VM EVENTS: VM Summit Summit Sound Bytes: What’s Next for Digital Trends? By Staff Tuesday, April 19, 2011 3:30 PM RELATED CONTENT Summit Sound Bytes Summit Sound Bytes: Social Purpose Changes the ‘Value’ Equation Summit Sound Bytes: Forging New Alliances Summit Sound Bytes: The Marketing Appeal of Groupon Summit Sound Bytes: 3D Vision Trend And Now…A Word From the Experts NEW YORK—The topics of the day at VM’s Global Leadership Summit were diverse, up-to-the-minute and on target. In this second part of an exclusive online series, we take an in-depth look at how social media and group sales can affect eyewear practices and stores. Social Studies: Digital Trends Social media, mobile and e-commerce are all converging. What’s next? Reading technology news can sometimes feel like trying to grab hold of a waterfall. Everything is always rushing by and just when you have a grasp, another wave comes rushing through. In light of today’s mobile tech overload, the expert panel shared their thoughts on the changing convergence of social media, mobile tech, e-commerce and what’s next for the optical industry online. Roy Hessel, Founder and CEO, EyeBuyDirect.com “Customers engage in a discussion board which is not moderated. They can comment on what they like and don’t and it enables us to collect the information [the micro-data] to create a profile for that person so we know what they like. It helps us to reduce bounce rate and increase time on our site. It also allows customers get an indication of what is the right frame for them.” “E-pressure is what a customer feels when they see a person who has bought a frame or tried it on. E-pressure is a major contributor on our site.” “People are quite comfortable today interacting virtually. They do satisfy the need for interaction online.” Nikki Iravani, OD, Founder and CEO, Global EyeVentures “The revolution of mobile technology alone is something to talk about for hours.” “Mobile platforms are hitting critical mass: Q4 2010 shows that tablets and smartphones have surpassed the shipment of computers and laptops.” “Mobile ads—from text alerts and banner ads to web sponsorship and apps—are on the rise. It’s a gradual, slow progression into mobile but we’re at the revolution and it’s going to be bigger than any of us expect.” Mark Oller, AIA, VP Brand Development, For Eyes Optical “I think it’s important to approach the web with an entrepreneurial spirit.” “It’s very interesting that we created a website to validate our physical location and now we’re using our brick-and-mortar [location] to validate our e-commerce site.” “Customer experience is achieved by a strategic amalgamation of e-commerce, marketing, social media and mobile strategies into a cohesive brand outpost.” Justin Bazan, OD, Park Slope Eye “I get maybe 20 minutes a year with a patient. Facebook allows me to deepen and strengthen those bonds throughout the year.” “You’re getting the best patients through Yelp because they are coming in already knowing what to expect. Turning a one star review into a five star review is where diplomacy comes in and where your likeability and customer service skills are important.” “Mobile media is going to be huge. As is cross-promoting on social media platforms for marketing. Yelp on Facebook, Facebook on Yelp. It builds an army of loyal advocates who will go into battle for your brand.” For videos, photos and full PDFs of the event’s complete sessions, please visit VisionMondaySummit.com.
