We hear the term "Cloud Computing" thrown around a lot these days but do you know what it actually is? The increasing buzz but lack of knowledge about cloud computing prompted us to create our very own infographic to help you understand the concept of the cloud a little better. Cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular in the eyecare industry, especially with optician software.
Find out what the hype is all about and how it can be utilized in your eyecare practice!
(Images used are from Prezi)
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A lot of businesses, ourselves included, are active on both of the social networking mega-sites: Facebook and Twitter. That means we spend a fair amount of time on both. But, should we be doing that? Managing both? When you think about business solutions, you typically chose one - the one that is the best suited for your needs or delivers the most value - right? So why not do that here, in the social networking realm? Which one is more valuable? We think it's hard question to answer. Even though both are social networking sites, they are really quite different from each other. We interact with different types of people, all equally important to us, on each different platform. So we're not ready to abandon one and focus solely on the other, but we are interested to see how this all evolves.
We came across a cool infographic from BuySellAds.com that explores the debate further. Lot's of interesting learning:
Click the Image for Full Size Version
What do you think? Has your eyecare practice or business found one platform to be more valuable than the other?
Ornithological Guide to an Optical Customer
In your optical dispensary, I’m sure you’ve seen it all walk through the doors. Many customers make your job a breeze, but it’s also hard not to mention the ones that make your work-life just that much more difficult. But just like family members, you just gotta love ‘em because every single one of them make the life of your optical dispensary that much more interesting!
I also don’t doubt that there is gossip here and there around your optical dispensary about these customers, and mentioning names is never professional! So we decided it would be fun to partner up with one of our great friends, Vision Monday, to classify the different kinds of optical customers you guys encounter into our own little world of optical ornithology, that’s right BIRDS! Maybe with our infographic, "The Fourth O: An Ornithological Field Guide to the Optical Customer," you can start using code names, maybe even begin documenting the number of each type of customer you encounter – anything to make your work-life just that much more fun!
To give you a little idea, raise your hand if you’ve ever had a customer walk in with an old pair of frames that look like they have been through the blender once or twice, but they still have the courage to ask you for a brand new pair…for free?! And when you say that just isn’t possible, you never hear the end of it. This stereotypical customer is classified as a Cuckoo bird in our world of optical ornithology and our scientific name for them is Insanis Personium.
But on the other hand, you have those patients that swoop in and melt your heart. They cooperate, collaborate, listen to your recommendations, and most of all do not gasp when a price tag is put on their new eye wear. The Dove, also known as Quietum Sumptuosus, is the optical customer everyone loves to see!
These are just a couple of the 13 stereotypes Vision Monday and us at VisionWeb came up with to create our latest infographic, "The Fourth O: An Ornithological Field Guide to the Optical Customer."
Don't forget to check out the infographic and share it with your friends to find out if you have anyone in common walking through your doors. And if we've missed anyone, let us know what kind of birds you have flocking into your optical dispensary!
We love to share fun infographics when we come across them. Follow us on Twitter to see more!
Influential Women in Optical
Something we've really come to enjoy each year is the annual "Most Influential Women In Optical" issue from Vision Monday. We love that they take the time to highlight the women that are so dedicated to the optical industry.
(Plus, it's fun to see who we know on the honoree list and celebrate their hard work!)
We were even more excited this year when we got the opportunity to work with our friends at VisionMonday on an infographic, "The XXcellence Factor: Passion x Dedication = Influential Women", highlighting the changing roles of women in the industry. It just seemed like such a smart, current way to take a deeper look at the impact women make.
So with that, we started collaborating and gathering data to see what we would learn - and boy did we learn a lot! For instance, did you know that 38% of ODs in the US are Women? Or that 67% of graduating ODs in 2010 were female?
We thought these numbers were exciting, but we also came across a few stats that surprised us. Like the fact that there is still a significant pay gap between male and female ODs in the same roles.
And, while 49% of Female ODs feel they deserve more in terms of compensation, 39% of them have NEVER asked for a raise or negotiated a higher salary.
What this tells us is that even though women have already made SO much progress, there's still room to grow.
