The PD problem in eyewear eCommerce
Many eyewear shoppers begin their shopping journey online for glasses, but only a small percentage purchase them there. One major reason is because approximately 90% of those shoppers don’t know what pupillary distance (PD) is, much less know their own parameters. That’s because PD information is often not included in eyewear prescriptions.
The absence of this critical detail puts online eyewear shoppers in a dilemma: either guess their PD at checkout and hope for the best or cancel the order out of fear of spending money on glasses with lenses that aren’t made correctly.
Returns are common when customers accidentally order prescription glasses with the wrong PD. That’s because wearing glasses with an inaccurate PD can cause symptoms such as blurry vision, headaches, and eye strain. Unfortunately, this can also result in negative perception towards a retailer’s product and brand, reducing the likelihood customers will return to shop.
How some eyewear eCommerce retailers are helping customers find their PD
In response to the PD challenge, some eyewear eCommerce retailers have their customer support team walk customers through the process of determining their PD over the phone.
Meanwhile, others provide tools and resources—like a how-to guide and a printable millimeter ruler—that customers can use to capture their PD at home on their own.
Manual PD tools are difficult to use and prone to human error.
Some opt to skip self-measurement altogether by providing gender-based averages or using an algorithmic approach that with inputs such as age, gender, and height/weight.
Although these methods provide some level of support, none of them can guarantee the level of accuracy—typically around +/- 2.5mm—that customers need for glasses. For people with high-powered lenses, the margin for error can be even smaller.
How Luna can help solve the PD problem
At Luna, we created myRx PD Reader to solve this all-too-common challenge. This browser-based tool uses a quick facial scan to deliver instant, accurate PD results—up to +/- 1 mm for 95% of scans, and +/- 2 mm for 100% of scans.
myRx PD Reader is easy to embed into your existing shopping flows. It’s easy for customers, too. After receiving their results, they flow seamlessly back into your shopping, checkout, or post-purchase user flow with the information they need to move forward with their purchase.
Luna’s myRx PD Reader is a fast, simple solution for obtaining pupillary distance while shopping online.
Want to see how myRx PD Reader works? Try a demo now.
To learn more about how this ground–breaking tool can help you achieve your business goals and drive better conversion online, schedule a private demo with one of our product experts today.
