These days, eyewear has become an essential part of people’s wardrobe. Aside from helping maintain proper vision, others also opt for stylish eyewear as fashion accessories to complete their look. Over four billion people around the globe wear glasses. Not counting eyewear for style purposes, experts expect that half of the planet will require glasses by 2050.
Aside from the rising need for vision correction, buying eyewear has also become much easier and more accessible than ever. The rise of eyewear e-commerce has contributed significantly to the growth of the global eyewear industry. According to Euromonitor International’s research, the eyewear industry is set to post a 5.9% compound annual growth rate between 2022 and 2027.
The popularity of eyewear e-commerce has also allowed brands and companies to innovate to meet growing customer demands and preferences. For example, UK eyewear brand Cubitts partnered with HERU technology for its 3D face scan app, allowing customers to try on glasses from the comfort of their homes. In this post, we’ll look at four must-have functions for eyewear e-commerce sites:
Virtual try-on
As mentioned above, one of the most popularly adopted features seen on eyewear e-commerce sites nowadays is virtual try-on technology. This turns any customer’s device into a virtual fitting room where they can try on different eyewear models, sizes, and colors to find the best fit and look according to their face shape, style, and preference.
US discounter giant Walmart recently introduced virtual optical try-on for its eyewear products. Customers are able to virtually try on frames and purchase prescription eyewear online using the brand’s app or directly on the official website. Aside from trying frames on virtually, customers can also customize the lenses and upload their valid prescriptions. There is also a scan feature to capture their pupillary distance measurements to ensure the perfect fit.
Auto reorder function
For specific eyewear products, such as contact lenses, customers will need to consistently buy replacements, especially for daily and monthly disposable lenses. As such, eyewear brands that make it easier and more efficient for customers to order again can stand out among their competitors.
In addition to the added convenience, customers can also benefit from extra savings through an auto reorder feature. Online contact lenses retailer Lenstore offers 5% off future orders when subscribed to its Auto Reorder feature. The feature allows customers to set the reorder schedule and wearing frequency, and can pause or cancel the subscription at any time in case something comes up. Eyewear brands looking to implement this feature on their site should also invest in proper customer service to help support customers who may queries or concerns about their reorder schedule or subscription.
AI chatbot
Another must-have for eyewear e-commerce sites is AI integration. Most importantly, this has manifested through smart AI chatbots offering personalized recommendations and support for customers browsing products on the site.
In a previous post, we highlighted how retail is one of the sectors revolutionized by AI. These chatbots are powered by AI algorithms that analyze consumer behavior to provide personalized shopping experiences and recommend products based on past purchases and browsing history. For many customers, this level of personalization helps boost engagement and make an eyewear brand or site more memorable. As AI becomes more advanced, these chatbots can also help make product search more efficiently using image recognition, so customers can search for products using images instead of text, saving time along the way.
Omnichannel presence
Finally, it’s important for eyewear e-commerce brands to establish an omnichannel presence. While multichannel e-commerce simply expects customers to approach a brand or product through different channels, establishing omnichannel e-commerce requires a unified e-commerce experience for customers to reach a brand regardless of device or platform.
Research has shown that 73% of online shoppers use multiple channels when purchasing products online. By creating an omnichannel presence, customers can have a seamless eyewear shopping experience whether through online channels like a site, app, or social media, or physically through brick-and-mortar stores. For example, customers can easily research products online and buy them offline when they visit the story, and vice versa.