With the support available to women in the industry through organizations like the Optical Women's Association, Ophthalmic Women Leaders, and Women of Vision; and the celebration of their hard work through Vision Monday's Most Influential Women in Optical, we have no doubt that women will be soaring to new heights. We look forward to see them in action!
Sources: Vision Monday, Women in Optometry, Associaton of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), and American Optometric Association
We love to share fun infographics like this on Twitter!
Here at VisionWeb "efficiency" and "time-saving" are two of our favorite words, and needless to say, they are both our top priority when it comes to our claims processing services. We strive to make your life easier by providing you with top of the line services and by streamlining your daily tasks. One of the best ways to save time, and money for that matter, in your busy eyecare practice, is to take advantage of VisionWeb's electronic claims processing services.
Processing claims electronically has an endless list of benefits, including spending less time on the phone with payers, reducing redundancies of duplicate data entry, ensuring proper coding of claims, decreasing reimbursement times, and many more. While we are sure you are aware of all these benefits, have you ever wondered what the actual claim filing process looks like? To give you a more visual representation of the path, or lifecycle, of a claim when it is processed electronically, we put together an infographic to show you just that. Check it out to see a "Lifecycle of a Claim"!
Click here to enlarge!
We love to share infographics on Twitter when we come across them!
Over the past two years Social Media has become an integral part of eyecare practice marketing activities. What first seemed like a short-term trend has now turned into a full-fledged marketing tool that all practices and businesses can use to their advantage. We thoroughly enjoy using social media in our marketing mix and think that there are others in the eyecare industry who feel the same way. So we wonder, if you were graded on your "social media savvy", would you make an A?
And, we want to know your social media grade! Are you a social savant amongst the crowd or a lurker behind the scenes? Don't forget to share your score either via Twitter so that you can compare yours with your friends!
We also wanted to highlight some of our favorite websites, blogs, Twitter accounts, and YouTube channels so that you can also follow some of the best social media sources on the web that you might have missed.
We hope that you find these optical marketing resources as eye-catching and informative as we do, and can incorporate some of the resources that they offer into your practice!
The Optical Vision Site
The Optical Vision Site is an upbeat and innovative optical blog that is rapidly becoming the ultimate resource for all things optical as it features daily tips and unique content. Whether you are an Independent retailer, doctor, optician, sales rep, optical vendor, or anything else related to optical, you are sure to find something to inform, inspire, or even amuse you on The Optical Vision Site.
Optical Vision Resources
Optical Vision Resources is run by the same ladies who oversee The Optical Vision Site and was created because there was no single-click source to find all the Wholesale Optical Labs and Distributors that are available to the optical retailer in a web directory format. Each site that they post on Optical Vision Resources is screened to insure that the products and services are directly related to optical, eyecare, and health.
Local Eye Site
As many of you may know already, Local Eye Site is an online community for eyecare professionals to post job listings and to find jobs. It’s a great informational resource for those hiring and seeking employment. Local Eye Site does a great job of posting tips and resources on all their social media channels ranging from their blog and Twitter to their newly created Pinterest Page.
OpticianWorks
OpticianWorks provides free, high quality, on-line training for opticians, opticianry students, those studying for the ABO Exam, or those working to become non-licensed optical dispensing professionals. If you are looking for training resources for your staff we recommend visiting the OpticianWorks Blog for some great training resources at no cost to you.
Midwest Lens
Midwest Lens is an optical laboratory in Kansas and has been a VisionWeb connected laboratory for quite some time. Their blog, Blog @ Midwest Lens, covers a wide variety of topics related to the industry; from information about a new product or frame line, an eye health related issue, or even events and promotions. They update their blog regularly and it's always full of great info! Follow them on Twitter with the handle @MidwestLens.
Optiboard
OptiBoard is a message board community that's strictly for the eyecare industry and is always buzzing with great conversations. We first came across the site around 5 1/2 years ago and have followed it ever since. It's a great place for dialogue with colleagues and great, honest opinions. It's definitely one to check out. Oh, and it's free to join.
OD Wire
ODWire is another outstanding message board community in the industry. Over 14,000 ECPs are members of the site which is only open to ECPs. They have the great dialogue that you expect from a message board, and they also host Webinars for their members to participate in on a regular basis.
