The eyecare patient journey is evolving, and customers are no longer choosing a practice based solely on how close they are to it. When we think of our own business, for example, we focus not just on “why” people seek us out, but “how” people find us in the first place. It’s essential to our success that we consider the multiple steps taken on the customer journey, and the same goes for your optical practice. Optician marketing now needs to account for multiple online touchpoints to stand out in the crowd. This includes customers searching online, comparing services between you and your competitors, online reviews of your business, and the overall convenience your practice offers before they even bother to show up in person.
Your eyecare business can and should be discoverable through a range of different methods, and this comes from having a strong online presence. Whether it’s showing up on the first page of results on search engines like Google or Bing, connecting with new and existing customers using social media channels, or sending timely appointment reminders via email or SMS, there are a multitude of ways for you to meaningfully engage with your patients using online tools.
OptiCommerce is the leading provider of websites and digital marketing solutions to the optical sector since 2008. We know what works, what doesn’t, and how to support practices exactly like yours. Over the years, we have seen so many opticians boost their overall revenue and increase patient footfall once their new OptiCommerce website has gone live. An optical-specific website, backed by an expert-led digital marketing strategy, has helped hundreds of our clients stand out above their competitors. Think of your online presence as your digital shopfront. If you can see the value in having your physical store renovated with a new fit-out, you should understand the value in having a visible online presence that attracts more customers.
Why Modern Opticians Need Marketing Support
We get it – most eyecare professionals are focused on the clinical care your practice offers and trying to run your business effectively. Having a strong online presence requires significant time, not just to execute, but to understand in the first place. The internet is constantly evolving and so is the way customers interact with you online. It is, quite literally, a full-time job in itself to understand how best to optimise an online store, what the latest trends on TikTok are or what changes Google are implementing to paid search. You can’t, and shouldn’t, be expected to master your online presence alone while being the best optometrist in your area.
Independent opticians face a huge challenge in keeping up with larger eyewear retailers. The average customer may not be familiar with your practice’s unique selling points, and without online visibility, they may never know. eCommerce sales also account for a significant portion of eyewear purchases nowadays, and larger chains know this. You aren’t just competing locally, but online too. This is where our team can support you with dedicated optician marketing. Whether you want to attract high-value frame wearers or increase dry-eye appointment bookings, we want to help you future-proof your eyecare business.
One of the key benefits of using OptiCommerce is our ability to benchmark success. Because we’ve been around so long, we already have the data and the insight. This includes the best keywords to have your website appear in search results with ease, best digital advertising strategies for campaigns that have been a/b tested, optimal website design improvement to the user experience and user interface, the list goes on. Beginning a partnership with OptiCommerce means having a team of experts at your disposal – a team who have learnt from success, adapted from their trial-and-error, and combined both to help you achieve your goals online and beyond.
Your Local SEO Advantage
For any eyecare business, local SEO is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies we can help you take advantage of. Your Google Business Profile (GBP) plays a huge part in how your practice appears in local search results. A very common term customers might search for could be “opticians near me” or “eye test in [your area]”, and your GBP is going to help Google determine whether you’re featured in the Google Map Pack. This means having your GBP optimised in a variety of ways, such as up-to-date opening hours, but also listing your services and posting recent photos of your store. All of these actions send a clear signal to Google that your business is worth showcasing, and this helps us boost your online visibility to customers.
According to LoopEx, when customers see a business with a complete Google Business Profile, they are:
- 2.7 times more likely to trust you
- 70% more likely to visit your website
- 50% more likely to make a purchase
Online reviews can really sway someone’s decision before even engaging with a business, because we trust public opinion and other people’s lived experiences. Practices with more positive reviews are far more likely to rank higher in Google and, ultimately, receive a higher volume of enquiries as a result. We have tools that have helped practices with a relatively low number of reviews turn things around and consistently bring reviews in on a daily basis. The combination of a strong GBP, positive reviews, and a well-placed map listing can dramatically increase footfall and bookings.
Another factor that can boost your local SEO is making sure your practice’s details are listed consistently across different online directories. Local citations such as NHS directories, Yelp, Yell, and other healthcare-specific platforms help reinforce your practice’s credibility. The result is that you appear more trustworthy, which helps Google validate your business as legitimate. Inconsistencies with details like practice name, address, or phone number can damage your local SEO performance, so keeping these up to date is important if you want to build trust with your patients and search engines. OptiCommerce has a specific tool we call ‘Listing Manager’, which has helped hundreds of practices improve their online visibility and increase their local SEO results.
