# Herbicare Practitioner Network (NZ) – Product Requirements Description

Herbicare Practitioner Network is a New Zealand-focused platform that connects people seeking natural health support with vetted practitioners, while giving practitioners a professional profile, lead-generation, resource, and referral ecosystem. It combines public practitioner discovery with a private membership portal to build trust, improve practitioner visibility, and create a scalable foundation for a future natural health operating system.

Business Goals

Validate practitioner demand by securing at least 5 founding practitioners and 20 applications within the first 90 days.
Generate 50 patient enquiries in the first 90 days and 1,000 enquiries within the first year.
Grow the practitioner network to 100 active practitioners within 12 months while maintaining quality standards.
Establish a recurring practitioner membership and referral revenue stream without launching a full marketplace in MVP.
Position Herbicare as New Zealand’s leading natural health practitioner network and future platform owner in the category.

User Goals

Help patients quickly find a trusted practitioner based on location, health goal, and consultation type.
Help practitioners increase visibility and attract new clients without relying solely on ads or social media.
Give practitioners access to useful patient education resources, product guidance, and compliance materials.
Create a trusted ecosystem where patients can connect natural health advice with relevant products and professional support.
Build a practitioner community that supports learning, referrals, and long-term professional growth.

Non-Goals

Building a full e-commerce marketplace in the MVP phase.
Allowing open public reviews and testimonials in Phase 1.
Creating a custom standalone SaaS or complex practitioner practice management system.
Automating medical diagnosis, treatment plans, or clinical decision-making.

Independent Naturopath (Sarah, 41, solo clinic owner, busy, referral-driven, digitally cautious) - Sarah runs her own clinic, gets most clients via word of mouth, and wants more consistent visibility without spending heavily on marketing.

Independent Naturopath (Sarah, 41, solo clinic owner, busy, referral-driven, digitally cautious)

As an independent naturopath, I want to create a professional profile with my specialties and booking link, so that potential clients can understand my services and contact me easily.
As an independent naturopath, I want to receive practitioner-only resources and product guides, so that I can educate patients consistently and save time creating handouts.
As an independent naturopath, I want to track referral commissions from Herbicare, so that I can earn additional income from recommending relevant products.

Health-Seeking Consumer (James, 34, research-focused, time-poor, online-first) - James wants natural support for stress and sleep, but he does not know which practitioner to trust or how to choose the right one.

Health-Seeking Consumer (James, 34, research-focused, time-poor, online-first)

As a health-seeking consumer, I want to search practitioners by health goal and location, so that I can quickly find someone relevant to my needs.
As a health-seeking consumer, I want to compare practitioner profiles with qualifications and consultation types, so that I can choose a practitioner with confidence.
As a health-seeking consumer, I want to submit an enquiry or request a consultation from a profile page, so that I can take action without leaving the platform.

Clinic Nutritionist (Aroha, 29, growing practice, community-oriented, tech-comfortable) - Aroha is building her brand, wants more inbound enquiries, and values education and networking opportunities.

Clinic Nutritionist (Aroha, 29, growing practice, community-oriented, tech-comfortable)

As a clinic nutritionist, I want to be featured in a practitioner directory by specialty and health goal, so that new clients can discover me through relevant searches.
As a clinic nutritionist, I want access to webinars and recorded educational content, so that I can keep learning and stay engaged with the Herbicare community.
As a clinic nutritionist, I want to participate in a practitioner-only community, so that I can share cases, build relationships, and increase professional visibility.

Practitioner Discovery Directory · High priority

A public-facing searchable directory that helps consumers find practitioners by need, location, and consultation preference.
Allow filtering by location, online consultation availability, specialty, and health goal.
Support search categories such as stress, sleep, gut health, weight management, women’s health, immunity, energy, and fatigue.
Display practitioner cards with name, photo, specialty tags, and consultation type.
Include SEO-friendly directory pages and indexable practitioner profile URLs.
Only show active and approved practitioners in public results.

Practitioner Profile Management · High priority

Structured practitioner profile pages that present credentials, services, and referral links in a consistent format.
Capture practitioner name, photo, qualifications, clinic/location, bio, areas of expertise, website, and booking link.
Allow practitioners or admins to link recommended Herbicare products to a profile.
Include membership tier and active status fields for internal management.
Support profile review and approval before publishing.
Permit editable profile updates while preserving publication controls.

