023
“10 Trends and Statistics for Clinical Trials in 2023” by XTalks, May 2023
“Clinical trial Participation Among US Adults” by HINTS (The Health Information National Trends Survey), June 2022
Podcast episode “Mastering Brand Building in a Regulated World” with Terri Goldstein by JUST Branding
“The Senses: Design Beyond Vision” by Ellen Lupton and Andrea Lipps
“Blog vs. Podcast: Which Is the Best Choice for Your Business?” by Hubspot, April 2023
Geltor - ingredient producer for beauty and wellness with the help of biodesign
Nautilus Biotechnology - platform for analyzing and quantifying the human proteome.
Kynexis - precision therapeutics for treating schizophrenia
Forbion - venture capital firm that builds companies in life sciences.
Khroma — The AI color tool for designers