Running Smart Paid Campaigns
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising through Google Ads lets ECPs appear instantly for something we refer to as “high-intent search queries”. Whether someone is looking for an “eye test in [your city]” or “children’s glasses near me”, Google Ads lets our team place your practice front and centre of your customer’s search results. Google ad campaigns can be targeted by location, device type, age group, and even time of day. This means we can be very strategic with your budget, as we only target the kind of customer you want.
Most of us are on social media, but not everyone understands just how powerful a tool it can be for business. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram (which are now under Meta) offer eyecare practices the chance to build awareness and promote their brand. Having a paid Meta Ads strategy enables us to place your practice directly in front of targeted audiences by using visually striking content. This is perfect for showcasing your latest range of frames, sharing practice updates, or running promotional events. Retargeting ads are an additional step we can implement to re-engage customers who have already visited your website but didn’t convert, bringing them back when they’re ready to book an appointment or purchase eyewear.
Display ads help us highlight your seasonal offers, unique independent services, or premium range of frames and eyewear. Advertise success-proven promotions like 2-for-1 glasses or discounts on contact lenses. Google Shopping ads are a fantastic way to showcase specific products with images and prices directly in the search results too. Our team understand the value of paid advertising in the optical industry and has the expertise to execute campaigns for your practice that generate both results and revenue.
A Website That Works Harder
Think about how often you look at your phone throughout the day. Now imagine landing on a website that doesn’t load properly on your mobile. It’s very likely you will exit that site and go to the next one in your search results. The same is true for an optical website, and in 2025, it’s imperative that we create mobile-first website designs. What constitutes being ‘mobile-friendly’, you might ask? Quick loading times, intuitive user navigation, and a display that adapts for smaller screen sizes.
Your website should make it easy for your customers to take the next step. Whether they’re booking an appointment or enquiring about a product or service you offer, these calls to action should be prominent and clear to the eye. Integrated booking tools and clear contact forms are some of the tools we implement when designing websites, which helps us reduce the amount of website visitors who drop-off and instead encourage immediate actions or conversions.
As we’ve already established, your website acts as the virtual window to your physical store. Your site should reflect the professionalism and level of care that your practice offers. By incorporating accessibility features like readable fonts, high-contrast colours, and compatibility with screen readers, we can help ensure that all of your customers can navigate your site with ease and comfort. Patient testimonials, regulatory accreditations, and clear privacy policies are things we consider to act as trust signals, reassuring potential patients and increasing conversions.
Social Media That Builds Loyalty
Social media can act as a marketing tool, but it also allows your business to build a community. If you’re posting regular content that’s relevant to your customers, they are far more likely to engage with your business. Some content ideas we often encourage are behind-the-scenes stories at your practice, educational eyecare trips, new launches in your range of frames, or even promotional offers.
Emma Porter, Senior Marketing Executive at OptiCommerce, shared some insights on social media content she has created for one of our clients.
“For independent practices, personalised content is always going to perform the best. People like real-life, real-person interactions, especially from a health care provider.
Content like practice updates, competitions, charity events and showcasing new eyewear performs incredibly well, and is well received by the local community. Here we can see that a competition post with a fundraising link received 2,768 views, reached 1,100 accounts with 18 interactions and 21 link clicks. “
We can see that social media isn’t always inherently about selling online, but it does support the customer journey by establishing a sense of trust between you and your customer, which will make them more likely to engage with you and buy at some point. It’s important you vary the type of content you are posting, though. When it comes to Facebook and Instagram, for example, you should be posting stories, photo collections, graphics and video reels to keep things fresh.
Email Marketing for Patient Retention
Email marketing is still one of the most effective tools for reaching your patients and encouraging repeat visits. For an eyecare business, this means sending timely reminder emails to your patients to let them know when their next eye test is due. It also allows you to promote offers and services to existing customers who may have not have known otherwise.
When creating strong-performing email communications, there are a few things we want to consider. The open rate is influenced by the subject line, so this let’s us know if it caught their attention without having clicked into it. The content of the email itself – is it worth their time? Is the update you’re sending relevant to your audience?
We also look at the click-through-rate, which can tell us how valuable the content was to your customers and if any particular call-to-action was more effective than another. We have seen particular success with some clients running email campaigns around holiday promotions, such as Christmas or Black Friday flash sales.
According to Paubox, a healthcare marketing agency, the average open rate for healthcare-related emails is 41.23%, which is quite high. They also found that Tuesdays are the most effective day for email engagement, and that emails sent between 8-10 am and 3-4 pm are the highest-performing.
