Founded in 1991 in Mississippi USA, Superior Optical Lab has a strong history of growth, technological advancement, and service to the industry. It was acquired by its current owners, Tony Jones and Derek Bardot, in 2017.
Company Size: Independent Lab and Optical Retail Company
Website: www.specsforvets.com
Product: eCommerce Website, Digital Marketing Package,
PD Master and Virtual Try-On
Pain Point
Superior Optical Lab manufactures spectacles for veterans and distributes them through contracts with Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital Medical Programs. Upon research, Tony and Derek found that no dedicated eCommerce website exists for veterans to buy eyecare products and services directly.
They saw a unique opportunity for growth and started looking for a partner to help build their eCommerce website. Superior Optical Lab discovered that their Lab Management System (LMS) supplier also offers OmniChannel solutions. Working with a single provider who understood their unique business needs was an ideal solution.
“When the pandemic hit, sales were down around 95%, which was a bit frightening. Luckily, we had begun our eCommerce journey with OptiCommerce, and we were well underway with implementing the Specs for Vets website. We were in a great position to ramp back up and continue to expand.”
Tony Jones, Co-owner Superior Optical Lab
Implementation
Superior Optical Lab opted for an eCommerce website with Digital Marketing services, PD Master and Virtual Try-On (VTO) features. Numerous members of the OptiCommerce team, Ocuco’s digital experts’, including Paul Clare, Sales Director, Stuart Jones, Project Manager, and Chris Mantle, Digital Marketing Manager, oversaw the delivery of the project.
The team’s experience working in the optical sector enabled them to deliver a web design tailored to Superior Optical Lab’s unique vision. Due to the new eCommerce website, the business bounced back quickly from the disruption brought by the pandemic.
“The Ocuco team understood our needs, and they put forward some creative ideas about presenting our products better to our customers. Ocuco really offers a complete service when it comes to developing an optical website.”
Tony Jones, Co-owner Superior Optical Lab
Digital Marketing and Virtual Try-On (VTO)
Digital marketing tools play a key role in driving inquiries and online purchases. Superior Optical Lab complements their new website with a Digital Marketing Package, which includes Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns, SEO strategy, organic and paid social media strategy. Tony and Derek value the team’s expertise in Google Advertising immensely.
The digital marketing team assists them in navigating through Google Analytics reports and highlight their organic and paid traffic sources. The Virtual Try-On (VTO) tool brings an enhanced user experience to the Specs for Vets website and it significantly increases the time visitors spend on the site.
Results
Goal Completion on the Website (Last 90 Days):
2,911 Virtual Try-On clicks
527 Online purchases
eCommerce Sales:
Increased by 738% in the past six months
Page Views:
Increased by 616% in the past six months
Website Traffic:
Increased by 877% in the past six months (3,704 vs 36,200 users)
Phone Calls:
159 eyecare inquiry calls generated through organic search
“Having an online and in-store presence and being able to complement that with a strong customer service allows us to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. The Specs for Vets website was the final ingredient we needed to create a complete one stop eyewear shop for veterans.”
Tony Jones, Co-owner Superior Optical Lab
Future Projects
Superior Optical Lab is currently working on expanding its lab operations. Once this is complete, Tony and Derek would like to create a second website that markets to a broader audience.
They have also hired a dedicated person to work with the OptiCommerce Digital Marketing team to better define the markets they are after, including veterans, active military, and retired military.
