How ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć & Tylock Eye Center are working together to transform the patient experience

At ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć, we always appreciate the opportunity to take on a challenge. And 2025 presented one of the most significant challenges refractive surgeons and ophthalmologists have faced in recent times – in many ways, even more challenging than the COVID era.

We were faced with several challenges this year. Economic pressures squeezed the core demographic that historically drove LASIK adoption. Social media amplified fear-based narratives that overshadowed decades of safety data and successful outcomes. Patient hesitation increased, decision cycles lengthened, and practices found themselves needing to rebuild trust from the ground up.

But challenges also create opportunities for innovation. Rather than simply defending LASIK, we saw an opportunity to transform the conversation entirely – to shift from promoting a single procedure to educating patients about personalized vision solutions tailored to their unique needs, anatomy, and life stage.

Our partnership with Dr. Taj Nasser, Amanda Kincaid, and Randy Schaller from Tylock George Eye Care gave us the perfect opportunity to put this philosophy into practice: reinvigorating interest in vision correction through expanded options, better education, and genuine transparency

What We Were Up Against in 2025

The ophthalmology and refractive surgery industry faced several significant challenges this year, prompting us to rethink our approach to vision correction marketing entirely.

Economic Pressure on the Core LASIK Demographic

The 18–30-year-old demographic has experienced diminished purchasing power due to a combination of economic pressures that disproportionately affect younger adults. 

This group, which historically adopted LASIK at earlier ages, is now facing significantly higher living expenses. Rapidly rising rent costs have consumed a larger share of disposable income, while increased reliance on financing, particularly for car payments and student debt, has reduced financial flexibility. 

When combined with persistent inflation impacting everyday necessities, this age group has less discretionary income available for elective procedures like LASIK, effectively constraining their ability to purchase despite ongoing interest.

The Social Media Effect and Anti-LASIK Sentiment

Over the past three years, LASIK surgery volume has declined by , reflecting a combination of economic pressure and shifting consumer perception. 

By 2025, this downward trend was further accelerated by a surge of anti-LASIK sentiment on social media, particularly driven by highly visible TikTok videos highlighting negative or rare adverse outcomes. These narratives, often lacking medical context or statistical balance, gained significant traction among younger audiences. Compounding the issue was the release of the documentary Broken Eyes, which reinforced fear-based messaging and amplified public skepticism around LASIK safety and outcomes.

Together, these factors contributed to increased hesitation among prospective patients, longer decision cycles, and a heightened need for education, trust-building, and transparency within LASIK marketing and patient engagement strategies. 

Of course, at Glacial, we all know that LASIK is very safe and effective. In fact, several Glacial employees have had both LASIK and SMILE eye surgery.

Building a New Foundation for Vision Correction Marketing

Patients Now Have Several Vision Correction Options, Not Just LASIK

Addressing these challenges demanded a complete rethinking of how we approach vision correction marketing. We set out to work with Tylock George Eye Care to identify ways to reinvigorate interest in vision correction. 

We began by looking back and reflecting on what has worked well and where we could do better. It’s always valuable to take a step back and review marketing goals and focus, then build tactics that will ultimately drive results. Regular reflection forces you to evaluate whether your marketing efforts are driving the goals that matter: qualified leads, booked consults, and revenue, not just impressions or clicks.

One thing became immediately clear: we needed a new website and a new message. For many years, Tylock George Eye Care has been known as one of the best . Located in Irving, Texas, the practice is uniquely positioned to serve the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, attracting patients from across the region. With over 40 years of combined experience in refractive surgery, the team’s expertise is undeniable. 

Specifically for Tylock George Eye Care, the challenge became: How do we emphasize that experience and location in a new website while revealing a new approach to modern vision correction?

We would need to explain how we go beyond the limits of lasers and why this would benefit our patients.

The Answer: Choice, Education, and Transparency

As we mapped out our strategy for the new website and messaging, these challenges revealed a critical insight: the best solution was to expand the conversation, not necessarily to defend LASIK more forcefully.

By presenting multiple vision correction options, we could address economic concerns (offering procedures at different price points and value propositions), counter social media skepticism (showing that LASIK isn’t the only path to visual freedom), and rebuild trust through education and transparency. 

Modern vision correction, with its emphasis on personalized solutions, became a key part of our answer. The strategy helped us meet patients where they are, both financially and emotionally.

Personalization Over Procedure

The first step was figuring out the best approach to explain these new forms of vision correction to patients. What became clear is that modern vision correction should be explained through the lens of personalization, not by promoting a single procedure like LASIK.

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE), EVO ICL, and premium intraocular lenses should be presented as solutions designed for different ages, eye anatomy, and lifestyle needs.

While LASIK reshapes the cornea and works well for younger patients with healthy corneas and stable prescriptions, alternatives are recommended when LASIK would not deliver optimal or long-term results. 

EVO ICL is ideal for patients with higher prescriptions or thin corneas who want excellent visual quality without altering the cornea, while RLE with premium intraocular lenses is better suited for patients over 45 who are developing presbyopia or early lens changes and want lasting correction at multiple distances.

Framing these options as tailored, life-stage–appropriate solutions helps patients understand why a non-LASIK approach may provide better outcomes, greater visual freedom, and long-term value. At the same time, it was important that we let patients know LASIK remains a great option for many people.

Our strategy centered on two key objectives:

1. Show that modern vision correction can cover multiple age groups

2. Present modern vision correction as more than just LASIK

Reframing Vision Correction

Modern vision correction represents a fundamental reframing of how we talk about vision correction. Instead of fitting patients into a one-procedure-fits-all model, we’re now matching the right solution to each patient’s age, eye anatomy, lifestyle, and long-term vision goals.

