A person asking about an eye exam may need a different contact option from someone checking on glasses. Your website should make the purpose clear.
Explain the visits and services your optometry practice offers. Put the office details beside a request that uses the same words.
What an optometry patient looks for
Give the reader a plain description of the eye care they can ask about. Keep the practice phone number close to the visit information.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's appointment resources help patients prepare questions for medical visits. Your office can give those questions a clear starting point.
The things the site must show
Eye visits with a clear description
Use the practice's approved explanation of the exams and visits it accepts. Describe the purpose without asking the patient to decide what their eyes need.
Match provider details to the service shown. Explain the words someone needs to understand before contacting the practice.
Read the visit descriptions beside the appointment choices. They should identify the same subjects and allow a question when the reader is unsure.
Glasses questions with their own instructions
If your practice supplies glasses or contact lenses, explain how people ask about that service. Keep those instructions tied to the work actually offered.
A question about an existing order should have a recognizable destination. The person asking should not need to request an eye exam to reach it.
Compare the instructions with the office process. Make the difference clear in the words beside the contact option.
Office information beside the request
Keep the practice's approved location and visit instructions together. Put payment questions near a contact the office has named for them.
For an appointment form, ask for the details the practice needs to receive the request. Leave room for its purpose.
Check the button and the following message. They should accurately describe what has been requested and what the office has confirmed.
The mistake to check for
Look for a general appointment button carrying every reason to contact the practice. A reader checking on glasses may find only questions about booking an exam.
Follow the service and order routes separately. Check whether each destination recognizes the question that brought the person there.
What that gap can cost you
Mixed requests can leave the office sorting order questions from visit inquiries. The person contacting you may also be uncertain about what they submitted.
Clearly named choices keep the reason for the call attached to the request.
The next step
Open the optometry page on your phone. Compare the exam request with any glasses contact instructions and check that each fits its purpose.
Related: Optometry websites
If you want an outside look at how eye care questions reach your office, start with the free check.