Health Goal Matcher · High priority

A guided recommendation flow that asks consumers a small set of questions and returns a relevant practitioner shortlist.
Ask users about health goal, location, and online vs in-person preference.
Return ranked practitioner suggestions based on matching criteria.
Show clear match reasons such as specialty alignment and proximity.
Handle no-result cases by suggesting broader search terms or nearby online practitioners.
Track completion and drop-off across the matching funnel.

Practitioner Membership Portal · Medium priority

A protected portal for practitioners to access resources, referral data, and program updates.
Authenticate access using member-only permissions.
Display membership status, referral performance, resource updates, and webinar announcements on a dashboard.
Provide downloadable assets including handouts, product guides, educational content, and compliance resources.
Support role-based visibility for founders, active members, and admins.
Surface renewal or membership status changes inside the portal.

Referral Programme & Growth Enablement · Medium priority

Tools to track practitioner referrals and create a simple commission mechanism for early network growth.
Assign unique referral codes to each practitioner.
Track clicks, conversions, and commission eligibility associated with referral activity.
Show a referral dashboard with performance summaries and transaction history.
Support admin review of payout or commission rules.
Log referral attribution for future analytics and expansion.

Discovery and first-time onboarding

Consumers arrive via SEO, social links, Herbicare campaigns, or practitioner referrals.
Visitors can immediately search the directory or use the Health Goal Matcher without account creation.
Practitioners click a dedicated application page to apply as Founding Members.
If approved, practitioners receive access to a private portal with setup guidance and their dashboard.
Time to value target: consumers should reach relevant practitioner results in under 60 seconds; practitioners should understand portal value within 3 minutes of login.

1. Find or apply

A user enters the site and chooses between searching for a practitioner or applying as a practitioner.
Primary CTA buttons: Find a Practitioner and Become a Founding Practitioner.
If the user is a consumer, direct them to directory search or the matcher.
If the user is a practitioner, open an application form with minimal friction.
Validate required fields and show clear inline error messages for missing data.

2. Search or match

Consumers search by filters or answer guided questions to receive relevant practitioner options.
Show filters for location, online availability, specialty, and health goal.
Provide instant results where possible, with loading states for slower queries.
If no exact match exists, show closest alternatives and a prompt to broaden filters.
Ensure search results remain scannable with visual tags and concise summaries.

3. Review profiles

Consumers open a practitioner profile to assess suitability and next steps.
Display qualifications, bio, consultation types, booking link, and recommended products.
Use clear calls to action such as Book Consultation, Visit Website, or Send Enquiry.
If booking URLs are missing, allow a contact enquiry fallback.
Warn users when a profile is inactive or not currently accepting new clients.

4. Engage and convert

Consumers submit enquiries or leave the platform for booking, while practitioners receive corresponding visibility and attribution.
Log profile views and enquiry submissions for analytics.
Route enquiries to practitioner contact methods or platform inbox if enabled.
Track referrals by code when Herbicare products are purchased after a practitioner recommendation.
Confirm submission success with a clear thank-you state and expected follow-up guidance.

5. Member dashboard

Approved practitioners enter a protected dashboard to manage their membership benefits and activity.
Show referral performance, new resources, and webinar announcements on login.
Provide downloadable assets and member-only content sections.
Make it easy to update profile data or request admin support.
Display membership status clearly to reduce confusion and support renewals.

Advanced features and edge cases

Support future lead distribution rules based on specialty, location, and availability.
Allow practitioners to opt in or out of product recommendations and referral programmes.
Handle duplicate applications by matching email and clinic data.
Provide fallback messaging when no practitioners match a consumer’s request.
Allow future privacy controls for practitioners who want to hide phone numbers, booking links, or certain profile fields.

UI/UX principles

Trust-first design with clean layouts, professional photography, and visible practitioner credentials.
Mobile-first directory and profile pages optimized for fast scanning and quick actions.
Accessible contrast, keyboard navigation, semantic headings, and readable typography.
Fast-loading cards and search results with performance targets under 2 seconds for common interactions.
Clear separation between public consumer experiences and secure member-only tools.

Sarah is a naturopath in Auckland who has built a loyal base through referrals, but growth has become inconsistent. She hears about Herbicare Practitioner Network and joins as a founding practitioner, creating a polished profile that highlights her qualifications, areas of expertise, and booking link. Within days, her profile appears in searches for stress, sleep, and women’s health, giving her a professional presence she could not easily maintain on her own.