This reframing shifts the conversation from promoting a single procedure to designing the best possible vision for each individual. It’s a patient-first strategy that improves outcomes, satisfaction, and trust. Practices that embrace this multi-option approach are better positioned to educate patients, overcome hesitation, and deliver clearer vision at every stage of life, while future-proofing their practice against changing demographics and patient expectations.

Highlighting The Benefits Patients Care About

In developing the new website and messaging strategy for Tylock George Eye Care, we knew that listing procedures wasn’t enough. Patients don’t wake up thinking ‘I need RLE’ or ‘I want EVO ICL’, they wake up frustrated by glasses fogging up, struggling to see the scoreboard at their kid’s game, or worried about night driving safety.

Benefit-driven content is always important to remember to include. We focused on the outcomes patients actually care about:

• Eliminating or reducing the ongoing costs of glasses and contacts
• Seeing clearly while playing sports or staying active
• Reducing night driving difficulties and glare
• Achieving clear vision at multiple distances without bifocals
• Living life without the daily hassles of glasses and contact lenses

By leading with these benefits and then connecting them to the right procedure for each patient’s unique situation, we made the conversation about their life.

Modern Vision Correction for 2026 and Beyond

The vision correction industry will continue to evolve, but one thing is certain: practices that embrace a multi-option, patient-first approach will thrive. As we move into 2026, the opportunity is clear: educate patients about their options, lead with transparency, and deliver personalized solutions that match their unique needs.

At ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć, we’re committed to helping ophthalmology and refractive surgery practices navigate this new era. Whether you’re looking to expand beyond LASIK, refresh your messaging, or build a comprehensive modern vision correction strategy, we’re here to help.

Ready to elevate your vision correction marketing in 2026? Let’s talk about how we can work together to reinvigorate patient interest, expand your service offerings, and future-proof your practice.

Tradeshows can help transform your practice if you know how to leverage them. From discovering technologies that streamline your workflow to forming partnerships that open new revenue streams, tradeshows and events like ASCRS represent concentrated opportunities for growth. But these opportunities don’t just fall into your lap – they must be strategically pursued. 

Here’s your roadmap to making every minute and dollar of your next tradeshow count!

Before You Go: Plan Like a Pro

Don’t wait until you’re at the airport to think about your tradeshow strategy. A little prep work goes a long way. Start by setting clear goals for what you want to achieve. 

• Are you there to learn about specific new technologies? 
• Scout potential vendors? 
• Network with colleagues?

Having defined objectives helps you prioritize your time when faced with competing sessions and events.

Most conferences publish their programs weeks in advance, giving you plenty of time to study the agenda. Instead of trying to attend everything (which is impossible anyway), mark the must-attend sessions and build your schedule around them. 

It is also worth considering creating a target list of vendors you absolutely need to visit and colleagues or thought leaders you’d like to connect with. This prevents aimless wandering and ensures you don’t miss crucial opportunities.

Maximizing Educational Opportunities

The educational sessions are the meat and potatoes of most medical conferences, but approaching them strategically makes all the difference.

Rather than sticking to just clinical topics, mix in some practice management sessions for a well-rounded experience. While technological innovations are exciting, insights on operational efficiency or marketing strategies might actually deliver faster ROI for your practice.

When taking notes, focus on capturing actionable takeaways.

Ask yourself: “What can I actually implement when I return?” 

This mindset transforms passive listening into active planning.

Also, don’t underestimate the value of Q&A periods. This is your chance to get specific advice from leading experts tailored to your unique situation. If you’re hesitant to speak up in a crowded room, approach the speaker afterward with your question, most are happy to chat briefly between sessions.

Networking: Creating Meaningful Connections

The real magic of tradeshows often happens in the spaces between scheduled events. Meaningful connections can be the most valuable takeaway from any conference, but they rarely happen by accident.

Instead of aiming to collect as many business cards as possible, focus on having substantive conversations. Having three meaningful exchanges is infinitely more valuable than 30 superficial ones. Ask thoughtful questions about challenges others are facing in their practices, share your own experiences, and look for genuine points of connection.

Social events provide some of the best networking opportunities in a more relaxed atmosphere. Cocktail receptions, alumni gatherings, and society dinners allow for conversations that go beyond the superficial. These settings often lead to the most fruitful professional relationships.

Don’t leave important meetings to chance. Reach out to key contacts before the event to schedule coffee or meals. These prearranged meetings ensure you connect with high-priority contacts, even when schedules get hectic during the conference.

Social media can enhance your in-person networking. Follow event hashtags and engage with other attendees online. A simple comment like “Loved your question in the femtosecond laser session—would love to chat more about your experience” can lead to valuable in-person meetups.

Making the Most of the Exhibit Hall

The expo floor can feel like a sensory overload, but approaching it with purpose can unlock tremendous value.

Before speaking with vendors, know what specific questions you want answered. Generic conversations rarely yield useful information. Instead, prepare questions like “How does your billing solution integrate with our current EMR?” or “What kind of training support do you provide after purchase?”

While the flashy booths from industry giants naturally draw attention, don’t overlook smaller vendors. Sometimes, the most innovative solutions come from newer companies with less elaborate displays. Their products might offer better customization or more responsive customer service.

For products you’re seriously considering, book dedicated time for in-depth demonstrations. The general expo floor isn’t conducive to detailed discussions. Most vendors will happily schedule time for a focused conversation away from the crowds.

After each meaningful vendor interaction, take a moment to jot down key points about their products while the information is fresh. Note specific features that impressed you, questions that remained unanswered, and any follow-up actions. This simple habit prevents the common post-show confusion of trying to remember which company offered what solution.

Creating Content for Your Practice

Your tradeshow experience can fuel your marketing efforts for months to come if you approach it with content creation in mind.

Document interesting exhibits, sessions (where permitted), and your team’s experience through photos and videos. These visual elements bring your experience to life for staff and patients back home. A quick 30-second video tour of an innovative technology or a photo of your team with a respected thought leader makes for perfect social media content.

