On Design + Education for the Independent

WHAT DEFINES YOUR BUSINESS?

From the beginning in 1989, Dolabany Eyewear’s philosophy has been that eyewear should be fitted and sold in a professional and personalized environment by eyecare providers. Therefore, our brands—Dolabany and Plume Paris—are not available through “big-box” chain stores, nor do we allow our brands to be sold on the Internet. My philosophy is also to offer great design, great quality, and great pricing.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE OPTICAL BUSINESS?

During my childhood summer vacations, I spent my time working at my family’s optical shop repairing eyeglasses. The quality of design and production I had seen during this time resonated with me, and the experience overall has defined what Dolabany Eyewear is today.

WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION DO YOU OFFER FOR ECPs?

As I engaged more and more with customers, I found myself speaking to them about the concerns they had in today’s industry—and what steps they could start taking to improve outreach in their local communities. I started sharing with customers what I knew about search engine optimization and what strategies they could implement to increase their exposure on the web. This need for knowledge led us to develop courses that are available on the company website (DolabanyEyewear.com/marketing-resources ), through ABO events, and, now, COPE Conferences.

HOW CAN ECPs BEST COMPETE WITH ONLINE Rx EYEWEAR SALES?

There is a new demographic that eyecare providers should be paying attention to. The generation of millennials has surpassed baby boomers in population numbers. Millennials know three things: 1. Uber can take them anywhere. 2. They can buy anything on Amazon. 3. Google has the answers to all of life’s mysteries. Independents have to adapt to this changing market and implement methods of new age marketing for their practice that will attract this growing population.

During our courses, we also go through specific cost-effective and competitive online strategies such as creating a website, registering to online local directories, promoting with videos, blogs, press releases, social media, and, most important, sending emails to the customer base. Many of these opportunities were not available to the industry just a few years ago, and ECPs should take advantage of these marketing tools to compensate for any loss of online sales.

WHAT’S ON TAP AT DOLABANY EYEWEAR FOR 2017—AND BEYOND?

We remain committed to the success of the independent ECP, and we constantly reaffirm this with our company policies and education efforts. Our brands will continue to expand, including more retro-inspired, handcrafted styles, and Plume Paris will continue to grow its line of unique, fashion-forward designs, incorporating more metals, such as titanium. The Dolabany Eyewear collection will focus on our traditional acetate product, along with creative styling and reasonable prices.

—Erinn Morgan