Patient Communication & Automation
Convenience is a huge part of the modern customer journey. Having an automated booking system integrated into your website allows patients to schedule appointments online, choosing slots based on real-time availability, which means it suits both you and them. This optical-specific website feature reduces the level of admin put on staff trying to coordinate calendar availability, and provides seamless flexibility for patients. Combining this with SMS or email appointment reminders ensures you reduce the likelihood of no-shows, which maximises appointment efficiency in practice.
According to SAP Emarsys, 51% of consumers actually appreciate getting SMS marketing as they consider it to be a useful way to get information from brands and companies. SMS messages also have a 98% open rate, with 90% of messages being opened within the first three minutes of them being opened.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms, such as Salesforce or Hubspot, help us accurately track and manage every patient touchpoint for you, from initial booking enquiries to ongoing aftercare and follow-up appointments. Having the customer journey mapped out in a CRM workflow ensures that every stage, from booking to consultation, follow-up and recall, is handled consistently and professionally. When you partner with OptiCommerce, this automation will be put in place so you can focus on delivering a personalised experience for patients without the manual effort.
Your Optical eCommerce Opportunity
The average customer has grown more comfortable shopping online nowadays, and that includes eyewear. According to Statista, the United Kingdom has the most advanced eCommerce market in Europe. *In 2024, the country had nearly 60 million eCommerce users, leaving only a minority of the population as non-digital buyers.
Offering an online catalogue gives patients the chance to browse your range of frames, lenses, and accessories from the comfort of their own homes.
Whether you offer full eCommerce functionality or a “browse and reserve in store” catalogue option, having your products visible online sets you apart from competitors who don’t. OptiCommerce’s solutions ensure that when you list products, it’s your website that ranks in search engines – not generic product pages on Shopify or other large eCommerce platforms.
Optical-specific tools like Fitting Box, virtual try-on software we use on our websites, make the online shopping experience engaging and interactive for your customers. Patients can see how different styles look on their face before even stepping foot outside and visiting your practice, which increases their confidence in your business and overall satisfaction. For returning patients and customers, offering the ability to reorder their contact lenses or accessories online adds convenience and drives repeat sales, which boosts overall revenue.
Optical eCommerce doesn’t need to replace the physical experience of visiting your store, it can certainly support it and exist alongside it as an additional stream of revenue for your business. Allowing your patients to save their favourite products online to then try them on in person in practice is a comprehensive way of covering the customer journey touchpoints.
Tracking Performance & ROI
An effective optician marketing strategy is only as strong as the data backing it up. OptiCommerce has the capability to provide visual dashboards for you, showing key performance metrics such as website traffic, leads generated, cost-per-click, conversions and much more. It’s important for us to work with you as a partner, and this means ensuring you understand what’s working, where your budget is going, and what we’ve adapted to ensure your online performance is maximised.
Lead attribution means we know what specific marketing efforts are driving appointments and sales. Did your last patient find you through Google using the SEO optimised content on your website, or perhaps a click from one of your current Facebook ad campaigns? Are recall emails or social media posts delivering more value? We put proper tracking in place which let’s us pinpoint the return on each campaign and optimise accordingly.
Understanding your average cost per appointment booking helps us guide budgeting decisions. We will help you set realistic goals based on your local competition and industry trends, but also the wealth of experience we have in budget management. This means you can invest in your campaigns with confidence, knowing that your campaigns are both effective and efficient. By tracking and refining over time, we maximise every pound spent on your optician marketing strategy.
Why OptiCommerce?
As a recognized Google Partner, we employ advanced digital strategies to help optical businesses thrive online. The team includes many with eyecare backgrounds, providing a deep understanding of patient care and industry-specific challenges.
Whether you’re an optometrist who wants to increase bookings or an optician looking to sell frames online, we have a range of website, eCommerce and digital marketing solutions to help you achieve your goals and boost your revenue online.
Empower your eyecare business with a custom-built site to meet the needs of your eyecare business. Showcase your offerings with an online storefront. Enable patients to learn about what services you offer. Allow customers to browse your full range of frames and book appointments anytime, anywhere. Embrace eCommerce to expand your reach and provide a convenient and seamless shopping experience for your customers, drive revenue and enhance overall patient satisfaction.
Book a free optician marketing consultation or request a demo today
Ready to grow your eyecare business? Contact the OptiCommerce team for a no-obligation consultation. We’ll review your current online presence and show you how we can help increase patient bookings, online sales and long-term revenue.
