Note: Optify is a turnkey e-commerce platform that lets patients browse, favorite, and even pre-select frames from an eyewear business’s inventory before they ever step into the office. As Barton explains, It’s not meant to replace in-store shopping, but to extend it—giving patients the kind of digital experience they expect, while keeping the independent optical retailer at the center.
INVISION: Optify’s platform helps independent ECPs bridge the gap between in-office care and the digital world. What do you see as the biggest opportunities for independents in the online eyewear space right now?
BARTON: We live in an attention economy, and most independents haven’t adapted to how patients actually buy eyewear. The opportunity is huge. Nearly 80% of patients browse online before buying anything—so the key is engaging them around the exam, not just with appointment reminders but with a shopping experience. If your practice isn’t showing them frames, someone else is.
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INVISION: With U.S. independent ECPs generating over $20 billion in eyewear sales annually — but less than 10% having an online presence — why do you think many practices have been slow to adopt digital tools?
BARTON: Independent eyecare is a unique blend of healthcare and retail—two worlds that move at very different speeds. The constant turnover in frame inventory and the gradual rise of online shopping have made it harder for practices to keep pace with digital tools focused on eyewear. But let’s not forget—there was a time when most didn’t have websites, EHRs, or even text reminders. Online optical is just the next step in that evolution, and the adoption curve is accelerating fast.
Optify is the leading turnkey online optical platform.
INVISION: What innovations or platform features are you most excited about at Optify right now, and how do they help independents stay competitive against big online players?
BARTON: We’ve built the leading turnkey online optical platform, and we’re constantly improving it to match how patients want to shop. Right now, I’m most excited about making eyewear easier to discover—on the practice’s website, in their Google search results, and even on new platforms like ChatGPT. We’ve started creating websites that put eyewear front and center, just like it is when a patient walks into the office. It meets patients where they already are and makes it easier for them to choose your practice before they even arrive.
INVISION: Looking beyond your own company, who do you think is doing truly cutting-edge, inspiring work — whether in the eyecare industry or in other industries you watch for innovation trends?
BARTON: I’m really interested in the rise of smart eyewear as a seamless interface between the wearer and AI assistants. Not in a creepy, overbearing way—but in subtle, helpful ways that blend into everyday life. The Meta x Ray-Ban collaboration is the most well-known example, but there’s a growing ecosystem of even more innovative companies pushing this forward. What excites me most is that independent eyecare can position themselves right in the middle of this shift—if they’re willing to lean in.
Using Optify, patients can browse, favorite, and pre-select frames from an eyewear business’s inventory.
INVISION: If you had one piece of advice for an independent ECP looking to build or strengthen their online eyewear presence in the next year, what would it be?
BARTON: Stop hiding your eyewear—patients are already shopping before they see you. Put it front and center, and turn those browsers into loyal buyers.
Note: Check out our profile of Dave and other innovative people, places, and products in the lead article of INVISION’s June issue.
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