AOAConnect
AOAConnect is fairly new to the realm of social media, but we definitely think it’s worth checking out! The AOA describes AOAConnect as “a place where AOA members, students, volunteers, and staff can share information, work collaboratively, and build community. If you’re already active in social media, AOAConnect will feel familiar. If you’re new to online communities, know that AOAConnect is a place where you can participate fully in your profession.”
GrandRounds4ODs
GrandRounds4ODs is the twitter handle for Dr. Richard Hom in San Francisco, CA. Dr. Hom is a great optical social media resource for all things eye care related. Dr. Hom regularly uses the Twitter hashtag #Tips4EyeDocs to send tweets about great eye tips for optometrists and opticians. We recommend reading his blog here and setting up a search for #Tips4EyeDocs in your Twitter client.
The Official VisionWeb Blog
The Official VisionWeb Blog is designed to deliver valuable information that you can use to keep your practice ahead of the curve. From providing tips on how to use optical ordering services and claims processing services to increasing your practice's efficiency, to social media and marketing advice, to articles from other information sources in the industry – it's all covered! The Official VisionWeb Blog is your destination for information that will help you take your practice to the next level.
VisionMonday.com
VisionMonday is the industry's premier source for news and information, certainly you already know that! Not only is their site great, but everyday, they deliver the latest information right to our inboxes. VisionMonday is also responsible for the fantastic Global Leadership Summit at Vision Expo, which has helped bring social media and innovative marketing approaches to the forefront for our industry.
Repost from the Optical Vision Site:
By now, if you are reading our blogs, you can see that we have been using a lot of infographics. Infographics are Visual Images of data and are a huge growing trend on the web. Infographic sites keep cropping up that cover every single subject. Most of these infographics can be shared (creative commons) as long as you link the resource.
For eyecare professionals, Infographics are fun and interesting news for your followers, networkers, patients, family and friends. You can Tweet, You can Facebook, put on your website or blog, you can print and display with certain products.
Make Use Of has a great article on Tips for Creating Incredible Infographics as well as a listing of FREE Tools to Make Infographics.
A Short List of Free Tools To Make Infographics (visit the link to read more)
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Stat Planet allows you to create some amazing interactive visualisation
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Hohli is an intuitive, simple online chart maker.
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New York Times' Visualization Lab lets you use statistics from recent NYTimes articles to create visualisations in various format
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Many Eyes lets you upload your own data or use data already stored on the site
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Wordle lets you create word visualisations using text you enter
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Tableau is a free Windows-only software for creating visualisations
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GapMinder is a free Adobe Air (cross-platform by nature) application
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Inkscape is a free vector graphic software available for many platforms
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Creately lets you make easy-to-make diagrams and flow chart we
Original Post from The Optical Vision Site
We love to share infographics when we see them! Follow us on Twitter!
When thinking about social media in eye care, we have always been big fans of YouTube. So when our friends at The Optical Vision Site shared this awesome article and infographic about it, we had to share it with you too! Here's the post:
I will be honest with you, we have a YouTube Channel and don't really use it. Neither Shirley or I have the patience, time or interest to mess around and edit YouTube Videos. It takes alot of time. But as you can see, it is an incredible and viable option for eyecare professionals. So if you are like us and don't want to mess around with it. Check out EyeCare Video who ‘takes the pain away so you can get some presence on YouTube'
Click the image to enlarge
socialmediasonar.com
YouTube Video Upload Statistics
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35 hours of video footage is uploaded to the site every minute.
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Over 13 million hours of footage was uploaded in 2010. I
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More video is uploaded every 60 days than the three major US television networks produced in 60 years.
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Each week, YouTube receives the equivalent of 115,000 full-length feature films in uploads.
YouTube Demographics
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70% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the U.S.
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YouTube is localized in 25 countries across 43 languages.
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The base age demographic for YouTube is 18-54.
YouTube Views/Usage/Content
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Over 2 billion videos are viewed every day.
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YouTube Mobile gets over 100 million views per day.
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In 2010, there were over 700 billion video playbacks.
