With the London Biotechnology Show taking place this week, all eyes are on the future of innovation in life sciences. From breakthrough therapies to AI-driven diagnostics, the sector is evolving rapidly — but is the way biotech companies present themselves online keeping up?
As the London Biotechnology Show brings together everyone from biotech start-ups and scale-ups to investors, R&D institutions and pharma tech providers, it’s clear this sector thrives on innovation. But is that innovation always reflected in the way organisations present themselves online?
As a specialist digital agency working with biotech and pharmaceutical brands, I’ll be walking the exhibition floor, not just to see what’s new in science, but to observe how brands are choosing to communicate — through their booths, their messaging, and most critically, their digital platforms.
What I often find is this: companies with cutting-edge science are being let down by websites, content, SEO, and digital tools that feel 5–10 years behind.
And that matters. Here’s why.
1. Investors Are Judging You Online
In today’s funding environment, most investors form their first impressions before ever speaking to you — and often it’s your website doing the talking.
If your site is slow, clunky, unclear, or generic, it can sow doubt about your credibility, regardless of how good your science is.
A sharp digital presence doesn’t just “look good” — it communicates that you’re commercially aware, investor-ready and serious about growth.
2. HCPs and Partners Want Clarity, Not Clutter
For commercial-stage biotech companies or those with partnerships in the works, your website often becomes the hub for engaging HCPs, regulators, or global affiliates.
But many sites fail this audience by:
- Using vague or overly technical language
- Hiding key clinical or product information
- Offering a poor user experience, especially on mobile
In a sector that thrives on trust and clarity, this kind of digital confusion is a red flag. Your digital assets should make it easy for stakeholders to find what they need, fast.
3. Apps Are More Than Just a ‘Nice-to-Have’
We’re also seeing a growing appetite for custom mobile and web-based apps — not just for patients, but for internal training, HCP engagement, medical education, clinical trials and prescribing information.
Whether it’s an interactive SmPC viewer, an investor data room, or a companion tool for a digital therapeutic, biotech firms are starting to realise the strategic value of app-based tools to:
- Streamline engagement with key stakeholders
- Enhance regulatory compliance (e.g. QR code-based PI access)
- Provide real-time data insights that static PDFs and brochures simply can’t offer
If your competitors are building smarter tools and you’re not, it may become harder to maintain parity in future partnerships or procurement.
4. SEO Still Matters — Especially in a Complex, Niche Sector
Search engine optimisation (SEO) might not feel top of mind for biotech, but it should be.
HCPs, investors, journalists, potential partners and job candidates all use Google to research companies — especially outside of conferences. But traditional search is evolving rapidly.
Today, people increasingly turn to AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Google SGE (Search Generative Experience), Perplexity.ai, and other answer engines to gather insights, validate companies, or explore emerging science.
Strong SEO now means:
- Showing up not just in search results, but also in AI-powered summaries and chat outputs
- Structuring your content so it’s clear, crawlable, and answer-friendly
- Making sure your site speed, architecture, and metadata align with how modern tools digest and serve information
And for companies operating in regulated environments, SEO and compliance are not mutually exclusive — we’ve helped clients balance both successfully. Optimising for AI-enhanced search doesn’t require risky shortcuts; it requires clarity and relevance.
5. You’re Competing with Big Pharma (Digitally, Too)
Whether you like it or not, biotech firms are compared to global players — especially in investor decks and co-marketing discussions.
If your digital presence doesn’t reflect your innovation, scale of ambition, or progress, it becomes that much harder to stand out or be taken seriously.
A biotech brand’s digital ecosystem (website, content, apps, SEO, social presence) is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s part of your positioning.
6. Compliance Doesn’t Mean Boring
Many companies default to conservative, generic templates in the name of compliance — but being compliant doesn’t mean you can’t also be compelling.
We’ve helped brands navigate regulatory requirements while still producing engaging digital experiences that build trust and drive action. With the right digital partner, you can have both: creative impact and regulatory peace of mind.
7. Digital Isn’t Just for Marketing — It’s for Fundraising, Hiring and Partnering
In today’s biotech environment, your digital presence does more than market your product. It:
- Attracts talent
- Validates your pipeline
- Supports licensing or partnering conversations
- Amplifies PR and funding announcements
- Hosts prescribing materials and digital QR-based PI tool.
It’s a multi-use platform that should evolve as your company does. If it hasn’t been reviewed in the past 12–18 months, it’s probably already out of sync.
My Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a start-up pitching for Series A, a research institute commercialising IP, or a healthtech innovator supporting patient access — your digital presence plays a critical role in how seriously you’re taken.
If you’re attending the London Biotechnology Show this week and you already know your website, app strategy or marketing assets aren’t quite where they should be — consider this your prompt.
You don’t need a full rebrand or a huge budget to improve. You need clarity, strategy and a nimble team that understands your audience and your regulatory world.
At Genetic Digital, we’ve worked with biotech and pharma brands across the UK and Europe to deliver websites, SEO, digital tools, and app strategies that do exactly that. Whether you’re pre-revenue or scaling globally, we help ensure your digital presence grows with you.
If you’d like to sense-check your current approach, let’s have a quick chat. No hard sell — just some honest feedback from someone who’s been helping brands like yours for over 15 years.
I’ll be walking the show floor at ExCeL on Wednesday 18th June. If you’re there too, feel free to connect on LinkedIn or just say hello.
