4 Ways Eye Care Brands and Retailers Can Stand Out Online
Access to eye care has become easier in the digital age thanks to online retailers providing products and services that help preserve vision. According to a Grand View Research market report, the rise of e-commerce platforms has greatly contributed to the growth of the global eyewear industry. However, with more eye care brands shifting to online platforms, strategies that can help them stand out have become crucial.
A Forbes article reported that 72% of consumers say that a badly designed website can affect their perception of a business, thus underscoring the need for an effective site. After all, a user-friendly website can help attract customers and may even lead them to avail your products and services. In our previous post, we mentioned key elements that can help enhance a health and wellness site, including simple navigation, responsive design, and engaging visuals. But what other strategies can work for eye care brands and retailers? Here are 4 ways that can help you stand out online:
Include valuable and digestible information
According to BusinessDIT, 87% of online consumers regard product information as crucial in their buying decisions, which is why it’s important to include informative content like product descriptions, shopping guides, and eye care tips to engage more customers. To help you attract site visitors, you can try mimicking the eyeglasses page of eyewear retailer Eyebuydirect, which provides useful product information on models like the Oakley Overhead and Moringa glasses. Its website also provides other valuable insights, such as guides with eye care tips to help you clean and take care of your eyeglasses. This content is digestible and straightforward and helps establish Eyebuydirect as an expert in its niche and attract more customers.
Besides descriptions on individual product pages, Eyebuydirect has also included a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section at the bottom of its website. These FAQs are concise but informative, highlighting aspects such as affordability that are particularly relevant for Eyebuydirect’s Gen Z audience. In addition, the website also includes information about shipping and fit and style guarantees that are immediately visible to potential buyers scrolling through the page.
According to an Archival survey, 66% of Gen Z shoppers prefer doing some research before purchasing, and providing them with similarly accessible information on your website can help them kickstart the process of delving deeper into your products. Eyebuydirect is able to use this information to highlight its affordable and trendy eyewear options and better cater to its Gen Z consumer base, making studying and comparing products much easier for customers – something that Gen Z values, as mentioned in Archival’s survey results. You can take inspiration from this approach to help you establish informative, customer-friendly branding that caters to the market and emerging needs of Gen Z consumers.
Incorporate innovative tech tools like virtual try-ons
To help your website stand out, you can incorporate emerging technologies, such as virtual try-ons that are powered by augmented reality. These try-ons are an interactive experience that combines virtual perceptual information with the physical environment. Adding virtual try-ons to your eye care website lets site visitors digitally fit frames from their homes, increasing convenience and engagement. Warby Parker and Fashion Eyewear, for instance, allow their site visitors to virtually try different eyewear, from specs to shades. Including a virtual try-on feature in your online retail shop can set you apart from other eye care brands, especially since you’re providing an engaging shopping experience. This can also help customers decide on which glasses are perfect for their face shape before making a purchase.
When you incorporate emerging technologies like virtual try-ons into your website, you’re also creating an innovative image that can make you stand out from other eye care brands or retailers. According to research published in Data and Information Management, virtual try-on technology can help improve product visibility and encourage online sales. Enhanced visibility and sales growth can help you tie in your brand or identity with innovation and game-changing tech. This approach can also help you improve customer experience since allowing site visitors to see how an eyewear product looks makes shopping online more convenient for them and means that they don’t have to worry about making purchases that may not match their aesthetics. Ultimately, leveraging virtual try-on tech can help curate your image as a brand that’s committed to innovation, which is important in meeting the ever-changing consumer needs in the digital age.
Display product reviews and testimonials
According to a BrightLocal survey, 93% of customers say that online reviews affect their purchasing decisions, while 91% trust online reviews like product recommendations. Customer feedback and testimonials are crucial aspects of your website, as these reviews enable site visitors to learn more about the quality of the eye care products and services that you offer. Online retailer FramesDirect, for example, displays over 29,000 reviews and testimonials that can be accessed on their website. Incorporating customer feedback also establishes credibility and commitment to meeting customer satisfaction, allowing more customers to trust and visit your website.
When you display product reviews and comments on your website, consumers will most likely view you as a reputable and trustworthy eye care brand. Given that most shoppers consider product reviews before making a purchase, it’s important for your site visitors to see how well your products are made based on past reviews. Responses to these reviews can also show that you’re accountable and committed to improving the quality of your services based on customer feedback, thus helping you gain the trust of your site visitors. Being open to feedback and criticism can have a positive impact on your image, especially when consumers feel that their voice or feedback matters.
Allow customers to customize their glasses
Another way to help your online eye care brand stand out is to let buyers customize their glasses for a more personalized shopping experience. As seen on Pair Eyewear’s website, visitors can customize their glasses through several frame options. The company’s recent collaboration with optical retailer National Vision has also enabled it to expand its online customer base to more buyers in select physical stores. Known for being the first direct-to-consumer customizable eyewear brand, Pair Eyewear’s branding has anchored on letting customers take center stage in designing their specs through a personalized process of customizing frame designs. By allowing consumers to design their specs according to their styles and personalities, you’re able to improve customer satisfaction, which can help drive conversions.
Including a feature on your website that lets visitors customize their eyewear can help boost your identity as a customer-centric eye care retailer that gives consumers freedom in creating and personalizing their purchases. Not only does it help with establishing your image, but it can also help boost sales growth. In the case of Pair Eyewear, the company’s revenues grew 24x from 2020 to 2023 thanks to its affordable customization services. These services also encouraged more customers to buy multiple frame designs per year, unlike single glasses that are purchased every few years. You can follow a similar approach to help establish your brand as a creative and engaging eye care retailer that leverages customizable technology.
It’s important to make your online presence stand out in an ever-changing digital landscape. Doing so can help you establish a unique image or branding that sets you apart. Follow these four simple yet effective steps to help your eye care brand gain a competitive advantage in an already crowded market.