Consider conducting mini-interviews with speakers or colleagues. A single compelling question on camera- “What’s the one advancement you’re most excited about this year?” – can yield engaging content that positions your practice as connected to industry leaders.

Sharing key learnings and experiences on your practice’s social channels throughout the event keeps your audience engaged and demonstrates your commitment to staying at the forefront of ophthalmology. These real-time insights feel more authentic than carefully polished marketing materials.

Post-Show Follow-Up: Where the Real Value Happens

The work isn’t over when you board your flight home. In fact, what you do after the show often determines whether your attendance was truly worthwhile.

Within 48 hours of returning, while everything is still fresh in your mind, organize your notes and materials. Sort business cards, annotate brochures, and consolidate your session notes into a coherent format that you’ll actually reference later.

Create a system for reaching out to new contacts and vendors in order of importance. Personalized follow-ups that reference specific conversation points are far more effective than generic “nice to meet you” messages. For high-priority contacts, consider adding value to your follow-up by sharing an article related to your discussion or introducing them to another relevant connection.

Choose a single, high-impact idea you learned and put it into action right away. Immediate implementation of at least one takeaway creates momentum and ensures that something concrete comes from your attendance. Whether it’s a new clinical technique or a front-desk efficiency hack, acting quickly prevents the common pattern of returning to routine without implementing any changes.

Connect with Glacial Marketing or other vendors who can help you implement your ideas more effectively. Ask yourself: “What can I actually implement when I return?” Then, identify which exhibitors offer the support, training resources, or consulting services that align with your most valuable takeaways. This strategic approach ensures you’re not left trying to implement complex solutions on your own.

Finally, assess what aspects of the tradeshow provided the most value to inform your decisions about future events. Was it the educational sessions? Vendor connections? Peer networking? This evaluation helps you allocate your time more effectively at the next conference.

Final Thoughts

Remember, a tradeshow is what you make of it. With intentional planning and strategic execution, you can transform what might otherwise be an exhausting obligation into a catalyst for practice growth and professional development.

The most successful attendees approach tradeshows not as a pause from their regular work, but as a concentrated opportunity to advance their practice goals. So before your next ASCRS or similar event, take time to map out your strategy – your future self will thank you when you return energized with new ideas, valuable connections, and clear next steps.

Turn tradeshow insights into practice growth. Contact the team at ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć to implement the strategies you’ve learned and watch your practice thrive.

#1: All Modern Ophthalmology Websites Should Be Responsive

Making your website responsive means designing and coding the website in a way that works on all devices such as desktop and mobile, regardless of the screen size. Responsive websites actually change and adapt to the resolution of the device it’s being viewed on. In a world that is dominated by mobile usage¹, you want to make sure your website is easily viewed and accessed on all devices, not just desktop. Plus, responsive sites are actually better for SEO as major search engines have adopted mobile based web crawlers as the default². If you still have a fixed width website, it is time to upgrade to a new responsive website.

#2: Engagement Objects are Important and Should Be Clearly Visible

If you are a web designer unfamiliar with ophthalmology, this tip might seem hard to understand. Having engagement objects on your websites (such as scheduling forms and self-tests) help patients move from interest to scheduling surgery by getting various questions answered. The practice gets the benefit of moving the patient into a system where engaging communication can happen. If you are not using self-tests and scheduling apps, you are missing out on thousands of potential patients.

#3: Secondary Pages Should Have Font Resizers for People with Cataracts and Aging Eyes

Google analytics can clearly help you understand the ages of the traffic coming to your website. As you can imagine, there is a large number of people over the age of 40 coming to ophthalmology websites to find doctors and learn about things like cataract surgery and macular degeneration. Make sure your website is accessible and has features such as font resizers, proper text contrast, and is keyboard navigable.

#4: Make Sure Your Website has an SSL

For any healthcare website, it is important to have a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate installed. An SSL is an encryption certificate and keeps the website secure. There will come a time when Google will give warnings to websites that are not secure. This is a no-brainer and is very inexpensive. There is also some HIPPA value here, adding a layer of security and trust for your patient’s information. Have you ever noticed the https:// in front of a website URL? That means the website has an SSL installed.

#5: Website Forms and Self-Tests Need to Be HIPAA Compliant

Any form on your website that might handle or intake ePHI (electronic patient health information) needs to be secure and encrypted. You cannot intake date of birth or even address information on a form without this form being encrypted. Taking ePHI without encryption is a direct HIPAA violation, and can get you into trouble.

#6: Website Forms Cannot Go Directly into the Practice Email

You need an interface system to meet HIPAA regulations. Any website forms sending ePHI cannot directly email the practice. Instead, the form must be read in a secure environment. This means the practice must log in to a secure place to read the message. They cannot receive this through regular email.

#7: Create a “Review Us Online” Page

“Review Us Online” pages are always a great idea. These pages can assist in helping the practices get more reviews and house them in one place on their website. They can also be used to request reviews from patients, and showcase past patient experiences and testimonials. “Review Us Online” pages make it easy to direct patients to write reviews on the sites that you need help the most.

#8: Make the Design Minimal, Yet Modern and Impressive

Having a minimal medical website design makes it easy for patients to find the information that they want. Making things overly busy is only going to detract from the user experience. There is a lot of compelling evidence that busy sites cause “” (too much information at once), reducing the time spent on your website and severely affecting your conversion rates. Your website design is a direct digital representation of your practice.

#9: Have Pillar Pages for Services and Supporting Secondary Pages for Additional Information

Creating thorough secondary pages is necessary for becoming an authority on the subject matter that you are discussing. Make sure to use text, pictures, videos, and quotes where applicable to vary the engagement. Too many large blocks of text will simply go unread. The pages should be robust and thorough and not just a few basic paragraphs. Use things like FAQ sections, doctor recommendations, calls to action and symptom simulators to create an informative and engaging page design.

