IcareLabs Blog

It’s 2021, and we are now firmly entrenched in the digital age. With everything from vision screenings to frame try-ons available online, eye care is becoming an increasingly digital business. It’s more important than ever for ECPs to have a modern, updated website.

But there’s so much more to a website than the way it looks. These days, user experience is the name of the game. Your site has to be easy to read, easy to navigate, and easy to understand. Bells and whistles aside, there are a few elements that every great eye care website has. They’re the foundation on which you can build your practice’s online presence.

With 2020 coming to a close, one thing that seems to now be part of the lexicon going forward is a renewed interest in keeping things sanitized. While we hoped this would be over by now, it is very obvious that Covid-19 will remain with us for at least a good portion of 2021.

In the past, simply dusting frames off once a week was about all the "cleaning" we did. Times have changed and our customers are demanding more out of us regarding sanitation. This takes time that many of us do not have, but it must be done.

Luckily, thanks to technology there are more tools than ever before to sanitize your frames and high usage areas in your optical dispensary. Let's take a look at 5 great options that can get the job done quickly and easily.

We are excited to announce 3 more amazing Shamir lens designs are now being processed in-house here at IcareLabs. The Shamir Relax 50, Shamir Relax 80, and the Shamir Genesis HD have officially joined the extensive line-up of phenomenal name-brand progressive lens offerings available to our customers.

As always, everyone gets our always fair, flat pricing included with these lenses. Let's get to know the benefits of each of these lenses along with their key features.

2020 has been an anomaly in many ways. This started off as the year of all things optical. 2020 was going to be 20/20 for our industry. Soon a pandemic rolled in and many opticals across the world were shut down to help control the spread of this unknown and deadly virus. Our economy crashed and when we were allowed to reopen we did not know what to expect. The pleasant surprise for many is the business came back.

Boy, did it come back! Even with the downturn, many people were ready to spend money on new glasses. Q3 was better than anyone could have predicted for our industry. While many are willing to spend good money on good products there are those who continue to be effected by this pandemic. This is not much different than normal times with haves and have-nots.

What progressive are you offering to those on a budget? Do you know these designs? Our industry needs to move away from flattops to grow. Having value options that work is the best way to move your value-minded patient away from bifocals.

One thing that isn't always at the top of everyone's list around the holidays is staying healthy. We are more focused on getting ready for the holidays and enjoying all the good cooking (myself included).

Is your practice encouraging employees to strive for healthy living instead of having that extra helping of mashed potatoes and gravy? Let's look at some easy ways to do just that along with numerous benefits that may surprise you.

What are you doing with your safety business? While many opticals utilize industries in their area to sublimate sales others seem to shy away from safety work.

ANSI prescription safety glasses are required at many businesses and worksites. A vast number of jobs across the country require their employees to wear specialty safety glasses to be able to do their job safely every day.

Hoya Vision Care has just announced that they will be phasing out all of their traditional PALs starting on November 1, 2020. Their announcement mentioned the need for simplification in the offerings. This will have a direct impact on us as we will start seeing our ability to order the Hoya traditional progressive lenses go away sometime in Q4 of 2020.

The PracticePlus program can be your complete office solution for your patients. From help with your in-office displays to name brand lenses and no-glare coatings your patients will love.

The program also includes easy to achieve goals that provide lifetime rebates for your optical. Right now, you can even get double your money back through the end of 2020!

A marketing calendar is an excellent internal tool you can use to plan out your year and keep everyone in your office aware of your plans and next steps. Having everyone on the same page is essential to ensure processes and goals are common knowledge. When everyone involved is fully aware of expectations and how you’d like to get there, the chances of success are maximized.

So, how do you begin?

2020 has been a long year. Covid has kept most of us bottled up at home and cabin fever has become very real to many of us. The good news is that we have made it through the summer. Going outside is now bearable as temperatures start to drop across the USA. So why not get out of the house? Our mental health could use a change of scenery and there is no better time than fall to go out and enjoy the fresh air.

Here are 4 simple activities that could help you break out of the monotony of being cooped up indoors.