Advertising for opticians

Independent opticians are competing with online retailers on price and with chains on scale. Neither is winnable. The winnable ground is the part of the service that cannot be posted.

The measurement argument

A pair of glasses is a medical device fitted to a face. Pupillary distance, fitting height, frame position and lens centring all affect whether they work.

Online purchase relies on the customer measuring themselves. That is the argument, and it should be made plainly, with an explanation of what goes wrong when it is done badly.

The eye examination is the front door

Everything else follows from it. Advertising should sell the examination, not the eyewear.

What makes it compelling: what is actually checked beyond the prescription, the equipment used, the time taken, and the health conditions an eye examination can detect early.

That last point converts. Many people book because glaucoma, diabetes and retinal changes are detectable, not because they want new glasses.

Segments worth addressing separately

The workplace segment is the most overlooked. Employers in many jurisdictions must fund screen-user eye examinations, and an optician who approaches local businesses directly with that offer gains steady, funded volume.

Contact lens supply as recurring revenue

A contact lens subscription is predictable revenue and a reason for contact several times a year. Independents frequently lose this to online suppliers by not offering a comparable convenience.

A subscription at a competitive price, with aftercare included, retains the customer and the examination that goes with it.

Local visibility

Most searches are local and practical: an optician nearby, an eye test appointment, an urgent repair. Map presence, current opening hours, appointment booking and reviews cover most of it.

Repairs and adjustments, offered free and advertised as such, bring people through the door who then buy.

What to avoid

Frame price advertising in a market where an online retailer will always be cheaper. Two-for-one offers that devalue the professional service. Any health claim that oversteps the advertising rules for medical products, which in this category are strict.