#10: Use a Good CMS

Content management systems (CMS) can be very useful and save the practice tons of money. They should be used for simple text updates, like updating physician bios, hours of operation and new technology. However, you must be careful to not destroy the design of the website and muck up the secondary pages. Let the professional designers handle the hard stuff. It is not worth deconstructing your website. It will only lead to broken designs and the need for a redesign faster.

BONUS TIP #11: Commit to Regular Content and Blog Updates.

One more, because this is important too! Updating your website on a regular basis is essential. Do not launch the site and let it die on the vine. Use your blog as your publishing platform and distribute this content to social media, newsletters, email blasts and press releases. A strong flow of well-written, helpful content is the backbone of your SEO, content marketing, and social media strategies.

Search engines and platforms reward frequently updated websites, and user perception improves when people see recent dates. If choosing to read an article written this year or an article written in 2015, the vast majority of users will choose the newer publication.

Building a new site is not easy, but that’s what we’re here for. ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć has long been at the forefront of web design and digital marketing for ophthalmologists. Give us a call if you’re ready to pack in your old website and join us in the current year! We look forward to helping you achieve your ophthalmology web design goals.

Trade shows are more than an opportunity to mingle with your colleagues or learn more about new technologies in your field. They are also an opportunity to gather valuable photographs that can provide a more personal touch to your website, blog, or social media posts.

Fresh images and videos can improve your branding and aid in forming personal connections between you and your audience. Keep reading to learn five ways to leverage trade shows for content!

1. Have Someone Take a Picture of You and Your Group

If you have your own booth, try to get a group picture in or around your booth. You’ll want to do your best to showcase your booth while also still allowing the faces in the photo to be recognizable.

If you don’t have your own booth, you can get a group picture in front of one of the trade show branded signs. These pictures will work great for a social media post and allow those who interact with your website or socials to form a better connection with your group.

2. Snap Some Selfies or Pictures With Your Partners

Selfies are a way to encourage interaction with your followers because it is relatable and casual. They are a fun way to share what you are doing that is more personable than a professional photo shoot.

It is also a good idea to get pictures with other professionals or people of interest that may catch your audience’s attention. By tagging other professionals in social media posts, you liken your chances of receiving shares from those pages.

These shares can encourage re-engagement with your content and put your company in front of their audience. This is a great way to promote socialization on your social media channels.

3. Take Photos of the Places You Go Around the City

If you and your team are headed to the ASCRS conference next week, this will be a perfect place to gather image content for your social media channels. The more pictures, the better!

Take pictures of any activities you do around the city, especially if you visit any famous landmarks. This tip doesn’t only apply to the ASCRS conference in Washington, D.C.

When planning your trip to a trade show, you can look ahead of time at the trade show’s website for ideas for what to see and do in that location. You can plan to have a photo-op at various places that you think may be good for a social media post.

4. Make A Video About Your Favorite Parts of the Show

Videos are another great way to boost interaction with your posts on your social media channels. One option is to make a video at the end of the day talking about your favorite parts of the show that day or something interesting you learned.

You can also share any new products or technologies you are excited about. Alternatively, you can make a morning video discussing what you have planned that day or certain events you are looking forward to that day.

If you are camera-shy, another way to incorporate videos into your social media presence is through a video montage. In today’s social media world, video montages are a very popular and trendy way to describe a day in the life.

To make a video montage, all you have to do is get clips of certain parts of your day and have them pieced together. This could be a short clip of your breakfast, then a short clip of you walking around the trade show.

All of these videos will work great to attract an audience to your social media pages and boost your authority.

5. Snap Photos At Special Events

Some conferences and trade shows have special events they offer to those attending. This may be an excellent opportunity to get photos of you or you and your team to show off your personality.

If the particular trade show you are at does not offer any special events, plan on getting a photo at a group dinner or luncheon. Fresh images and videos can add so much to your website, blogs, and social media accounts.

Trade shows and conferences are the perfect opportunities to showcase your team and prove your dedication to continued learning. 

Do you want to learn more about how you can get the most out of trade shows? Schedule a call with a client manager from ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć to learn how we can help improve your social media marketing. 

From left to right, vision with severe cataracts, vision with a monofocal IOL, vision with the PanOptix® IOL. (Photo: Business Wire)

PanOptix is the most state-of-the-art IOL available in the United States. As a medical marketing agency, this is especially exciting news! The availability of the PanOptix IOL provides more opportunities to reach the target demographic for cataract surgery, a goal once thought to be too challenging, too expensive, and a waste of a marketing budget. 

Why would cataract surgery marketing be a waste?

There are several reasons why an eye care practice may not invest in digital marketing for cataract surgery. Maybe these questions sound familiar:

“Do people over age 65 even use the internet?”

Many people make assumptions about seniors and technology use, but the data shows that such assumptions couldn’t be farther from the truth. 4-in-10 seniors now own smartphones, which is more than double the number from 2013. Internet usage among adults over age 65 has also increased at a rapid rate (more on this later).

“Why should I spend money on cataract surgery marketing instead of focusing on leads for LASIK?”

Another common assumption is that cataract surgery marketing campaigns don’t generate as many leads as LASIK marketing. As a result, many eye care practices put their marketing budget toward LASIK lead generation. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this strategy, it’s important to collect as much cataract campaign data as possible before coming to a conclusion on whether or not a campaign was effective. 

“Is a PanOptix campaign really the most efficient way to spend my ad budget?” 

It’s good to be conscious of where your ad dollars go, so we commend you for that. However, we wholeheartedly believe a campaign for the PanOptix trifocal IOL is worth it. Remember, it’s the first FDA-approved IOL that results in clear intermediate vision, which is most often used for working on the computer. This is appealing to a target demographic that is growing increasingly more tech-savvy.

