Contact Lens Institute: Top online searches related to purchasing, lens removal
Key takeaways:
- Ten of the top 20 contact lens-related Google searches were related to purchasing.
- People searched for contact lens removal instructions twice as much as insertion instructions.
ORLANDO — Research conducted by the Contact Lens Institute revealed that individuals searching online for contact lens information most commonly looked for purchasing and lens removal assistance.
In addition, this latest data from the Contact Lens Institute’s (CLI’s) See Tomorrow initiative indicated missed dual wear opportunities.
Research highlights were presented during Vision Expo East by 2025 CLI board chairperson Charissa Lee, OD, MBA, FAAO, head of North America professional affairs, vision care, Johnson & Johnson, along with CLI visionaries Roxanne Achong-Coan, OD, FAAO, FIAOMC, FSLS, FBCLA, of Coan Eye Care and Optical Boutique in Ocoee, Florida; Ryan Corte, OD, of Northlake Eye in Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina; and Nishan Pressley, OD, of Essential Eye Care & Optical in Apopka, Florida.
“Sometimes patients don’t tell their doctor or staff what they’re really thinking,” Lee said during the panel discussion. “Online search is a way to gain some of these insights.”
Researchers evaluated Google Trends and TikTok data, she said, to find what people are looking for when they put “contact lens” into the search box.
Ten of the top 20 contact lens-related Google searches were related to purchasing, according to a CLI press release. Of those 10, five related to specific retailers and four related to price.
In addition, people searched for contact lens removal instructions twice as much as insertion instructions, according to the release.
A third point discovered in the research was the fact that 94% of comparative Google searches pitted contact lens wear against spectacle lenses, highlighting an opportunity for dual wear conversations during patient visits.
Lee, Achong-Coan, Corte and Pressley spoke with Healio after the panel discussion.
“Patients don’t necessarily know that we sell contact lenses,” Lee said. “They’re searching for a place to buy contact lenses online.”
“Patients might ask a friend where they get their contact lenses, and if it’s online, that’s where they look,” Pressley said. “We need to talk about full service: We sell contacts, glasses; we do everything you need right here. We need something on our website that says, ‘Order contacts.’
“Patients want to go online and order,” she continued. “They want to go online at 11 p.m. when they realize they’re down to their last two lenses. Think about how people use Amazon.”
“It’s impossible for a small practice to compete in a search queue,” Corte said. “As much as we have to have it on the website, it comes down to educating them while they’re there in the practice.”
Achong-Coan said her practice has a program linked to the electronic health record, “and if [patients] didn’t order from us, it sends them an email.”
“We should put boxes of contact lenses out in the reception area with the nutraceuticals,” she added.
Achong-Coan said she was “shocked” that people searched online for how to remove contact lenses.
“I believe a high percentage of patients are successful,” she said. “We take a lot of time with instruction. I say if they can’t remove the lens, they can’t leave the practice. However, we typically do spend more time on insertion than removal.”
The panelists also discussed the fact that such a high percentage of Google searches approached contact lenses and glasses as being an either-or decision.
Corte admitted that his staff members fielding phone calls from patients typically ask if they are interested in glasses or contact lenses.
Achong-Coan said her staff also schedules a “glasses” exam or a “contact lens” exam.
“This provides a big opportunity to become more intentional about how we operate in the office,” Corte said. “We need to tell them we’ll provide a number of solutions and that it’s in their best interest to have a pair of glasses in addition to their contact lenses.”
“But, also, with contact lenses, they need sunglasses and maybe reading glasses,” Achong-Coan added.
She noted that one of her patients has four different daily disposable contact lens prescriptions: “He keeps the left eye the same and switches out the right — one for golf, one for driving, one for shooting and one for around the house.”
Corte suggested asking patients about their interest in contact lenses even if they are not currently wearing them.
“I ask what they like to do outside of work,” Pressley said. “Explain that they don’t have to wear contact lenses all the time.”
Achong-Coan said she tells her staff to ask patients what they do for a profession and to ask about their lifestyle and hobbies.
References:
- Experts address consumer contact lens online search habits. https://www.contactlensinstitute.org/news/vee2025/. Published March 4, 2025. Accessed March 24, 2025.
- Purchase factors drive online contact lens searches, according to new U.S. & Canadian research. https://www.contactlensinstitute.org/news/digital-search25/. Published Feb. 18, 2025. Accessed March 27, 2025.
For more information:
Roxanne Achong-Coan, OD, FAAO, FIAOMC, FSLS, FBCLA, diplomate, AAO Section on Cornea, Contact Lens and Refractive Technologies, of Coan Eye Care and Optical Boutique in Ocoee, Florida, can be reached at drcoan@coaneyecare.com.
Ryan Corte, OD, of Northlake Eye in Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina, can be reached at ryan.corte1@gmail.com; @RyanReflects on all forms of social media.
Charissa Lee, OD, MBA, FAAO, head of North America professional affairs, vision care, Johnson & Johnson, can be reached at Clee132@its.jnj.com; www.linkedin.com/in/charissa-lee-od-mba-faao-81136519.
Nishan Pressley, OD, of Essential Eye Care & Optical in Apopka, Florida, can be reached at askdrnish@gmail.com.
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Lee C, et al. Digital discovery: Consumer searches reveal contact lens realities. Presented at: Vision Expo East; Feb. 19-22. 2025; Orlando.
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