Buying eyeglasses online is fast becoming the most preferred way to purchase eyeglasses, for reasons of affordability, convenience, quality assurance and simplicity. Facts are facts – when buying online you can choose when to do your shopping at a time when is most convenient for you, you can take as much time to choose your new frames as you’d like, there is no-one looking over your shoulder and pushing you towards the most expensive pair, and yes – online eyeglasses retail for up to 70% less than their identical counterparts sold offline.
What’s more, you can check out online reviews – both of the sites you are thinking of buying from and of the eyeglasses frames that you are considering – to ensure that others have good things to say about the retailer. With no time constraints, you can decide when you have the time to sit down and shop and you no longer have to buy from the first shop you walk into simply to save time. The online world enables you to be fussy and to find a store proven to provide excellent service to others that works for you and your needs.
Before you buy from an online store, think about a few things: are you looking for a regular pair of prescription eyeglasses or do you need multifocals? Are sunglasses on your “to buy” list? Knowing what your needs are will ensure that there are no nasty surprises at the end. If you need multifocals, only look at frames which are suitable for multifocal lenses. If you need sunglasses, then look at the sunglasses, or at the costs of the color tints. Don’t go in expecting that a regular pair of prescription glasses will cost the same as a pair complete with tints, coatings and so on.
Leading on from point one, you should also know exactly what the optional extras on special are. Some offer extra coatings, some offer extra tints and some offer both. Decide whether you need or want an anti-reflective or anti-scratch coating. Remember, knowledge is power and will help you make the right financial choices. Although all the extras are nice, if you don’t need them, opt to not have them.
Thirdly, if you need sunglasses and regular prescription eyeglasses, then consider the option of buying Transitions lenses which give you both in one eyeglasses frame. That way, you have the convenience of never having to change frames. Alternatively, if you really want two separate frames, then ensure to take the possible extra cost into account, unless of course, the company is offering a two-for-one special.
Lastly, watch out for promotions. Online eyeglasses companies run regular promotions dependent on the seasons, holidays, and a number of other factors. Often these sales include significant discounts on already affordable eyeglasses, where other times it allows families to splash out with two-for-one savings, or the-more-you-buy-the-more-you-save type offers. Think ahead and try to work out whether there may be any reason for a promotion in a week or two and maybe hold off on your purchase for a short period. In saying this, you could also hunt down coupons on various sites and blogs which will also add to your savings. Most sites offer virtual coupons which also help to slash prices and have you saving even more.
Remember to take good care of your prescription eyeglasses. Always hold the eyeglasses frame in the center, on the nose piece; only clean with a 100% cotton lint-free cloth – never your t-shirt, a tissue or anything else of the sort. At the end of the day, the best way to save on eyeglasses is to protect the pair that you already have and ensure that you only need to buy new ones when your eyeglasses prescription changes or when you feel like a new style.
Hillary Glaser is a social networking specialist and expert in cross-media promotion, currently working on promoting prescription eyeglasses. She is the Director of Marketing and Special Projects for GlassesUSA – the easiest way to buy glasses online, which now offers free shipping on all US orders with the code FreeShip10.