New research from the Contact Lens Institute (CLI) has shed light on consumer behavior surrounding contact lenses, revealing that purchase-related factors dominate online searches in the U.S. and Canada. The findings, part of CLI’s latest See Tomorrow initiative, were unveiled on Friday, Feb. 21, at Vision Expo East by a panel comprising 2025 CLI Visionaries Roxanne Achong-Coan OD, FAAO, FIAOMC, FSLS, Dip CCLRT, of Coan Eye Care and Optical Boutique in Ocoee, FL; Ryan Corte, OD, of Northlake Eye in Charlotte and Asheville, NC; and Nishan Pressley, OD, of Essential Eyecare & Optical in Apopka, FL, moderated by Charissa Lee, OD, MBA, FAAO, the 2025 CLI Board chairperson.
“Since 2021, our See Tomorrow program has unearthed a range of information about current and prospective contact lens wearers, all of which can help the eyecare community deliver a better patient experience and elevate practice success,” says Stan Rogaski, CLI’s executive director. “Heading into 2025, we’ve turned our attention to consumer perceptions and needs as revealed through their online search habits—a window into what they are thinking yet may not be telling their eye doctors, opticians, and staff.”
According to the “Digital Discovery: Consumer Searches Reveal Contact Lens Realities” study, purchase considerations accounted for 65% of the top 20 online search queries about contact lenses. Among these, 53.5% focused on specific retailers, while 9.75% centered on pricing. The data suggests that eyecare professionals may benefit from proactively discussing pricing and product options with patients before they reach the point of purchase.
"When patients come to our practice, they see this beautiful practice...so the perception of that patient is, 'You must be expensive, right?'" says Dr. Achong-Coan. “So this last week I had a patient…[who said], ‘I'm just going to take my prescription because my wife buys them elsewhere online.’ I said, ‘Sir, you have insurance and…better rebates. I'd like to save you money.’ We compared pricing and we were able to meet them. So, we beat those prices pretty much, I think, 99% of the time.”
Another key takeaway from the study is the significant number of online searches related to contact lens removal. The topic ranked as the second-most searched “how-to” query on Google (26.3% by volume) and was the top and third-most searched query on TikTok (61% by volume). Google searches for removal outpaced those for insertion by 250% to 400% over a two-month period. These findings indicate that additional emphasis on removal techniques during patient training could be beneficial.
“I'm one of those people who make those videos of how to remove contact lenses. After I got this data, I went back and looked to see how many views my videos have, and it was like one of my highest views,” says Dr. Pressley. “It is great data for us to see…and [realize] we need to do our due diligence when it comes to having that conversation with our patients. ‘Do you need to be trained a little bit more? Do you want someone to sit with you and work with you again?’”
CLI’s research also highlights a missed opportunity in dual wear—patients alternating between contact lenses and glasses. In 2023, CLI quantified that 36% of patients could be dual wearers, yet search data suggests they often view contact lenses and glasses as mutually exclusive. Among the top 20 comparative searches, 80% included “or” (e.g., “contacts or glasses”), while only 14% used “vs” and 6% included “and.” Notably, 94% of these searches compared contact lenses to glasses, while just 6% referenced LASIK.
"It's such a huge opportunity for us as trusted eyecare professionals to really [home in on] that ‘and’ conversation. I don't think any of us sitting up here would recommend our patients [who] have contact lenses to not also have a pair of glasses,” says Dr. Corte. “[Be] intentional about how you communicate—also how your eyecare team communicates. ‘No, this is a glasses and contact lens exam. Today, we're going to serve your eye health and vision care needs, and we're going to provide you with a number of visual solutions.’”
Panelists at Vision Expo East recommended that eyecare professionals integrate discussions about dual wear into routine exams and ongoing patient communications to enhance patient satisfaction and practice growth.
Keep up with the action from Vision Expo on Eyecare Business’s Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and see EB’s BIG Vision Expo East Guide for a curated selection of education and events here.
