Top Optometry Website Features That Convert More Users Into Patients

How many new optometry patients are you getting from your practice’s website? If your website isn’t generating results or bringing in additional revenue, it may be time to add new features and refresh your design. 

It’s important to understand that your online presence can either make or break your business. Patients looking for eye care practices near them might come across your website, and if it does not load quickly or offer any value to them, they will leave. 

In this blog post, you will learn which features you should have on your optometry website to convert more users into paying patients. 

Engage and Convert Website Visitors With a Virtual Try-On Solution

Drive traffic to your practice by giving users access to try on all the frames from the brands you carry online and allowing them to select their favorites using a virtual try-on solution. 

Potential and current patients will have access to all your frames and can try them on using a webcam on their desktop or mobile device. By using this feature, you generate more revenue, since patients can add frames to their wish list, provide information about the frames to you, and then make a purchase.  

As a bonus, you are saving time by having the frames ready to try on when the patient comes into your practice, which means fewer waiting times for your patients too. 

Generate More Revenue With An Online Store Integrated On Your Website

Your business can benefit enormously from an online store since it allows you to show off your products to existing patients as well as to new ones. Sell your designer frames, contacts, prescription glasses, contact solution, lens cleaners, eyeglass cases to your patients and bring an additional source of revenue for your practice. 

This feature makes it easy, stress-free, and convenient for patients to purchase your optometry products. Patients can search for products, add them to their cart, and track orders directly from your website. 

Learn More: Top 5 Key Advantages of Having an Online Store For Your Practice

Save Time and Money With An Insurance Check Platform 

This particular feature verifies your patients’ insurance before they schedule an appointment at your practice. This will reduce cancellations due to uninsured or ineligible patients. 

You’ll avoid patients arriving for an appointment and leaving because you don’t accept their insurance. Make it easy for potential patients to check your website to see if your practice takes their insurance carrier or by calling you directly. This will help bring in more qualified patients and generate more revenue by eliminating no-shows. 

Add Your Optometry Patient Reviews & Testimonials On Your Website 

Patient testimonials and reviews can help build your credibility and authority as an optometrist. Potential patients on your website will better understand the type of care you offer and what your current patients have to say about your eye care services. 

A 2020 survey showed 77% of people use online reviews as the first step in finding a new physician and 94% of healthcare patients use online reviews to evaluate providers. If you don’t have that many reviews, you can start by sending out surveys to clients asking for feedback, or after they visit your practice you can ask them to leave a review. 

You can even offer an incentive like get 50% off your next eye exam, pair of glasses, contact when you leave us a review. 

Easily Get More Appointments Right From Your Practice’s Site With an Online Booking Solution 

This feature can generate up to 30% more appointments to your practice and save you time. An online booking solution lets patients schedule their eye exams, lens adjustments, and contact lens fittings faster than ever, increasing conversions because most people don’t like to wait and be on hold to make an appointment. 

By allowing patients to book appointments only from your available times, you will reduce the time that your staff spends calling patients to confirm appointments.

Read on: 3 Reasons Why You Should Consider Online Booking for Your Practice

Write A Highly Engaging & Specific Optometry Homepage Headline

In six to twelve words, you should choose a headline that embodies what you do and what your optometry practice offers. Write for your target audience. Your potential patients are searching for eye exams, designer frames, frame adjustments, contacts, prescription glasses, sunglasses, and more. 

The following are some examples of great headlines that illustrate your professional identity and what services you offer: 

• Insightful Eye Care 
• Quality Eye Care For Your Family
• Welcome to Your [Insert Your Practice Name] Optometry 
• [Insert Name of Your City] Eye Care + Optometry, See Clearly
• Life’s Too Eye-Catching Not To See Well
• Children’s Optometry
• We Care For Your Child’s Eyes
• Senior Vision Care

The headline on your homepage is your first impression, make sure it’s evenly spaced out and there is a call to action button below that says book an appointment.

List Your Services On Your Optometry Website’s Tabs 

Your website tabs should be easy to navigate and answer any questions current and potential patients may have. On your homepage, your tabs should include services, about us, designer frames, order contacts, resources, and a contact us tab.

Under your services tab include a list of what you offer: adult and senior eye exams, children’s eye exams, diabetic eye exams, dry eye therapy, and digital eye strain. 