The cataract surgery demographic is changing

Internet accessibility in the United States is at an all-time high. The nation ranks #1 in the world for the amount of internet service providers available to the public (over 7,000) and smartphones have never been as affordable as they are now. The same goes for computers, tablets, and smart home devices.

While the vast majority of Americans have adopted the internet as a utility, the most dramatic change in internet usage can be seen in one specific group — adults over age 65.

According to the Pew Research Center, 86% of adults ages 65 and older were part of the offline population in 2000. Today, that number has dropped to 27%. Barriers such as, “I’m too old to learn how to use the internet” aren’t as much of an issue for Americans anymore. 

Data also shows that more people are having cataract surgery at a younger age each year. As you can see from the chart below, the percentage of adults who use the internet increases at an even faster rate for younger age groups in the US.

The World Health Organization estimates that by 2020, 32 million cataract surgeries will be performed, compared to 12 million in 2000. If the average age of a cataract surgery patient gets younger over time, the future of cataract surgery marketing will include campaigns that target a larger, more tech-savvy group with greater variations in age. These are all factors that can significantly contribute to an increase in leads for cataract surgery.

Early PanOptix ad campaigns show promising results

Even though Alcon’s state-of-the-art lens is new to the US market, we’ve already seen success with several Google ad campaigns for the PanOptix trifocal IOL.

Paid search ad for the PanOptix Trifocal IOL, designed by ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć, Inc.

In an initial test, we saw PanOptix and trifocal-related search terms generate consistent click-through rates of 10% and above — some as high as 27% with meaningful traffic. This is an excellent indicator of high interest and intent with PanOptix-related keywords.

What are my options for a PanOptix marketing campaign?

Paid search advertising for Google and Facebook are our first recommendation for advertising PanOptix at your practice. Our strategy is straightforward and lead generation and conversions are easily measurable. 

Facebook ad for the PanOptix Trifocal IOL, designed by ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć, Inc.

We also recommend content marketing for PanOptix. When locals in your town search Google or Bing for information on PanOptix or cataract surgery, keyword-rich pages of website content will help your practice appear at the top of search results.

Need ideas for content? We often suggest a or a robust page of content on intraocular lenses. Email newsletters and email marketing campaigns are also excellent for educating patients on the benefits of trifocal IOLs versus monofocal IOLs.

Don’t miss an opportunity to increase leads for cataract surgery

If your eye care practice offers the PanOptix as a premium IOL option, and you don’t currently have a PanOptix-specific campaign or content marketing project in the works, you’re missing an opportunity to reach an audience of highly qualified leads for cataract surgery.

As a digital agency that’s been creating and managing effective medical marketing campaigns for 20+ years, we can help.

Fill out the form below to speak with a medical marketing specialist today!

An effective medical marketing strategy can drive new traffic to your website, increase patient count and skyrocket your practice to the top of search results. Best of all, when done right, a complete marketing strategy can boost profits for your practice.

But where do you even start? Internet marketing is constantly evolving, and most doctors and medical staff struggle to find time to plan complex campaigns. Keep reading to learn how six essential pieces of a medical marketing strategy can impact your bottom line.

Attending ASCRS 2018 in Washington, D.C.?
Register for your FREE website analysis or visit booth #3017

1. CHOOSE THE BEST WEB HOSTING PROVIDER FOR YOUR PRACTICE

The best medical web hosting solution will ensure your website is secure, easy to access and blazing fast.

Reliable web hosting is fundamental for your practice revenue and growth. Not only is your website the most likely place for someone to find your practice, having your site online and accessible at all times is vital in order to maintain SEO rankings, run advertising, and collect patient information.

Website security is also of growing importance in the medical industry, and reliable web hosting is at the root of site security. With search engines and all major browsers requiring SSL’s for websites by the middle of 2018, having a hosting company who is dedicated and knowledgeable of web security best practices helps keep your website at the top of people’s searches.

Website accounts are set up in under 10 minutes when hosted through Glacial. Join 200+ medical clients and host your site with us.

2. INVEST IN RESPONSIVE WEBSITE DESIGN

The goal of responsive web design is to create a website that looks good on every device, not just your desktop computer. If your website isn’t easily accessible from a phone or tablet, you’re losing potential customers.

Web traffic from mobile devices is rapidly on the rise, in many cases exceeding traffic from other devices. If your leads can’t fill out a form on their phone to contact you, or schedule a consultation via their tablet, it’s a huge missed opportunity for your practice.

Medical website design is also not the same as designing for businesses in other industries. At Glacial, we use our 20+ years of medical design experience to create websites with special emphasis on medical contact forms, custom content about your services, overall site structure and more.

Not sure if your website is responsive? Register for our FREE website analysis.

3. MAKE SURE YOUR WEBSITE IS HIPAA COMPLIANT

Failure to comply with HIPAA requirements can result in up to $50,000 in fines for each violation, plus jail time.

Any time protected health information is stored or transmitted through a website, technical security must be a top priority. Potential patients are also more likely to trust you if your website is HIPAA compliant, which can help eliminate barriers to filling out lead generation forms.

At Glacial, HIPAA compliance is a crucial part of our business model. All client websites are extensively vetted during the design process to ensure HIPAA criteria is met. All Glacial employees are also HIPAA certified.

4. PRIORITIZE LOCAL AND ORGANIC SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)

A solid SEO strategy can rocket your practice to the top of Google search results. Search engine visibility is key to helping potential patients find your practice so they can quickly learn more about your services and schedule an appointment.

In this era of mobile technology and on-the-go information, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your practice stands out from the competition when potential patients are looking for a medical provider. Here at ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć, we’ve turned the science of search engine optimization into an art — we are the industry leaders in promoting medical practices through both on-page and off-page website optimization.

