Opticians & Web Sites

**Refractingoptician.com** · 11-13-2002, 06:16 AM

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**chip anderson** · 11-13-2002, 07:58 AM

Probably Bait and Switch

**Refractingoptician.com** · 11-13-2002, 08:06 AM

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**hip chic** · 11-13-2002, 10:53 AM

I've been considering a web site for my own business for about a year. I think I've come to the conclusion that my web site will only improve my sales through educating the "locals" about my shop. I sell exclusive eyewear (not found anywhere else in town). It's important to me that every frame I sell really is perfect for the face that's wearing it. I realized that I would not be able to do this if people were ordering from me on line. I decided that it is probably best just to have a great website showing an overview of each eyewear collection....a website that captures the "flavor" of my shop and gets my potential customer excited about coming in.
What do you think?
Did you want to sell product?
People who shop on line are probably looking for something pretty specific and for a low price (lower than the price they saw on the frame when they were out comparison shopping last weekend, you know?). I have a hard time with that sort of attitude.
How do you feel?

**John R** · 11-13-2002, 12:14 PM

Gary said:
What is the best way for an optician to use a Web site to increase Sales ?

Too be honest you're not.

All of your customers are local arn't they, You are not going to get folks seeing your site and traveling miles just to get to you. Unless you are offering such great offers, which i dob't very much....
The only way you could even think of it making money for you is selling online, but that has some major problems to over come.

All in all its just another form of advertising to try and pull some punters in. Put a few 20% off offers on old frames etc.
In the end if you go and get someone to design it for you you could quite easily end up way out of pocket....

**PAkev** · 11-13-2002, 01:05 PM

Most conventional (newspater, radio, yellowpages, etc) advertising mediums are not only expensive but fairly restrictive. They certainly give you a position on the playing field but very little opportunity to "toot your own horn" A website is a good ancillary tool for folks to get more specifics about your specialties or what you can offer them. Although we mainly service an older clientelle we have been able to bring a good number of young and middle aged patients through the door with our website. This has proven to be effective for my shop at which we indicate one of our specialties is rimless eyewear. Since most places around me won't touch rimless eyewear let alone selling it, the intrest has provoked people to take a look. We have our web address listed at the bottom of our newspaper and yellow page adds which seems to give us a better bang for our advertising bucks. The mere existance of a website without any other promotional support can be quite difficult to justify.

Kevin

**Refractingoptician.com** · 11-13-2002, 01:09 PM

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**Chris Ryser** · 11-17-2002, 02:17 PM

hip chic said:
I've been considering a web site for my own business for about a year. I think I've come to the conclusion that my web site will only improve my sales through educating the "locals" about my shop. I sell exclusive eyewear (not found anywhere else in town). It's important to me that every frame I sell really is perfect for the face that's wearing it. I realized that I would not be able to do this if people were ordering from me on line. I decided that it is probably best just to have a great website showing an overview of each eyewear collection....a website that captures the "flavor" of my shop and gets my potential customer excited about coming in.
What do you think?
Did you want to sell product?
People who shop on line are probably looking for something pretty specific and for a low price (lower than the price they saw on the frame when they were out comparison shopping last weekend, you know?). I have a hard time with that sort of attitude.
How do you feel?

A website is the perfect too educate the "locals" on your shop.

Specially if you set it up on your own it does not cost much besides a lot of time, but then you can improve as you get along.

You can inform and your "locals" in many ways that while you might loose out in comparison shopping you'r way ahead in after service and personal attention to present and future customers. You can inform them about your good friendly services

I remember the old lady that walked every day, at least 2-3 times a week, to the market and came into the shop at 9.30 to have her glasses adjusted. Most of the times the glasses fitted perfect. So we put the glasses on a desk in the back and listened to her yack for 5 minutes, got the glasses back on her nose and it was much better. She liked our service so much that she brought us many customers just because of friendly service.

On your own website you can put on so much information which you could never pay by advetising in the newspaper. But you will have to learn the ways to direct the "locals" to your site. It is a time consuming venture but as you go along you learn and improve a lot.

Good investment..............your own smart website

:cheers:

**John R** · 11-17-2002, 03:19 PM

One possible tact is to try something diffrent. Like This
Its a UK based independent shop who has found a way of online selling.

**Chris Ryser** · 11-17-2002, 07:06 PM

John,

Want to start another vintage store online...................a few years ago I bought a bancrupty of high class designer frames,,,,,,,,,,,could not sell them.................now they are all very vintage,,,,,,,,,,,,,still cant sell them..........wanna good deal?????????????????? Call me

**John R** · 11-18-2002, 12:51 AM

Chris Ryser said:
John,

Want to start another vintage store online...................a few years ago I bought a bancrupty of high class designer frames,,,,,,,,,,,could not sell them.................now they are all very vintage,,,,,,,,,,,,,still cant sell them..........wanna good deal?????????????????? Call me

As i kinda know the person, who runs the site, i dont think so chris...But you could try contacting him.....

**Chris Ryser** · 11-18-2002, 03:13 AM

John R said:
As i kinda know the person, who runs the site, i dont think so chris...But you could try contacting him.....

John,

Thanks, I am not doing any commercial activity in this forum, but will defend my ideas.....................specially when I think i am right.

Otherwise I am also having fun doing it.