A new patient, James, is struggling with poor sleep and stress. Instead of browsing random search results, he uses the Health Goal Matcher to answer a few quick questions and is shown Sarah and two other suitable practitioners. He reviews Sarah’s profile, sees her consultation options and education focus, and submits an enquiry. Sarah receives a relevant lead, James gets connected to trusted care faster, and Herbicare strengthens the network effect between consumers, practitioners, and products. Over time, both sides benefit: Sarah gains visibility and recurring referral income, while Herbicare builds the foundation for a national natural health platform.

User-Centric Metrics

5 founding practitioners onboarded within the first 90 days.
20 practitioner applications submitted within the first 90 days.
50 patient enquiries generated in the first 90 days.
Directory-to-enquiry conversion rate above 5% for qualified visitors.
At least 40% of practitioners log into the portal monthly once onboarded.
Resource library engagement rate above 50% among active practitioners.

Business Metrics

100 practitioners active within the first year.
1,000 patient enquiries within the first year.
Launch and maintain an active referral programme with measurable attribution.
Achieve recurring practitioner membership participation and renewal momentum.
Position Herbicare as a recognized category leader in New Zealand natural health practitioner discovery.

Technical Metrics

Public search and profile pages load in under 2 seconds for 90% of requests.
Platform uptime of 99.5% or better for core directory and portal functions.
All sensitive practitioner and user data encrypted in transit and at rest.
Zero critical security incidents related to member access or referral tracking.

Tracking Plan

Track practitioner application started and application submitted events.
Track practitioner profile approved and profile published events.
Track directory search performed with filters used.
Track health goal matcher started, completed, and abandoned events.
Track practitioner profile viewed, enquiry submitted, and booking-link clicked events.
Track resource downloaded and webinar registration events.
Track referral code used and commission-qualified purchase events.

Technical Needs

Use Shopify as the base platform for commerce, content, and membership primitives.
Build custom modules for directory search, practitioner profiles, and health goal matching.
Use Shopify Metaobjects to store structured practitioner, resource, and webinar data.
Implement admin workflows for approving and publishing practitioner profiles.
Support responsive frontend components optimized for mobile and desktop discovery.
Provide secure member-only content access via Locksmith or equivalent gating.
Instrument event tracking for product analytics and funnel measurement.

Integration Points

Shopify storefront and backend content model.
Shopify Flow for automated status changes and operational workflows.
Locksmith for membership access control.
UpPromote for referral tracking and commission management.
Klaviyo for lifecycle emails, applications, webinar reminders, and member updates.

Data Storage & Privacy

Store practitioner profile and member data in structured, access-controlled records.
Encrypt all sensitive data in transit via HTTPS/TLS and at rest via platform security controls.
Limit public exposure to only fields approved for consumer visibility.
Provide consent-based communications and unsubscribe controls for marketing messages.
Design privacy handling to align with NZ privacy expectations and future GDPR/CCPA readiness.

Scalability & Performance

Keep the MVP lightweight and avoid custom SaaS complexity.
Design data models so practitioner records can scale from tens to hundreds without migration risk.
Use cached directory views and optimized image delivery for profile performance.
Monitor search latency, form completion rates, and portal access reliability as usage grows.

Potential Challenges

Practitioner adoption may be slow if the value proposition is unclear; solve this with a founding member program, interviews, and strong onboarding.
Directory quality could suffer if profiles are incomplete; solve with profile approval gates and mandatory minimum fields.
Lead matching may feel too simplistic early on; start with rule-based matching before moving to smarter ranking.
Referral commission complexity could create operational overhead; use simple rules and clear attribution logic first.
The MVP may drift toward a marketplace too early; keep the initial product focused on discovery, membership, and trust-building.

