Ed's Contact Lenses

LentillasSi.es Revenue per Manufacturer

2017-03-12T18:43:00.000+00:00

One of the many ways that I slice and dice the data that I pull from LentillasSi is sales per manufacturer. I track things like the gross margin for each, the number of units, the reorder frequency, etc. to try to get a better understanding of our sales.

Most of the data is private for competitive reasons, but some can be shared, and I will do so when possible. One shareable bit is the percentage of revenue per manufacturer. From this data, I've only included the big 4 (in revenue order): CooperVision, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, and Johnson & Johnson.

CooperVision has been our best selling manufacturer forever. Biofinity and Proclear make up the bulk of the sales, but their newer dailies (especially Biomedics 1 Day Extra) are coming on strong. Although they made up 40% of our revenue, that's actually down from last year, when they made up 41%.

Alcon (formerly Ciba Vision) is the manufacturer that grew most notably from last year, from 22 to 24% of our revenue. Their sales are more spread out, with Air Optix Aqua leading the pack, Dailies Total1 as our most popular daily lens, and Air Optix Colors being our most popular monthly lens.

Bausch & Lomb leads with their SofLens line, but we also sell quite a few of their liquids. Both Renu and Biotrue are big sellers, and also highly regarded by our optician. SofLens 59 is one of highest selling products.

Finally, Johnson & Johnson makes one of our perennial bestsellers, Acuvue Oasys. Their daily products, especially TruEye and Moist, are not selling as well in Spain as they sell in other countries, although there is a lot of excitement about the new Oasys Daily Lenses. Johnson & Johnson has also discontinued the Acuvue Advance line, and we're now selling off our remaining stock.

LentillasSi - #1 in Customer Satisfaction

2016-06-15T09:10:00.000+00:00

LentillasSi.es is rated #1 in Customer Satisfaction by our users!

Our customers scored LentillasSi.es 9.8 / 10 in customer satisfaction. We already knew Susana was the best customer service rep on the planet, but now eKomi has certified the fact.

I've checked the rankings of all the websites that sell contact lenses in Spain, and quite a few more that sell in other countries, and I didn't find anyone ranked higher than us. eKomi only awards gold for sites with ratings of 9.6 / 10 or higher, and I found NO ONE else that has a gold ranking.

What Makes LentillasSi the Best

Besides Susana charming the customers, LentillasSi.es has a lot to offer: standard next business day tracked shipping, more than 2/3rds of ordered goods in stock (and that percentage is growing quickly), cheapest prices, lowest shipping costs (free in most cases), Confianza Online compliance, multi-layered web site security (including end to end encryption), and a fast, world class, "mobile first" website all contribute to the ranking.

We have systems built to check every step of the user process. If we can't find the city associated with your postal code, we get informed. If a client has problems creating an account or adding a product to the basket, we get informed. We are constantly monitoring and improving every little detail of the customer experience.

What the Future Holds

What we find encouraging is that there is still so much to do! Our sales are growing by leaps and bounds, but we are working hard every day to improve the experience. Improvements in payments, site speed, site usability, product selection and packaging are all in the works. We can't wait to find more ways to keep our customers happy!

Filcon

2015-07-01T07:47:00.001+00:00

Recently, while preparing the databases for use on a web shop, I generated a curious list....

Alphafilcon A, Balafilcon A, Comfilcon A, Delefilcon A, Enfilcon A, Etafilcon A, Galyfilcon A, Hilafilcon B, Hioxifilicon A, Lidofilcon A, Lotrafilcon A, Lotrafilcon B, Methafilcon A, Narafilcon A, Nelfilcon A, Ocufilcon B, Ocufilcon D, Omafilcon A, Phemfilcon A, Senofilcon A, and Stenfilcon A.

For the optometrists among you, you will recognize that these are contact lens material names. I found the fact that everything that ended in filcon (Phil Collins? ;->) had to be more than an accident, and I was right: they follow very specific rules set up by the United States Adopted Names Council.

From my experience with tracking what web users are searching for, there was only one material that was really on my radar: Comfilcon (used in CooperVision products). Checking Google Trends, it's clear why... it's basically the only material that non-opticians know about. What is also curious is that the materials searched for by name are ALL from CooperVision - none of the other manufacturer's materials are known by the general public.

The one exception to the naming convention is Polymacon, used in some SofLens products. So far, I have not found the reason that this material does not end in "filcon". I'll update this post when I find out.

Lentillas (Contact Lenses) in Spain

2009-09-30T10:53:00.002+00:00

Susana from www.Lensbase.es is telling me that they sell lentillas (Contact Lenses) there. Tell her I sent you and you will get... well, just the normal excellent service and lentillas baratas (cheap lenses) that you get every day and Lensbase.

They are growing by leaps and bounds (as is the Spanish online contact lens business in general), and you can read on the testimonials page exactly how happy the customers are.

Kudos!

