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NEW YORK—Some vision care market observers believe that the optical
business is still far behind in catching up to the newest technology
opportunities of the Web.
Nevertheless, ECPs and optical retailers have been substantially
increasing their presence online in the past year, in particular, to
conduct their day-to-day business. They are taking advantage of many new
resources and tools provided by eyewear suppliers, labs and buying
groups who, in turn, have upgraded and enhanced the functionality of
their own websites for their accounts’ benefits.
Today, more ECPs are using the Internet as much at work as they
do at home, according to the latest ECP Internet Usage Study conducted
by Jobson Optical Research. (The survey of 621 ECPs and optical
retailers conducted in November will be available at
www.jobsonresearch.com this month.) In fact, some 49.1 percent today say
they go online equally in both places (compared to 42.4 percent who
said so last year).
Further, some 55.8 percent said their practice ordered either
frames, lenses or other products online in 2010. Moreover, nearly
two-thirds, 63.8 percent, say their online ordering has increased in
2010, compared to last year. Some 87.6 percent are using the Internet
several times a day. Of the 76.5 percent of respondents who have a
practice/company website, 33.0 percent are updating their sites “often,”
another 43.7 percent “sometimes.” More than half, 50.5 percent, say
they contact their patients via email.
And they are getting involved in social media, whether used for
personal or business reasons—77.2 percent say they regularly visit
optical industry sites, and 49.1 percent regularly visit
social/professional networking sites. The functionality they are using
from business-to-business optical sites, according to retailers and many
diverse suppliers, ranges from filing managed vision care claims to
product ordering or reordering, accessing product information, tracking
product orders, tapping educational courses and resources for themselves
or staff training.
Noted Jim Stephens, OD, president, The Hour Glass, Tallahassee,
Fla., “The primary function of our business that’s done mostly online is
filing insurance claims. We find that filing claims online versus
sending in paper claims reduces the amount of errors made by an
associate.”
Matt Matthews, president of Alton-Ill.-based Crown Optical,
added, “Our most prominent business activities online focus on exam
scheduling/patient management and managing our contact lens business. We
are a member of Opti-Port, who provides us with technology solutions
that enhance our ability to capture online exams from patients 24/7, and
better manage our contact lens business (in office and through patient
web orders) within our multi-site platform. Since implementing
Opti-Port’s online CLX system, we have seen a dramatic increase in the
number of exams that are scheduled online during hours when our offices
are typically closed.
“We believe that integrated systems that focus on key metrics
within our business and operations, are going to be crucial to our
business,” Matthews said. “We look for flexible system suppliers that
are willing to listen and work with us to help us grow.”
Vision Monday spoke with a diverse range of suppliers, labs and
buying groups to gauge what kinds of features they have been adding to
their websites in order to help customers make their business more
efficient. Most of the features for their ECP/retail customers are
behind password walls, in order for that functionality to be accessed
strictly by those accounts.
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