We recommend that your site contains a wealth of information on your primary product or service offering. Google prioritizes authoritative yet conversational (e.g. “easy to read”) content over content that is overly technical. We also recommend maintaining a solid online presence through regular social engagement and community outreach. This extends to fostering link exchanges with other businesses and practices whenever possible.

Google also continues to add extensive interactive features to Google My Business (GMB), a free and easy-to-use tool to help organizations manage their Google presence through local search. Google My Business allows users to ask you or your local community a question about your practice, write a review or contact you directly from your Google profile.

Whether your patients are searching for you on Google or Google Maps, these features make it easy to discover your practice and learn more about your services. Our local search strategies also help optimize your business profile for other online business directories such as Yelp, Superpages, Foursquare, Yellowbook, and Bing Places for Business page.

Find out how your website performs in search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. Sign up for a free SEO audit to learn more.

5. DEVELOP A SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING STRATEGY (PAY-PER-CLICK)

If you want to instantly appear at the top of search engine results and start generating leads, or simply want to build awareness of your practice, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is where you want to be.

Search Ad Campaigns within Google AdWords allow you to show up at the top of page one by bidding on keywords you care about — keywords that generate new business — LASIK Eye Surgery, LASIK Surgeon Near Me, Best LASIK (city) and the like. AdWords Search Campaigns are among our best lead generators and result in a great deal of actionable data to build upon in the future.

Branding Campaigns work best when run with Search Campaigns, but we utilize a different strategy. Instead of targeting individuals actively searching for your keywords, we target individuals based on their demographics and interests as they browse the web, including Facebook and Instagram. These campaigns are designed to engage people who may be unaware of your practice or product, but are ready to learn more.

Pay-per-click campaigns can be a powerhouse that will make rival practices envious. The end result? You bring in lots of new patients, especially when combined with a lead generating landing page.

Need a custom pay-per-click strategy and landing page for your next Adwords campaign? Request a quote to learn more.

6. EDUCATE PROSPECTS WITH CUSTOM CONTENT MARKETING

Show your expertise and authority within the medical industry by publishing original content such as blogs, whitepapers, eBooks and infographics.

Establishing a brand identity is essential to every successful medical marketing strategy. A strong brand differentiates you from your competitors and can establish you as the authority in your area. Sharing original content on social media marketing platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest will help you build your brand and gain valuable insights about potential patients.

Content marketing provides you with an opportunity to loosen your cuffs and connect with your prospective patient base on a more personal and social level. This increases brand loyalty and creates a more friendly and relatable experience for your patients. Don’t let your brand be seen as one that is concerned with profits first — let your patients know that they are your number one priority and you welcome them with open arms.

Developing a strong, comprehensive internet marketing strategy for your practice requires a credible partner. ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć has what it takes to take your medical practice to the next level. We’re a full-service medical marketing agency with 400+ clients from specialties like LASIK and ophthalmology, bariatrics, aesthetics, orthopedics, dental and dermatology. We can’t wait to work with you!

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When you open your internet browser, you expect to access any website or online service you want, at any time you want, within a reasonable amount of time, right? Of course! After all, you pay to access the internet, and it is the expectation that when you pay for a service, you are able to access that whole service. But, could that be coming to an end?

On December 14th, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set in place to protect internet consumers from Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Since then, there has been quite a buzz about how this will affect businesses (large and small) and the digital market. Net Neutrality is a complicated and sometimes vitriolic subject, but as users of the internet and a company whose business relies on the internet, it is our job to understand the information and present it to you.

If you own a business and you market that business on the internet, you need to understand the implications of Net Neutrality. This is a long one, but stick with us because it’s important. Let’s dive into the basics of Net Neutrality, and how the end of it could affect your business and ours.

WHAT IS NET NEUTRALITY?

Explanations of can get convoluted, but the bottom line is this:

Net Neutrality rules were designed to make sure that anyone paying for access to the internet would be able to access any internet service or website they desire.

The basic principle of Net Neutrality is that all websites and internet services should be equal and open, as long as one has access to an internet connection. All websites load at the same speed, and there are no extra fees for accessing certain websites or internet services.

Net Neutrality rules were set in place to keep Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from nickel-and-diming your internet access. It also meant that anyone would be able to create a website or web service and it would be treated equally to more established websites in the eyes of your ISP. This meant that no companies could pay ISPs for preferential treatment.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT NET NEUTRALITY?

The answer is: we can’t be completely sure. There is no way to predict how ISPs will react to the repeal of Net Neutrality rules. However, given that we know what Net Neutrality protects us against, we can come to a few possible conclusions.

The first possibility is that the ISPs do nothing. In a perfect world, large internet service companies like Comcast and AT&T would honor the principles that allow people to access the internet freely and openly. But given the long and complicated , we have to prepare for the eventuality that this is not the case.

The second possibility is that the internet as we know it changes quite a bit. ISPs would no longer be required to provide unlimited and unfettered access to the internet. Without the principle of Net Neutrality, your ISP is open to:

• Charge extra fees to access certain websites and services like Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, etc. For example, you may have to pay for base internet service, and then “upgrade” your services to see your favorite websites.
• Establish a “fast lane” and “slow lane” for the speed of websites. Bigger, more lucrative companies can pay ISPs to speed up their site, while smaller companies may experience significantly slower websites. This would seriously affect web traffic, lead generation, etc.
• Block users from seeing certain websites. For example, if you are paying for Comcast’s internet services, they could block AT&T’s website because they are a competitor. There are endless scenarios in which this could pose a problem for online businesses.

HOW COULD THIS AFFECT YOUR PRACTICE OR BUSINESS?

