Vision Direct: See what they did here?
Vision Direct appears to do most things well…
…Take the way it sells contact lenses online and sends them out to customers.
On the Vision Direct website you can browse by brand or type. The prices are clearly marked – as are discounts and offers.
There are customer reviews from Trust Pilot to reassure you about the company. There’s an online chat service to answer any questions you may have before you order. There’s a promotional offer. Advice and information about different aspects of eye care.
It shows Vision Direct as a genuine, authoritative business.
Once they have your prescription they can send you lenses. (They now also offer glasses and sunglasses online through a sister brand). Once on their system you don’t need to keep adding your details – they’re stored for next time you buy.
The lenses are delivered fast. Typically the next day. They arrive in a sturdy card box which is sized to fit through most letterboxes (no need for the person delivering it to have to knock on the door).
Inside you get your lenses in a neat pack, a dispatch note which confirms your order and amount paid, and an easy-to-understand returns form. Usually there is a promotional card or leaflet for another product, for example an offer to buy glasses from Vision Direct’s sister brand.
The only strange thing I’ve noticed with a couple of recent orders is that the package comes with a free gift – a small packet of children’s ‘gummy’ sweets. I just don’t understand why they are thrown in and would prefer they offered something more relevant – perhaps a lens cleaner, glasses cloth or eye drops. Maybe even a discount coupon.
We’ll see what happens later this summer when I re-order.
The process of re-ordering (with the same prescription) is really easy. If on the Vision Direct mailing list, you receive regular emails from the company. Some are sent around the time you would normally be due to re-stock again. These messages include a simple ‘one-click’ button to take you to the site to repeat your last order.
This is a company that appears to be doing the essentials well. As long as the service and price remain good, they’re going to have a loyal customer in me.
Take a look at their website. Sign up for their mailings. See what they are doing. You may be able to learn some lessons you can apply in your own marketing efforts.
And, of course, if you would welcome a little help with tactics and words, you can always see me.