We Asked What Your Favorite Smartphone App for Your Business Was. Here’s What You Said …

Thryv, helps me keep on top of social media. — Mickey Bradley, Patrick Optical, Fort Worth, TX
Instagram. — Heather Harrington, Elevated Eyecare, Denver, CO
QuickBooks and OntheClock. — Bhumika Patel, Redstone Family Vision, Indian Land, SC
Office suite. — Susan M Frick, Premier Eye Care of Eastern Idaho, Idaho Falls, ID
Vision Source. — Susie Phillips, Dr. Brendon Johnson, O.D., Pekin, IL
Several: Security app that lets me view the different camera’s we have at the office. My banking app to pay bills and monitor accounts. Sheets app to view staff schedules for the month. — Mark Perry, OD, Vision Health Institute, Orlando, FL
Podcasts, makes me think. — Kristina Swartz, The Eye Site, Mishawaka, IN
I access my banking app every morning, to see what funds were deposited overnight. I love being able to direct deposit paper checks (although I’m trying to get away from those as much as possible.) — Angela Patteson, OD, Sunset Eye Care, Johnson City, TN
I would say I use Google a lot to check different things out like how many Google reviews I have and to look for frames too because being 2019 we don’t get catalogs much anymore. — Julie Uram, Optical Oasis, Jupiter, FL
Plotaverse is a really cool one to add amazing effects to your photos. — Josh Bladh, Dr. Bladh OD, Diamond Bar, CA
Bank and credit card apps. They’re handy when I’m on the go. — Jim Williams, Eye to Eye Optometry, Mexico, MO
Instagram, it seems to be the easiest way to reach my clientele (current and potential.) — Siobhan Burns, The Eyeglass Lass, New London, CT
Later: I can plan my social media posts at the beginning of the month so that they automatically send at the designated days and times. — Nytarsha Thomas, OD, Visionelle Eyecare, Zionsville, IN
My calendar. — Nicole Heyduk, Eye Centers of Northwest Ohio, Fremont, OH
SR Notify, it is nice to be able to reply to patients when they text. — Amy Pelak, Proview Eyecare Optometry, Corona, CA
Map Quest. — Leisa Lauer, Dr. H Michael Shack, Newport Beach, FL
Canva, I can create social media posts that look like I hired a social media expert! — Doreen Erbe, Snyder Eye Group, Ship Bottom, NJ
Instagram! It’s such a powerful local and non-local visual marketing tool! Instagram has a wide range of user ages, whereas other mediums have niche age groups. — Carissa Dunphy, Lake Stevens Vision Clinic, Lake Stevens, WA
It’s not really an app, but the ability to get on our office software (Eyecloud Pro) from anywhere and do anything I need makes it very easy to answer any questions or get things done while I’m away from the office. — Travis LeFevre, Krystal Vision, Logan, UT
Instagram. Gotta keep that social media game strong. — Kevin Count, Prentice Lab, Glenview, IL
I don’t really have any business apps I use but I do get the news emailed to me daily called The Hustle and it is a great/entertaining way for me to keep up in events and relate to patients. — Caitlin Wicka, San Juan Eye Center, Montrose, CO
Instagram: Engages a lot of people. Old dog, new trick for me. — Annette Prevaux, The Visionary, Allen Park, MI
Facebook is used to increase marketing and show what’s happening in the office. — Frances Ann Layton, Eye Associates of South Georgia, Valdosta, GA
Our town has a local version of a SeeClickFix app that allows you to take a picture of something and report it to city officials. It can be a public utilities issue, a snowplowing issue, roadways, whatever. So incredibly useful, and they get to everyone’s questions and posts incredibly quickly, something close to a 2-hour resolution rate! — Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
Metronome and Intuit GoPayment for our Vision Therapy business. We are able to keep everything separate dollar wise between the two businesses that way. And Starbucks Rewards: Caffeine is always needed, and I might as well get rewarded for buying my coworkers coffee! — Jenna Gilbertson, McCulley Optix Gallery, Fargo, ND