Update: Susana and I no longer work for lensbase... we have set up our own webshop at www.LentillasSi.es. We sell lentillas (contact lenses) even cheaper now, and the lenses are shipped from Spain, meaning you get them faster.

Money Saving Expert

2008-12-10T11:47:00.002+00:00

I just reread the contact lens article on Money Saving Expert. It has lots of interesting info, mostly about saving money, but also sections like "Are daily lenses secretly the same as monthlies?". Check it out.

The Eye of the Beholder

2008-11-26T08:34:00.000+00:00

Competence, like truth, beauty and contact lenses, is in the eye of the beholder.

- Laurence J. Peter

Excellent FAQs

2008-11-21T15:27:00.004+00:00

My buddy Andrew tells me there are some excellent FAQs here, and he's absolutly right.

Proclear Sphere

2008-10-06T07:49:00.003+00:00

Contact Lenses Today reports that Coopervision has expanded the parameters available for their Proclear Sphere monthly replacement contact lenses, with 8.6 powers going from -20.00 through 20.00.

Acuminder

2008-09-09T08:10:00.002+00:00

Acuvue and Johnson & Johnson have just converted their Acuminder application to a Facebook application. Both the Acuminder site and the Facebook application provide you with reminders about ordering your contact lenses and getting annual eye exams.

Be the Best You Can Be

2008-08-10T15:24:00.002+00:00

www.acuvue.com has published a PDF called "Be the Best You Can Be", which highlights the ways in which improving your vision (using, of course, Acuvue brand contact lenses) can make you better at what you do. It was an interesting read, especially about the soccer player and why UV protection is important (something that I should take more care of since I spend a lot of time outdoors here on the Mediterranean coast). I got the news from the Contact Lenses Today newsletter, which also talked about free samples, but I assume that's only for the US market.

SiBoSol

2008-08-08T17:37:00.002+00:00

Lensbase's new SiBoSol product has obviously hit a sweet price point, as it's selling very well. The fact that instructions are also in various European languages makes it especially interesting for the non-English-speaking hoards (one of whom I'm married to, so I know the interest is heartfelt).

What I have noticed however is that people do not order many lens cases, even though all the opticians say they should be changed every three months. The next time I visit the warehouse, I have orders to pick up some more piggy shaped lens cases. Let's see if I can start promoting them better. Steffan, I have an idea... details to follow...

Great Point Light - Seeing is Believing

2008-05-21T09:37:00.010+00:00

At the recent Vision Expo East conference in NY, late on the last day, Steffan found the Great Point Light stand. We were both really excited about it - Steffan because he wanted to sell the products we found there, me because I wanted to buy a bunch of them.

My wife Cristina has been using the products since then, including the LightWedge and the Wallet Magnifiers, and she is very happy with both of them, and (as usual) sending new clients to our website since she's a big believer. I only purchased one LightWedge but, since I haven't been able to get my hands on the one we have at home (since Crys is always using it), it looks like I'll have to pick up another one. Recommended.

We also have a great selection of Great Point Light products for sale now. Besides the LightWedge and the Wallet Magnifiers (which, as part of the over-40 club, will now become part of my standard equipment), I also plan to get the USB Flex Neck light.

In my next post, Steffan will cover European States and Internet Sales, in particular what the future holds!

Alpine Crystal Ski Goggles

2008-01-07T14:06:00.000+00:00

I was coordinating a change to the VisionDirect.co.uk shipment scanning system the other day - the ability to get the DHL tracking number directly from the DHL EasyShip program so that scanning the order against the DHL bar code would catch any mistakes. In order to do so, I needed a DHL label to make sure the scanning would work. We agreed that the best way to get a DHL label to me was to DHL something down here to Spain. "What do you want?" I was asked (I LIKE those kind of questions). Since I was going skiing in Andorra to bring in the new year, I asked for ski goggles. Much to my delight, the arrived here at the office shortly before I left. Thanks, Steffan!

Well, I didn't set any ski records on this trip (I spent too much time teaching my 5 year old sweetheart Martina to ski), but I WAS very, very impressed with the goggles. The vision was excellent both in the morning / midday in the glaring sun, in the late afternoons when the mountains provided an early sunset on the lower slopes, and even on the day when we had heavy snow and a lot of wind. Also, despite being roughed up both by falls and by rushed packing (renting skis for 6, including 4 kids, tends to induce careless behavior), the goggles did not get scratched or broken (unlike the 28 EUR sunglasses I bought for my son Nick, which got broken within 6 hours of purchase). Also, the goggles were super comfortable - I totally forgot that I had them on. They just worked. The field of vision was great, the strap was great - they just blew me away.

Although the price you pay will be a bit higher than what I paid (can't get any cheaper than free), I feel very confident in highly recommending these goggles.

