Optical’s TECH OUTLOOK | RETAIL

BALANCING BRICKS & CLICKS

The essential guide to balancing in-store + online sales in your eyecare business

BY ERINN MORGAN

Does your business flirt with online sales, offering a few products for purchase via your website but not truly diving into ecommerce at epic, Warby Parker-esque proportions? Whether you’re considering getting more serious about your online sales or debating whether to enter the arena at all, an ecommerce presence might be an excellent strategy for your business.

“Online sales still represent a small percentage of total retail sales but it’s growing—online is the shining star within retail today,” says Artemis Berry, vice president for digital retail at the National Retail Federation’s Shop.org, who notes that online sales were 9% of all retail sales in 2014, and are expected to grow to 11% by 2018.

“The most important thing to think about is your digital influence and not focusing on where the sale is coming from,” she says, “but looking at your online influence that the consumer is living and breathing every day.”

Berry suggests that while consumers may end up making their final purchases in the store, they likely used a smartphone or tablet to research their choices. “Your digital influence is a critical layer—studies are showing that anywhere from 50% to 70% of customers have touched the online presence of your store before they make a purchase from you,” she says.

Consumers who leave your virtual door empty-handed after visiting for product information, pricing, and an online sales option may just head down the street—or to the next tab on their browser.

Something For Everyone.

“The omni-channel approach is being implemented and contemplated by many ECPs…and it should be,” says Howard Purcell, O.D., F.A.A.O., senior vice president of customer development at Essilor of America. “It’s clear that a pure virtual offer may not be the answer for consumers. Nevertheless, consumers are looking for the convenience of the virtual try-ons and the opportunity to purchase plano sunwear and contact lenses online.”

In addition, even if your own ecommerce setup doesn’t deliver serious sales, it may have other sales-producing benefits in store.

“If you’re questioning online, think beyond the actual shopping cart on your site and think about the influence of your site to drive people to your store,” says Berry. “A lot of retailers have even stopped reporting sales divided up for online versus in store because of the influence the online experience has on in-store sales.”

Instead of looking at online sales as cannibalizing in-store sales, she adds “we are now learning that these two can complement each other.”

How can eyecare professionals best balance their online and in-store sales efforts? Read on for our expert-recommended tips for managing your business’ balancing act.

Get Moving.

Get involved with an ecommerce platform as soon as it makes sense for your business, advises Dr. Purcell. “Let your patients know you have the offering and that there is no reason they need to go anywhere else.” They likely want to stay with your business, he adds, but think you don’t offer them that opportunity online.

Also assure patients and customers that your business stands by the products offered online, too, including all the standard service options, from returns to adjustments.

Take a Reality Check.

At the same time, choose the scope of ecommerce that fits your practice. Dave Stewart, owner of Eclipse Eyewear, which has six stores in Arizona and California plus a growing online presence, provides a reality check. “It’s time consuming and I don’t really know if there’s a path to success,” he says of his online retailing venture. “If we don’t get it going in a year, we’re not going to do it anymore—it’s expensive to develop these websites.”

Budding Potential for Clicks

How do millennials shop online? This powerhouse generation, aged 18 to 34, is predicted to have more spending power than any other generation by 2017. While they may not yet be eager to buy homes or cars, they still love to shop—and they do it often online.

In fact, millennials remain the key age demographic for online commerce—they spend more money online in a given year than any other age group. Millennials each spend an impressive $2,000 annually on ecommerce purchases.

Good looks are paramount for millennials, so they buy more clothes (and shop for clothes more frequently) than any other generation (see statistics below). And, their shopping is often done online—a full 45% of millennials say they spend at least an hour a day browsing retail-oriented websites.

Percent of female millennials who shop for clothing more than 2x a month.

Percent of female non-millennials who shop for clothing more than 2x a month.

Percent of male millennials who shop for clothing more than 2x a month.

Percent of male non-millennials who shop for clothing more than 2x a month.

Source: Baynote

Consider Marketplace Partners.

While managing your own ecommerce platform can be daunting, getting digital DNA can be simplified with marketplace partners like Amazon, eBay, and other vendors, says Berry. “Your business can sell through their marketplace ecommerce options,” she notes. “There are a lot of options to get your product into the hands of the consumer without all of the cost associated with selling online on your own site.”

For example, the Amazon Marketplace model is a huge part of the business model for retailers big and small. Online marketplaces generally host third parties (retailers) who, in turn, offer products and services that the marketplace provider processes and the third party fulfills. Last year, marketplaces were the source for 36% of North American online sales, according to ChannelAdvisor.

“There are multi-million dollar retail brands that have a relationship with Amazon,” says Berry, who suggests researching which marketplace platform [including working with your vendors] is right for you in terms of products, reach, and cost.

Define Your Focus.

Rather than try to sell it all online, some ECPs have found success in creating a very distinct focus for their ecommerce endeavors. At William J. Curran and Son Opticians in Drexel Hill, PA, that niche is children’s rimless eyewear and special billiards eyewear designed for pool players. “We designed a special frame and people visit our site from all over the world to order those,” says owner William J. Curran, Jr., ABOC, who notes that his business’ online sales represent about 10% of total retail sales.

Curran also says his business has added some plano sunwear into the online offering, but he’s been on the fence whether to include Rx eyewear for adults in the mix. “There is so much competition in this area,” he notes. Price competition is tough with behemoth online retailers like Glasses.com and WarbyParker.com in the fray. Thus, the key may be to focus on a niche and broaden your retail offering by presenting products online that are different than what you stock in your dispensary.

Present a Unified Front.

No matter what your focus may be for your online store, experts agree that it’s important to unify the branding of your ecommerce platform with your business’ in-store look. “Represent online with the same look and feel of the product you do in-store,” says Berry. “The most important thing is that, for the consumer, there is no difference—you are one brand, one experience.”

In addition, Berry says it’s critical for businesses to optimize their websites for mobile. “Think about how a website looks on a mobile device, especially a smartphone,” she says. “Today, people expect a mobile-optimized website.”

Designate Staff.

Who will set up and run your online store? Ecommerce-savvy ECPs say it can be a time-consuming job. “You really need to have somebody who takes this on as a project,” says Curran.

“That’s not just the [online sales] website but getting connected through social media, too. My son, Adam Curran, a certified optician who came on board three years ago after graduating from opticianry school, loves doing it—he’s been keeping things going online for us.”

Respond Like a Pro.

Take the time to respond to questions and emails regarding your online offering just as you would with your eyecare business.

“If someone sends us an email or a question, we get back to them right away,” Curran explains. “Even though we are a small business, people don’t know that. It all comes down to service—that’s what separates the online retailers, and you really have be on top of things.”