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There are 7,000 hours of full-length movies and television episodes available on YouTube.
Monetization & Copyright On YouTube
YouTube & Social Video
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Over 5 million people have found and subscribed to a friend's channel using YouTube's friend-finding tools.
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Every auto-shared tweet results in six new YouTube.com browsing sessions. Twit
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More than half the videos on YouTube have been rated or commented on by users. That might sound low… but when you consider how many videos toil away with little-to-no views (far more than the number that go viral), it makes more sense.
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Over 4 million people are connected and auto-sharing to at least one social network.
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Every day, millions of clips are “favorited” and millions of subscriptions occur.
Source: YouTube Statistics: 25 Jawdropping YouTube Facts, Figures & Statistics http://www.reelseo.com/youtube-statistics/#ixzz1WqdUlSIj
©2008-2011 ReelSEO Video Marketing
The Optical Vision Site
We love to share infographics on Twitter! See more now!
We stumbled across a really cool infographic from the UK Company Ultralase that we had to share. It puts the steps that people should take to care for their eyes in a great visual format that anyone would enjoy looking at, especially patients. It goes through things you can do to keep your eyes healthy, and offers some compelling facts about eyes. Do you use anything like this at your eyecare practice to promote healthy vision to your patients?
Click the Image for Full Size Version
Infographic by Ultralase
For more fun infographics, follow us on Twitter!
In this installment of our Different Mindsets of a Tradeshow Attendee series, we're focusing on the Explorer and Pillager, two of the best mindsets to get into for Vision Expo West. We were in awe the first time that we attended Vision Expo because we had no idea how big it would be. There are so many aspects of the industry on display and there's truly something new to discover at every corner. The size of the show quickly taught us one important thing for any explorer, and that is comfortable shoes. And if you're a pillager, make sure you grab a bag from one of the booths to carry everything!
EXPLORERS
Something that we really think is great about exploring the show is the chance of running across a celebrity appearance. Seriously, we LOVE this aspect of walking around the show. Last year, we were just wandering around with our "Efficiency Cowboy" (he was attending to help us promote a Sweepstakes) when we spotted Randy Jackson! Not only did we spot him, we also jumped on the chance to get some video with him and our efficiency cowboy. Only a few steps away from that, we ran into none other than Lisa Loeb! We took photos with her and chatted her up, and now we even receive her newsletters because she took our cards and made the effort to keep us in the loop. (How cool is that?) These would have been missed opportunities if we hadn't been roaming the floor with the mindset of an explorer. We don't mean to brag, but check out this photo and video:
Click here to view the video.
Now, if you are ready to spot a celebrity, you won't be disappointed at Vision Expo West. Celebrities attending the show include Marie Osmond, Lisa Loeb, Vicki Gunvalson, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Danica Patrick. There could be more, because we always seem to find out about new appearances as the show gets closer. But you can check out the Celebrity Appearances Page on VisionExpoWest.com to find out when and where these celebrities will be appearing at the show.
PILLAGERS
Are you hitting the floor in search of new swag to bring back to the office? Well, you are in luck. There's lots of great stuff to pick up on the show floor. You can start by heading over to the VisionWeb Booth #MS7053 where you'll find our always colorful PD Sticks, eco tote bags, pens, and I <3 VisionWeb.com wrtistbands. (as an added benefit, we'll walk the show floor periodically looking for people wearing the wristbands and give them a giftcard, right on the spot!) You can stop by the iCoat Company Booth #20051 to get free AR cleaning cloths and cleaning solution. Live Eyewear is going to be giving away dry erase boards in Booth #21065. If you head over to the Signet Armorlite Booth #LP7065, a professional artist will do a line drawing of you! These are really cute and our team took a moment to have theirs done at Vision Expo in New York:
These are just a few of the great giveaways. Walk the show floor and you'll be sure to find more. But, we encourage you to take a moment to talk to the exhibitor while you're there picking up a free item. Chances are you'll learn something about the company you never knew! The Optical Vision Site is also posting information on giveaways in their "Swag, Steals, and Deals" series and we definitely suggest checking that out!
Don't miss any installment of "Different Mindsets of a Tradeshow Attendee!"
