New company aims to help optometrists thrive in a digital age

OptomEDGE founder Mr Robert Springer said consumers, including patients, were increasingly searching for local businesses online.“More than ever, the website is becoming the digital storefront whereby practices can take appointments, communicate their latest offers, and present thselves as a modern eye-care practice,” he said. “Going digital allows you to have more regular and relevant communication with your patients.”He added that optometrists that did not have a website risked losing clientele.{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:2-Q: Optometrists that did not have a website risked losing clientele. -WHO:Dr Robert Springer, founder of OptomEDGE}}“Patients may look elsewhere when it comes time to address their eye-care needs,” he warned. “[Those practices will also have] limited ability to take enquiries during store hours, missing out on the time when patients may be searching for information [as] research shows a majority of consumers are not searching during business hours.”Mr Springer acknowledged that knowing where to start with digital and the time investment required were among the challenges commonly faced by optometrists and practice managers today. For that reason, OptomEDGE was launched to provide digital marketing services and patient recall solutions to help practices enter and thrive in the digital arena.“Our focus has been to provide turn-key programs to enable practices to make solid steps in the right direction, as well as providing a managed service that enables practices to enter the digital world while allowing th to spend more time on the clinical and retail environment,” Mr Springer explained.OptomEDGE undertook pre-launch activities earlier this year before officially launching this month. Its services include optical search ads and social media managent, webpage development to facilitate online appointments and online health checks, and ‘dynamic’ patient recall, which was said to provide an “integrated, multi-touch approach” using a combination of mediums.“By utilising the latest technologies, trends and consumer behaviour insights, we help safeguard practices’ existing business in this digital era while helping to grow their patient base,” Mr Springer said.