Unless you’re willing to pay an arm and a leg to win the favor of ISPs, there is a real chance your website and internet presence will be functionally non-existent. If an ISP blocks your website, chances are the consumer will find a different one before paying to access yours. If your site is purposely slowed down because you are unable or unwilling to pay to be in the “fast lane”, consumers will leave your site for a faster one. At best, this means less web traffic, fewer leads, and less revenue. At worst, you are getting no web traffic at all.

HOW COULD THIS AFFECT ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć?

Digital marketing is inherently linked to the principles of Net Neutrality. Currently, Net Neutrality rules stimulate healthy competition between businesses of all types and sizes. This creates a demand for digital marketing methods that inspire organic web traffic results. SEO, pay-per-click, content marketing, and social media marketing all fall under this umbrella.

Net Neutrality also supports the consumer-centric marketing model of providing reciprocal value for online audience’s time and attention. That means that the current internet is largely pro-consumer, with companies like Google and Facebook constantly tweaking their algorithm to provide more value to internet consumers (not the companies advertising with them.) So, when you type a question into Google, you expect to find a variety of resources and a wide range of perspectives. A non-neutral internet means that top-paying sites dominate the internet, presenting possibly devastating effects to small and medium-sized businesses (ours and yours included).

We can’t be sure of the full scope of how this will affect our industry, however, we predict that there will be a huge shift in the online market – and a big departure from the current consumer-centric marketing model.

WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT (IT’S NOT OVER JUST YET)

The FCC may have voted to repeal Net Neutrality, but the war is far from over. We can still urge our lawmakers to reverse the FCC vote, and we’re really close to getting there. We just need one more state representative on board. If you would like your voice to be heard on this subject, tell Congress what you think.

To anyone that follows Facebook and knows a thing or two about social media marketing, hearing that the organic reach of business pages on Facebook is about to take a hit probably doesn’t come as much of a shock. To everyone else though, when you read headlines like “RIP Facebook Newsfeed For Business” I’m sure it made you sweat a bit. I’m not going to lie, even I Matt Fernandez, a well-seasoned veteran of social media marketing, had a brief moment of panic when I saw articles with those headlines. Thankfully, ĆŢÓŃĆĆ˝â°ć has a support team at Facebook that can give us answers to the hard questions and keep us sane—did I just humblebrag about how awesome we are? Yes, yes I did. #humblebrag2018

The truth is, Facebook’s organic reach for businesses is already pretty limited and if you want to reach large swaths of people you should be spending some money on Facebook advertising efforts. Organic reach with Facebook business pages has been a topic for some time within the social media marketing community. Not even three years ago it was easily possible to reach a few hundred people organically with a post while having only a little over a thousand page likes, but in 2018 even before this announcement that has become a tall order.

When Zuckerberg dropped this bit of news, the first thing I did was reach out to our Facebook support team for a more in-depth explanation of this Newsfeed update. My immediate concern was that this could affect our advertising campaigns and hamper their reach, but I was assured that this update will only affect the organic reach of posts by business pages. They weren’t able to provide concrete numbers on how much this will decrease the organic reach for business pages—I’m pretty sure that they don’t even know what to expect—but what they told me is that we should expect to see those organic numbers go down across the board due to Facebook’s algorithms favoring content from personal pages.

There are a few ways we can counter this decrease in organic reach:

• Make a marketing push to build up your page likes –10% of 10,000 is better than 10% of 100. (10% is an arbitrary number and not a literal representation of your organic reach) We can run Facebook ad campaigns with the goal of building up your page likes.
• Spread the word about your social media – Have your social media be a part of the conversation in your business. Have some signage in your business that says “Follow us on Facebook”.
• Do more Facebook Live broadcasts – Facebook will reward more organic reach to posts that generate conversation and Live broadcasts are great conversation starters.
• Boost more posts – Increase your reach with paid efforts by “boosting” notable content on your business page regularly.
• Consistently market your services with a Facebook ad campaign – Be aggressive with a Facebook ad campaign and market your services to a highly targeted audience. Budgets for a successful Facebook campaign can be as low as $300 per month depending on your goal.

This doesn’t mean we should give up on posting, you still want to make sure your page is being updated with fresh content. The last thing you want is for someone to stumble onto your page and see that it hasn’t been updated since 2015. This will make them assume you aren’t up with the times, a dinosaur, and not the cool kind we see in the Jurassic Park films. We strive to make our organic social media content as engaging and highly shareable as possible for our clients, but getting in front of a lot of people organically on Facebook is a struggle, especially if you don’t have a large following of 10,000 or more.

What this newsfeed update ultimately means for your business is this—If you want to get the word out about something, simply posting about it on your business page will not be enough to make a notable impact. I recommend for any business that wants to get something out of their social media to utilize Facebook’s advertising tools. The good news is, you don’t need to go it alone! We have the knowledge and the experience to help you achieve your goals with social media in 2018 and beyond. #notsohumblebrag2018

My wife and I love to travel and will jump at any chance to go someplace warm and sunny to escape the harsh Maine winters. This was our third trip to Sao Miguel, the largest of a group of volcanic islands off of the coast of Portugal called the Azores. We know Sao Miguel pretty well and love to take in the lush green tropical forests, birds, hiking trails and best of all, the various hot springs located around the island. We heard of one very special hot spring unlike any other in the world. When we tracked down the location we knew this was true. Imagine a tidal pool, surrounded by volcanic rock, heated by natural hot springs, constantly being mixed by the cold water from the Atlantic ocean. So when the tide goes out you have warm water and when it rolls back in you get cold water. The pool has a few ropes crisscrossed across, from one rock to another, to hang on to so as to keep from getting pulled out to sea or thrown against the rocks.