The contact lenses tab: contact lens fittings, exams, and brands 

Optical tab: Frames and sunglasses/eyeglass lenses 

Contact us tab: book an appointment, new patient forms, and patient portal

You want to make it clear and easy for the user to access your practice’s website and see what you offer and what you do. 

Include High-Converting CTA Buttons Throughout Your Optometry Site 

You can increase your conversion rate by over 202% when you incorporate call-to-actions (CTAs) into every piece of content on your site. Here are some examples of CTAS you can use on your optometry website: 

• Why Choose Us 
• Book Appointment 
• Free Eye Exam 
• Explore Frames 
• View Our Services 
• Review Us 
• View Patient Testimonials 
• Request an Appointment 
• Contact Us 
• Follow Us on Social 

Display a Pop-Up Sign-Up Form to Book More Appointments 

Drive conversions by making it clear how you want your users to take action and putting the ability to do so right in front of their screen. Pop-up signup form helps you connect with your website visitors. A few examples of pop-up sign forms are provided below: 

• Health & Safety Notifications 
• We Are Now Accepting Appointments – Book Now 
• Promotional (Free First Eye Exam) 
• Subscribe to Our Optometry Newsletter 
• Contact Us 

You can also use pop-up sign-up forms for any of your campaigns. If you’re running a special promotion on contacts lens fittings or eye exams you can add it as a pop-up. By doing this, existing patients will see it and be reminded to schedule an eye exam or contact lens fitting, and it can also persuade new patients to book an appointment as soon as possible. 

Use Videos to Humanize Your Brand & Attract More Optometry Patients 

Adding videos to your site helps build patient trust and can increase the conversion rate by up to 86%. Make your practice more relatable to your target audience, your potential eye care patients want to know more about you and your staff. 

Create a practice tour video: Show potential patients what your practice looks like and how you operate. Introduce yourself and your staff members so that potential patients can get a feel for your personality and your team. 

Add Your Social Media Links to Your Website & Get More Followers 

Social media allows you to increase your brand reach and awareness. Interact with more followers and improve your trust and authenticity when you add social media buttons to your website. 

This feature allows patients and potential patients to connect with your practice in a more meaningful way. You’ll get more traffic to your social media platforms, increase your following and engagement. Try adding your social media links to your blogs, resource page, and at the bottom of each web page. 

Include High-Quality Images of Optometry Patients Smiling 

Images not only add life to your optometry website but also improve your conversion rates. Potential patients who visit your website want to see what life would be like as a patient with you, they do not want to see unhappy patients in pain. Here are some image ideas you can add to your website: 

• A patient getting their eye exam 
• Patients trying on frames 
• A patient checking in with the front desk 
• A patient waiting in the lobby using an iPad to fill out paperwork

Another important image to add is your headshot paired with your professional bio. People feel more comfortable when there is a face behind a brand. Let potential clients know what you look like, where you went to school, what your hobbies are, and why you’re interested in optometry. 

Add Your Practice’s Phone Number At The Top of Your Optometry Website 

Did you know 54% of sign-ups originated from the home page variation with the phone number and 51% of website visitors will leave your website if they can’t find thorough contact information? Make it easy and accessible for potential and current patients to call your practice immediately and directly from your website. 

Tailor Your Website Copy to Your Audience’s Reading Level 

Your potential patients didn’t go to optometry school. They might not understand any eye care medical terms. Ensure your website copy is clear and understandable. For example instead of using: 

• Strabismus or tropia: crossed eyes 
• Presbyopia: farsightedness
• Binocular:  involving both eyes at once

To make your website more readable make sure your sentences are short and simple. You want visitors to easily navigate and locate what they’re looking for on your website without having to scroll back and forth too much. 

Avoid Offering Too Many Options

It is not a good idea to overwhelm your current or potential optometry patients with too many promotions all on one page (i.e. free contact lens fitting, 50% off eye exams, buy one get one free on all frames. Too many promotions on one page can appear spammy and desperate. 

Instead, have one cta per web page on your website so users know what action to take. You can include one ad per page too. 

Let us Design an Optometry Website That Generates Results 

We understand that it can be difficult to make all these new changes and updates yourself. Let us help you design an optimized website that is tailored to your practice and your specialties so you can start seeing results and attract more patients just from your online presence. 

Give us a call at 888.792.8384 or click here to learn more about our optometry websites and marketing services.