California lottery, the only sure way to make money. — Dave Schultz, OD, Urban Optics, San Luis Obispo, CA
Facebook, gets photos faster and easier to the page. — Fred Sirotkin, OD, Eagle Eye Care, Columbia, MD
As of right now it is a code look-up app. — Zachary Dirks, OD, St. Peter and Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers, Saint Peter, MN
Pinterest, I am able to save many ideas for ads/truck shows/office updates any time/place whether I’m at work or not. — Pam Peters, Midwest Eye, Downers Grove, IL
Translate. — Texas L. Smith, OD, Dr. Texas L. Smith & Associates, Citrus Heights, CA
Too many but current favorite: Homebase, very easy to monitor employee hours and schedule. — Preet Kaur, Gary Tracy Optometry & Eyewear, New York, NY
My EHR app. I can do charting anywhere! — Cynthia Sayers, OD, EyeShop Optical Center, Lewis Center, OH
Google and Google maps. — Bob McBeath, Edina Eye, Edina, MN
I’ve tried a bunch of industry apps and have yet to find one that really offers something of value to my office, but boy would I love to hear what others have to say. Maybe I’m missing out on some winners! — Christine Howard, Attleboro Vision Care, Attleboro, MA
Figure 1. It helps doctors across the world work with each other on baffling diagnoses. — Angel Miller, Cynthiana Vision Center, Cynthiana, KY
Amazon because I love to decorate my office and they have everything. — Jennifer Leuzzi, Mill Creek Optical, Dansville, NY
Instagram. — Margot Lanham, Ulla Eyewear, Madison, WI
Bank. — Bob Schmittou, New Eyes Optical, Wyandotte, MI
Google for quick reference answers. — Cindy Henderson, Eyear Optical, Hixson, TN
Word Swag, great way to brighten up a social media post. — Kenneth D. Boltz, OD, Dublin, OH
I like Instagram to see what’s current and trending in fashion and eyewear. — Barbara Bloom, OD, Weber Vision Care, Harrisburg, PA
Santander app so I can pay my bills from anywhere. — Marc Ullman, OD, Academy Vision, Pine Beach, NJ
Good Rx; lets patients know where to get the best price on meds. They can’t be compliant with treatment if they cannot afford it. — Michael Davis, OD, Opti-Care, Eldersburg, MD
Auto refraction, just a quick and simple tool to use in a mobile optical dispensary. — Will Taylor, Eye 2 Eye Contact, Northville, MI
Planoly. It makes posting on Insta so much easier. You can see how your tiles are going to look before they post. We were using Hootsuite, but we ran into a lot of problems with that app. — Leah Johnson, Central Texas Eye Center, San Marcos, TX
GoodRx, helps to know drug prices before they get to the pharmacy and reject it. — Bart Parker, OD, Vision Source-Fox Optical, Lake Worth, FL
The banking programs. I don’t have to go to the bank to make deposits. — Pauline Buck, OD, Behavioral and Developmental Optometrists, Miami, FL
Honestly … Instagram. It lets us share new styles constantly and interact with our “fans” a.k.a. customers. It’s fantastic. — Harris Decker, Eye Designs of Westchester, Scarsdale, NY
Waze, makes sure employees get to work on time. — Steve Geis, Metro Eye, Milwaukee, WI
How about the weather app and the calculator? — Steve Nelson, Eye Candy Optical, Westlake, OH
My EMR — Revolution EHR — so I can see my schedule before I leave for work. — Megan Lott, OD, Lexington Eye Care, Lexington, MS
Amazon for ordering. — Richard Frankel, Atlantic Cape Eyecare, Wildwood, NJ
LinkedIn is a business to business platform that helps you connect within our industry. — Adam Ramsey, OD, Iconic Eye Care, Palm Beach Gardens, FL

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INVISION Staff

Since launching in 2014, INVISION has won 23 international journalism awards for its publication and website. Contact INVISION's editors at editor@invisionmag.com.