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It can be difficult for independent online optical shops to stand out in a sea of supersized vision providers. Fortunately, many customers prefer to buy from small businesses that offer outstanding service and an enhanced online experience.
In this guide, I’ll cover some creative ways to find the right client base so you can grow your business as the owner or operator of a virtual optical shop.
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8 Ways to Increase Sales in Your Online Optical Shop
If you're having trouble targeting the right clients, or if your sales are slowing down despite your marketing efforts, try these 8 smart tips to increase your revenue.
1. Build a Bold Brand
If you aren't getting the market recognition you want, your brand might not be memorable enough to make a lasting impression on your prospective customers. Not sure where to start? You can check out national brands with looks you like and draw inspiration for your own offerings.
When you create a cohesive look and feel to use across social media and other online platforms, the audience begins to notice your content and they'll be more likely to click through and see what your store's all about. With Pay.com, you can also build trust by ensuring that your checkout page matches the rest of your branding.
2. Add More Payment Methods
Allowing your customers to use their preferred payment methods can encourage them to buy from your optical shop. Expanding the available options doesn't have to be complicated. When you partner with Pay.com, you can use your Pay Dashboard to add accepted methods to your site's checkout process with the click of a button.
3. Focus on the Frames
Marketing for your optical shop should spotlight your best-selling frames. Show off popular styles on social media and increase engagement by encouraging customers to share their own photos.
Close-up images work best, eliminating clothing, accessories, and other distractions so the glasses can take center stage. You and your staff members can sport available styles, too!
This marketing approach also gives you the opportunity to set yourself apart from competing optical brands. Spotlight the product lines that customers won't find anywhere else, whether you specialize in durable yet stylish sports glasses for an active lifestyle or high-end couture frames with one-of-a-kind touches.
Conducting a comprehensive market analysis can help you hone your brand's competitive edge.
4. Enhance Transaction Security
Customers want to know that they can shop securely at your store. You can provide that peace of mind by working with a PCI-compliant payment provider. This ensures your merchant services account complies with the industry's PCI DSS standards for online security.
Pay.com businesses benefit from Level 1 PCI DSS compliance, the highest available security certification for online transactions.
When you sign up for our services, you can display the PCI DSS logo on your checkout page so your customers know how much you value the safety of their private personal and financial information. Lack of trust in an online store is one of the most common causes of customer cart abandonment before checkout.
5. Give Out a Great Deal
Promotions can be the perfect way to convert prospective clients as an independent optical shop. Sales allow you to compete with major optical chains on your own terms. You don't necessarily need to spend a lot of money to give a generous discount that encourages new customers to buy glasses from you online. Try these inspiring ideas:
- Periodic percentage discounts on certain styles and brands
- Rebates or discounts on a second pair of glasses
- Package discounts on accessories and supplies like cases and cleansers
- Buy-one-get-one offers on frames or lenses
- Rewards programs where customers can earn points for posting on social media and referring friends and family
6. Know Your Target Customers
If you don't have at least one specific persona that describes your ideal customer, it can be challenging to target your online content appropriately. In other words, you need to know your audience well or you won't be able to reach the right people.
Consider the demographics and characteristics of the individuals you picture wearing glasses from your shop. Once you've developed some sample personas, you can gather research about where those shoppers spend time online. You should know what they're looking for in an optical store so you can exceed those expectations.
7. Engage Your Customers with Interactive Features
Adding interactive elements to your online optical shop can increase customer engagement .If possible, offer an app or online feature where customers can see how they look in various frames. Through this type of tech, they can upload photos and superimpose images of different styles to make a final selection.
Some shops have online tools where clients can create customized frames. They select the shape, size, shade, and other characteristics to make their perfect pair of glasses. Even if you can't offer this level of personalization, you could try a search feature that makes suggestions from your shop based on a quick style survey, for example.
Online eye exams are another opportunity for engagement. The Food and Drug Administration approved at-home tests this year, so you can partner with these providers to offer this tech through your optical shop even if you don't have a physical location. Customers only need a touchscreen mobile device like a phone or an iPad along with a high-speed internet connection to make it work.
8. Optimize Your Checkout Experience
Getting to know your customers also gives you the data you need to cater to their shopping preferences. These strategies can optimize the checkout experience to improve conversions, accelerate sales, and retain repeat clients:
- Give the option to check out with a guest account so customers don't have to take the time to sign up before they buy. You can also support social log-ons so they can sign in with existing accounts, another time-saver.
- Be aware of excessive fees. Too many add-on charges can cause customers to abandon their carts.
- Simplify the checkout process. Complex checkouts with multiple steps encourage cart abandonment. Fewer fields to fill out improves usability.
- Offer mobile-friendly payment methods. Customers should have a seamless checkout experience from any device.
- Use a payment provider that supports secure one-click checkout. Your customers can complete the entire form with saved information.
The Best Way for Your Optical Shop to Accept Payments Online
Pay.com offers an array of personalized payment solutions for your optical shop, including multiple ways to connect with your customers to complete online transactions. Our Pay Dashboard puts powerful payment tools at your fingertips, so it's easy to see sales reports or create a customized checkout experience that will encourage client conversions.
If you're just starting out as an optical shop owner or manager, you can begin taking online payments through Pay.com even before your website launches. We have the security your customers expect, so selecting our service can also build your reputation as a trustworthy online optical shop.
The Bottom Line: Create the Best User Experience for Your Online Optical Shop
These 8 strategies can support strong sales for your online optical business. Positioning your shop as a reliable service provider and building a brand that stands out will encourage customers to consider your glasses when they're ready for a new look or a different prescription.
You don't need to be an expert in user experience for effective ecommerce. Relying on a payment service provider like Pay.com lets you focus on serving your customers and selecting frames that will help them turn heads. Click here to get started now!