Business Idea

# Herbicare Practitioner Network (NZ) – Product Requirements Description ## Business Overview I run Herbicare.co.nz, a New Zealand-based natural health and supplement company focused on herbal and natural wellness products. I want to build a Practitioner Network Platform that connects three groups: 1. Patients seeking natural health support 2. Natural health practitioners (naturopaths, herbalists, nutritionists, wellness practitioners) 3. Herbicare products and future partner brands The long-term vision is to become the central operating system for New Zealand's natural health industry, similar to how ManageMyHealth serves traditional healthcare, but focused on natural health, wellness, supplements, practitioner referrals, education, and patient support. This is NOT a marketplace initially. We are validating demand and building practitioner relationships first. --- ## Target Users ### Primary Users Natural health practitioners in New Zealand: * Naturopaths * Medical herbalists * Nutritionists * Functional medicine practitioners * Wellness coaches * Integrative health practitioners Most are small business owners operating independently or in small clinics. ### Secondary Users Consumers looking for: * Stress support * Sleep support * Gut health support * Weight management * Women's health support * Immunity support * Energy and fatigue support --- ## Business Problem Practitioners face several challenges: * Finding new clients * Building visibility online * Managing patient education resources * Generating recurring income * Accessing practitioner-only pricing and resources Consumers struggle to: * Find trusted practitioners * Know which practitioner is right for them * Access natural health guidance * Connect products with professional advice Herbicare wants to create a trusted ecosystem connecting patients, practitioners, and products. --- ## Product Vision Create a public-facing practitioner discovery platform combined with a practitioner membership portal. Patients can: * Search for practitioners * Browse practitioner profiles * Find practitioners by health goal * Submit enquiries * Request consultations Practitioners can: * Create professional profiles * Receive patient enquiries * Access practitioner pricing * Access resource libraries * Participate in webinars * Earn referral commissions * Become part of a practitioner community --- ## Phase 1 MVP (First 5–20 Practitioners) Goal: Validate practitioner demand before building advanced features. ### Public Features #### Find a Practitioner Directory Patients can search practitioners by: * Location * Online consultation * Specialty * Health goal Examples: * Stress & Anxiety * Sleep * Gut Health * Weight Management * Women's Health * Immunity * Energy & Fatigue --- #### Practitioner Profile Pages Each practitioner profile includes: * Photo * Name * Qualifications * Location * Bio * Areas of expertise * Consultation types * Website link * Booking link * Recommended Herbicare products --- #### Health Goal Matcher Patients answer simple questions: * What is your health goal? * Location? * Online or in-person? The platform recommends suitable practitioners. --- #### Practitioner Application Page Practitioners can apply to become Founding Members. Application fields: * Name * Clinic * Qualification * Website * Location * Areas of expertise --- ### Practitioner Portal Protected by membership access. Features: #### Resource Library Downloadable: * Patient handouts * Product guides * Educational resources * Compliance resources --- #### Referral Programme Practitioners receive: * Unique referral code * Commission tracking * Referral dashboard --- #### Practitioner Dashboard Displays: * Membership status * Referral performance * Resource updates * Webinar announcements --- ## Phase 2 (20–100 Practitioners) ### Patient Lead Generation Patients submit health enquiries. Platform distributes leads to practitioners based on: * Specialty * Location * Availability --- ### Webinar Centre Practitioners access: * Live webinars * Recorded webinars * CPD-style educational content --- ### Reviews and Testimonials Patients can leave feedback and ratings for practitioners. --- ### Community Features Practitioner-only community including: * Discussion groups * Case discussions * Networking opportunities * Practitioner spotlights --- ## Phase 3 (100+ Practitioners) ### Multi-Brand Ecosystem Introduce carefully selected complementary brands. Examples: * Probiotics * Magnesium * Omega products * Functional testing providers Practitioners gain access to a broader catalogue while Herbicare remains the platform owner. --- ### Advanced Lead Distribution Smart matching engine for: * Practitioner expertise * Patient goals * Location * Availability --- ## Phase 4 (Industry Platform) Long-term vision: Become New Zealand's Natural Health Operating System. Features may include: * Multi-brand marketplace * Education portal * CPD tracking * Events * AI-powered practitioner tools * Industry directory * Referral network * Practitioner marketing tools --- ## Technical Requirements ### Platform Shopify-based architecture. Use: * Shopify * Shopify Metaobjects * Shopify Flow * Locksmith * UpPromote * Klaviyo Avoid building a custom SaaS initially. --- ### Custom Features Build custom modules for: 1. Practitioner Directory 2. Practitioner Profiles 3. Health Goal Matcher These are the platform's unique differentiators. --- ### Data Structure Practitioner Profile: * Name * Photo * Location * Bio * Specialties * Consultation Type * Booking URL * Membership Tier * Active Status Resource Item: * Title * Category * Description * Download URL Webinar: * Title * Presenter * Date * Recording URL * Educational Credits --- ## Success Metrics ### First 90 Days * 5 Founding Practitioners * 10 Practitioner Interviews * 20 Practitioner Applications * 50 Patient Enquiries ### First Year * 100 Practitioners * 1,000 Patient Enquiries * Active Referral Programme * Monthly Educational Webinars --- ## Business Goals Short-Term: Validate practitioner demand and build practitioner relationships. Mid-Term: Create New Zealand's leading practitioner referral and resource network. Long-Term: Become the central platform connecting natural health practitioners, consumers, brands, education providers, and wellness services across New Zealand.

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