VisionDirect.co.uk DHL Discounts

2007-12-07T13:39:00.001+00:00

The VisionDirect.co.uk RSS newsfeed just reported that they are lowering their DHL shipping costs by one third during the holiday season. This is a nice gesture that allows contact lens users to avoid the usual jam in the Royal Mail services that occurs around the holidays. Kudos! [or "Déu n'hi do" as they would say in Catalan]

Eye Power

2007-11-30T08:47:00.000+00:00

Dvice.com is reporting on "Eye Power", a machine that "correct near-sighted/myopic vision problems" and can "supposedly caress your eyes back to perfect 20/20 health".

Ummm, right. If you're buying for me for Christmas, I'd rather have the Cheeky Chimp air freshener...

Various Stuff

2007-11-27T08:52:00.001+00:00

I have another mailing from CoastalContacts.co.uk trying to move their European customers over to Lensway.co.uk. Coastal is a Canadian company which owns the Holland based Lensway, and it makes more sense for the sales to go through there. They are even giving a 10% "welcome" discount for switching. Anyone here how the marriage between Coastal and Lensway is going?

VisionDirect.com did a mailing offering a 10% off discount with coupon code HOLIDAYTEN up through December 11th. In addition, you can "Get a free air freshener when you buy any two Cheeky Chimp beauty products". Um, right.
Their stock dipped below $3/share before showing an uptick to reach $3.05. Knowing that more and more shopping is going to the Internet, and that they may soon reach profitability, the price actually looks tempting.

I've been hoping to see Christmas contact lenses (red and green eyes, reindeer eyes, something of that sort), but no go. Looks like I'll have to go to all the xmas parties with my baby blue's ;->

Flames

2007-11-16T09:18:00.000+00:00

Although the prices are a bit out of my budget, and it's a bit late for Halloween, you have to love the variety of theatrical lenses available at 9mm SFX. I think I'll go for the "flames" design!

VisionDirect.co.uk: Ski Goggle 33% Off!

2007-11-14T08:30:00.000+00:00

I received a 33% off ski goggles offer from VisionDirect.co.uk. They offer UV protection and excellent quality polycarbonate shatterproof lenses. They are made of G-TECH multi-layer Titanium Lens technology as used by aerospace engineers at NASA. If you buy two, the savings are even greater.

I talked to Steffan, who used them on the slopes last year. He's the type of person that can afford and buys the best of everything, and truly enjoys great design and quality. He was impressed with the goggles, and will be using them again this year.

They are now selling like hotcakes, and for a good reason - they give great bang for the buck. I'll be getting 6 pairs for my trip to Andorra this January. What color do you suggest?

Eye Makeover

2007-11-12T09:12:00.000+00:00

Johnson & Johnson has released iMakeover, a site that allows you to virtually "try on" Acuvue 2 Colors. You upload a picture, virtually put the lenses in your eyes, and then try adjusting the colors to find out which ones look best. The interface is very slick, and while the results are not as exciting as I was expecting (I was looking for a super noticeable green for my son - just the eyes in a commercial he was commenting on the other day), it did clearly change his look.

It also includes the possibility to get a free trail pair certificate, but only for US addresses. Let's see if Johnson & Johnson Europe can comment on that...

Beijing blur

2007-10-30T18:01:00.000+00:00

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Australian Olympic athletes will be given contact lenses to fight the bad Beijing air. Johnson & Johnson will be providing lenses with UV filters. At the very least, it's a great publicity stunt.

I would have thought that Nike Max Tints would have been in the running for this one...

Another VisionDirect.com Offer

2007-10-30T08:33:00.000+00:00

The guys at VisionDirect.com are at it again, with a 10% off (coupon code HURRY10) through November 13th.

VisionDirect's mother company, Drugstore.com, saw it's stock price rise to the $3.50 mark, after falling as low as $2.35 earlier in the year. Their 3rd quarter results were still in the red, but down to only 2 cents per share, and they expect a "breakout" 4th quarter. In any case, at a guess, they are doing well in their contact lens division.

CooperVision Learning

2007-10-29T10:43:00.000+00:00

CooperVision has a free online learning center for people who work in the optical branch - both for opticians and for non-specialists. All you need is a CooperVision Business Partner number to register on the site and sign up for the courses.

Nike Max Tints

2007-10-26T13:42:00.001+00:00

Nike? Selling sports contact lenses? Here's a short news report video on YouTube. NikeVision also has more info and a PR video.

DMOZ

2007-10-25T17:08:00.000+00:00

In my continuing effort to make sure users can find us wherever they look, I submitted VisionDirect.co.uk to DMOZ (the site needs to be reviewed before it's actually added to the list, so don't expect VisionDirect to appear for a couple of weeks yet).

DMOZ (a.k.a. Open Directory Project) was started in 1998, and has a checkered and interesting history outlined on Wikipedia.

It's about time we're there!

Royal Mail

2007-10-22T09:16:00.000+00:00

Royal Mail expects that the offer they made to the union will be put up for a vote to the 130,000 members of the CWU, and all strike actions called off until the results are in. They expect it to take about a week for service to get back to normal, and about a month to know whether the union accepts the offer or not. For up-to-date info, check out Royal Mail's Industrial Action Update page, or follow the story on the BBC News site.