Consumer-focused website seeks supplement suppliers
being encouraged to add their product to a website-based brand
database, where consumers can compare and contrast the suppplements
on offer.
The website was set up by the supplement industry veteran Sam Knoll, who said he felt there was a need for consumers to have greater clarity about supplements and other health and nutrition issues.
At the moment, Knoll told NutraIngredientsUSA.com that there were about 100 suppliers in his brands database - mainly larger companies that he had contacted through trade shows and other industry events.
These are early days for the site - which in addition to the database offers, for instance, editorial about health and nutrition, a section dealing with the possible interactions betwen supplements and prescription drugs and healthy receipes - and at the moment it only has around 100 subscribers. Knoll, however, hopes to increase this to between 10,000-15,000 in the next few years.
That sounds like a reasonable number of potential supplements buyers, and while there is no bias coverage of products, the brand database compares products by price, which may reflect poorly on those at the more expensive end of the market, though obviously not all consumers will plump for the cheapest option.
The website accepts no advertising and suppliers can be included at no cost. Knoll wants to concentrate on mainstream supplements.
"We have avoided things like diet products that are harder to compare and have less science behind them, and have not put a great emphasis on diet products," he said.
Now the site is up and running - it was launched softly about two months ago - Knoll and his team will concentrate on marketing the site mainly through search engines, banner advertising and the media.
If supplement companies are interested in being listed on the site, they should contact Sam at Sam@MyVitaminGuide.com or call him on 757-425-7425, EST.
