Feel like you’re fighting a tug-of-war with the web? Here, get 9 stealth ways clever ECPs are weaning web-dependent Rx eyewear customers off their online habit

why do consumers buy online? Convenience. Price. Variety.

Fact is, however, that you can win over most customers with a click fix.

Whether it’s service or product, the relationship or the experience, you can offer them a whole lot more than the Internet. Here’s how two tuned-in ECPs turn online-leaning consumers back into fanatical brick-and-mortar fans.

Both Eric White, O.D., owner of Complete Family Vision Care in San Diego, and Stephanie Haenes, ABOC, co-owner of Art of Optiks in Wayzata, MN, are pretty passionate about their businesses. Haenes describes the online challenge: “If the customer does not understand the value of your lenses, frames, or services, they will be tempted to purchase online.”

Dr. White offers a solution: “If you show them they are a part of a family, more than just a number, they will be more apt to stay with you and not shop around.”

From first impressions to follow-up, Haenes and Dr. White offer their top nine tips for keeping patients in your office, and away from online.

TIP 1: Get to Know Them

“We offer patients coffee, tea, hot chocolate, hot cider, or water when they come in. When I walk into the room I introduce myself as Eric White. They know I’m a doctor; it says so on the door. I then take a few minutes to talk about them—vacations, kids, or something—before talking eyes.” —Dr. White

TIP 2. Deliver Creature Comforts

“Having the right music, providing beverages, and making the customer feel ‘at home’ are more ways to retain your customer base.” —Haenes

TIP 3. Be the Online Antithesis

“Make yourself indispensable. Give customers an experience and products they think they need, but more importantly, ones they want. That’s the true test. Offer them things they are unable to get online. To achieve this objective, we provide great customer service, state-of-the-art technology, education, and the best frames and lenses.” —Haenes

TIP 4. Wrap Up Packages

“We can compete on price by wrapping the frame and lenses into what we call our Value Package. It’s $120 including their choice from a selection of frames—plus polycarbonate lenses, AR, and a two-year warranty. We offer it to people without insurance and to contact lens wearers for backup glasses.” —Dr. White

TIP 5. Form a Family

“I email them a personal thank-you note stating something personal we talked about—like vacation. I then ask them for referrals and to Yelp me. I also give them my cell number and tell them I am there anytime they need me. This is what families do. We give our family members our cell number, so why would I not give it to my patients? They are my family, too.” —Dr. White

TIP 6. Become a Follow-Up Fanatic

“We follow up with all of our customers three days after their eyewear is dispensed. This gives our staff one more chance to interact with the customer, and also lets us catch many small issues before they become a huge problem.” —Haenes

TIP 7. Deliver Social Media Prowess

“I embrace social media as a way to continually connect with my patients. My website and Facebook page are extensions of my office—they are my virtual office. I try to make our website very inviting and user-friendly, where they can literally see everything about my office.” —Dr. White

TIP 8. Create a Touch Point

“A telemedicine button helps them get in touch with me anytime—by giving them my cell number to call me. And the reviews on the website, along with my Yelp reviews, have really helped grow the practice.” —Dr. White

TIP 9. Market Like a Millennial

“When we market to our customers we try to use words and images that appeal to the millennial crowd. Instead of using ‘trunk show,’ we will brand an event as a ‘pop-up shop.’ We also tend to use images that are graphic and bold. This appeals to and mimics what they will see on an online retail website.” —Haenes

So, what’s most important? “Education is key to retaining customers,” says Haenes. “We spend a great deal of time educating our customers as to why our products and services are the best.”

Dr. White agrees, adding, “The Internet and social media can help or hurt. For me, they’re a huge help. I embrace them as a way to continually connect with my patients.”

—Stephanie K. De Long