Marketing is always tricky business. You have to walk the fine line between reaching customers with helpful messaging and making your messages so sales oriented that customers are turned off. Getting it right is not always easy. However, it is hard to go wrong by offering customers helpful tips – especially when these come from reputable sources.
We have come up with some eyewear shopping tips you can share with your customers. Most of them come from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) by way of a Money Talks News piece posted a couple of years ago.
1. Note the Dangers of UV Rays
The number one tip in any post of this nature would be to note the dangers of UV rays. Whether you sell cheap designer sunglasses or the most expensive brands on the market, the whole point is to offer your customers UV protection. They need to know what it is and how their sunglasses fare.
The AAO goes the extra step by discussing both UVA and UVB rays. Both can be blocked entirely with a good pair of sunglasses offering absorption of UV light up to 400nm. So encourage your customers to read labels. They should look for models with a UV 400 rating.
2. Note the Role of Polarization
Hand-in-hand with UV protection is polarization and its role. You do not want your customers to confuse the two. UV protection has nothing to do with polarization and vice-versa. Be ready to discuss the differences with any customers considering polarized lenses.
You know the deal. Polarization prevents glare. It's ideal for anglers, skiers, drivers, and even athletes. It is achieved by applying a coating that filters visible light either horizontally or vertically. That being the case, encourage your customers to take a look at their cell phones through a pair of sunglasses before they buy. If they cannot see their screens, they either have to rotate their phones or choose a different pair.
3. Checking the Quality of the Lens
As a wholesaler of designer sunglasses, we can verify that quality and price are not always commensurate. We are guessing you know that. We bring it up because you can enhance your reputation as a quality retailer by encouraging customers to check the quality of the lenses before they buy.
That AAO offers a simple quality-control test anyone can do with any pair of sunglasses. It starts by fixing your eyes on an object with a rectangular shape. You then cover one eye and look through the sunglasses as you're holding them away from your face. Next, move the sunglasses from side to side and up and down.
A quality lens will maintain the integrity of the rectangular shape despite your movement. If the shape is distorted, the AAO says it is better to choose a different pair.
4. Think About the Size
This last tip is an Olympic Eyewear tip, not one from the AAO: think about the size of the frames and lenses. Smaller lenses and frames block less direct sunlight and UV rays while larger frames and lenses block more. This suggests a customer will get more protection from a pair of wraparounds than a smaller pair of sunglasses with circular lenses and no peripheral protection.
Just as you have plenty of choices for purchasing wholesale sunglasses from us, your customers have choices when buying from you. Give them what they want along with some helpful tips to maximize their purchases. They will appreciate you showing an interest in them. That will help build brand loyalty that sends customers back to you time and again.