As soon as we arrived and walked down the trail I could tell by the spark in my wife’s eye that we were not just going to be spectators. She said this is something really special and we would regret not getting in. I agreed. So we found a place to get changed into our swimsuits and started to make our way across the jagged rocks on the shore that leads to the pool. At the edge of the pool is a green algae covered aluminum ladder that you climb down into the warm water. We had been advised to go at low tide when the water was calm. We arrived when the tide was coming in and it was anything but calm. Once in and clinging to the ropes, I was pleased to find that the water was about chest deep in the deepest part. The ground below was a mix of uneven rock with cracks and crevices. All of a sudden I realized, damn!, I forgot to remove my glasses! I’m always doing this – stepping into the shower or diving into a pool with them still on. I just forget that I have them on. Unfortunately, this time I could not simply remove them and place them on a shelf or the side of the pool. I was about 10 feet down surrounded by jagged rocks and a current that kept getting stronger and the waves were getting larger with each surge. By this time my grip on the rope went from one hand to two. After a bit, my wife and I decided that it was time to get out and started to make our way on the network of ropes to the ladder. Just then, a huge wave rolled over me and I stayed put but my glasses went out to sea. I didn’t realize it right away and then my wife asked, “Where are your glasses?” After a frantic search, I realized that the water was too dark and the ground below far too uneven to find anything. I could barely let go of the rope with one hand to look. I sadly realized my faithful companion, giving me the gift of clear vision on many an adventure, was gone.

I felt such a sense of loss! I kept thinking about Tom Hanks in the movie “Castaway” when his buddy the volleyball, Wilson, fell off the raft and was taken away by the tide. Oh well… The good news is I had forgotten that while glasses help me to see better at a distance I can still see and get around just fine without them. So while it took me a bit longer to identify the birds in the trees and the stars in the night sky were not as clear as when I had my glasses, I was enjoying life without them more and more each day. I started to wonder if I let them become a bit of a crutch and it was time to start thinking about going glasses free with LASIK eye surgery. So in my head, I started to add up the cost of a new pair of “super glasses” and the time that it would take waiting for my new lenses and frames to arrive at my local eye doctor. At 45, is this the right time to consider LASIK? I’m still well under the age of cataracts starting to form and could enjoy, possibly 25 to 30 years more of clear vision. It is starting to become a no-brainer.

To be continued…

When I first started working with practices on paid search marketing, things were different. Click price alone was far less than it is today and many companies had not studied the impact of landing pages on conversions. The standard play from the big box PPC (pay-per-click) companies was to use the secondary pages of websites as the destination URL. The net result of this was that these pages often contained no conversion objects and were largely massive amounts of text. There was nothing cool looking and nothing persuasive, thus a lack of leads.

It was around this time that we started to experiment with separate, custom designed landing pages. We had to gain an advantage over these huge PPC companies. We compared the conversions using our MDprospects product and the results were, frankly, very predictable. We had exponential increases in calls and form completions when we focused on getting the engagement objects installed correctly and often “above the fold”.

So, you might be asking a few questions right about now… like “what is a landing page?” and “what is an engagement object?”

WHAT IS A LANDING PAGE?

A landing page is something we use in various aspects of digital marketing, but stemming from our work in PPC, we want to have great places to land once we receive a click. If we get a click, we want to convert that click to a lead. This is precisely the role of a landing page. It is a page your visitor lands on after clicking on a PPC ad, Facebook ad, geofencing ad, and others. Landing pages are particularly important when it comes to conversions because they possess the objects that a regular website might not. They are also more focused on getting a call or a form completion than a typical website. A landing page is a place to use your offers and calls to action to meet a specific goal.

WHAT IS AN ENGAGEMENT OBJECT?

Engagement objects are elements that you place on a landing page in order to engage the visitor and lead to a conversion. Examples of engagement objects include tracking phone numbers, videos, self-tests, scheduling apps, and offers. We have had a great deal of success with self-tests. After tracking over a hundred PPC clients and different engagement objects, the self-test was the number one producer of leads. A good sales strategy includes a healthy pipeline of leads, allowing you to do continuous marketing automation and remarketing. These are enhanced features that draw a user to your landing page for more than just education purposes.

THE STRATEGY OF BUILDING A LANDING PAGE

• Appearance. You have one chance to make a great first impression. Take advantage of this concept and create a really wonderful looking landing page that has some “wow factor”. This is not the time to cheap out and go with the least expensive option. This is where you splurge and get a skilled designer involved. Think about it! You are about to spend $3,000 a month on PPC and if those users are not impressed with what they see… it’s bounce time! Take the time to explore color, design, white space, photography, infographics, and make something amazing.
• A/B Split Testing. Many different industries use split testing as a way to gather data on what works and what doesn’t. This is very useful when building a successful PPC campaign and landing page. It does not take long to test how one landing page can be more successful than another. I have watched the same landing page, rebranded, win in 10 different markets every time. When you get the magical formula, you will be surprised what a difference this can make on conversions.
• Mobile Compatibility. Landing pages must load fast and work well on mobile devices. Make the engagement objects clear from a mobile view as well. Users in the US, on average, spend over 5 hours a day on mobile devices.
• Use Testimonials. Have you ever heard the saying “If you have to tell someone you are great, you are probably not great”? Use the voices of the patients that have been so thrilled with their outcomes to tell their story as a segment on the landing page.
• Use Calls to Action (CTA) and Offers. Make sure your text is exciting, using words and phrases like “enjoy” or “activate” or “live life to the fullest”. Special offers can also play a major role in conversion, so plan to A/B test a few of these options and perhaps change your offers seasonally.
• Copywriting. Have very clear and concise text that is to the point and minimal. Overdoing words on landing pages will result in a quick exit. You want the user to understand quickly who you are and what you’re offering.

CONCLUSIONS

Landing pages are an extremely valuable part of your digital marketing campaign. Do you want more leads from your paid search spend? Do you want to make a great first impression on potential patients? If so, start down the path of great landing page design and reap the benefits. For any questions on starting this process, or if you’d like a landing page consultation, please feel free to contact us anytime!