How Optometry Practices Use Digital Signage to Lift Eyewear Capture Rate and Earn From Waiting-Room Screens
Optometry practices use digital signage to show patients frames, lens upgrades, and in-office benefits before and after the exam, so more prescriptions turn into eyewear sales in the practice instead of online. The gap is real: a CareCredit trend report cited by Optometry Times put the average eyewear capture rate for independent practices at 50% to 55% or less. The same screens can also earn passive income by showing approved ads from local businesses during idle time.
This guide is for practice owners and optical managers who run their own screens. It covers what to show, where to put it, how to measure it, and where signage stops helping.
Why capture rate is the number that matters
Capture rate is the share of patients who leave with a glasses prescription and buy their eyewear from you. Every point you lose walks out the door on a slip of paper.
The opportunity is in your favor. The Vision Council's Consumer inSights Q3 2025 report found that 86% of eyewear purchases were made in-store, and more than half of recent eye exams and eyewear purchases happened at independent practices. Patients still want to buy in person. The question is whether they buy from you or from the optical shop down the road.
Patients still want to buy eyewear in person. Your screens decide whether they buy it from you.
What to show on optometry practice screens
Patients sit in your waiting area for a while. PatientPoint, a point-of-care media company, reported an average waiting-room time of 13.3 minutes across U.S. medical visits in 2024. That is enough time for four to six short messages to play more than once.
Before the exam
Lens upgrades explained in plain terms: blue-light filtering, anti-glare, photochromic, and progressive lenses.
Insurance reminders, such as "Your vision plan may cover a new frame this year."
Frame lines you carry, with a short "ask to try these on" prompt.
After the exam
Second-pair offers, such as prescription sunglasses or computer glasses.
Your in-office advantages: free adjustments, fit by a licensed optician, and help with warranty claims.
Tiered frame pricing, so patients see a value option before they assume you are too expensive.
All day
Recall messages for annual exams and contact lens refills.
Dry-eye and myopia-management services, if you offer them.
Staff introductions and Google review requests (ask for honest reviews, never offer incentives).
Where to put the screens
Waiting area: one screen in clear view of most seats, running exam and upgrade content.
Optical dispensary: one screen near the frame wall, running frame lines, second-pair offers, and pricing tiers.
Checkout: a small screen for recall reminders and review requests.
Most single-location practices need two screens at most. Start with the waiting area, where dwell time is longest.
How to measure results
Track capture rate monthly for 60 to 90 days before and after you turn screens on. Also watch second-pair sales, premium lens attach rate, and average optical sale per patient. Ask your opticians to log when a patient mentions something they saw on screen.
Be honest about what the numbers mean. Signage attribution is directional. Capture rate also moves with staffing, frame inventory, insurance mix, and season, so a rise after installing screens does not prove the screens caused it. Change one thing at a time where you can, and compare the same months year over year.
Metric | How to measure | Good first target |
Eyewear capture rate | Glasses purchased in-office/glasses prescriptions written | Move toward 65% or higher |
Premium lens attach rate | Premium lens orders/ total lens orders | Track baseline, then trend upward |
Second-pair sales | Number of second-pair purchases per month | Track baseline, then trend upward |
Ad network payouts | Monthly Beam Network earnings | Aim for earnings that cover screen costs |
Earning from idle screen time
Your screens run all day, but your own content does not need every minute. The Beam Network lets you open unused screen time to approved third-party advertisers, such as a local pharmacy, a nearby gym, or a regional credit union. You approve categories, block competitors like other optical shops, and keep control of what patients see. Payouts vary by location, screen count, and foot traffic, so treat them as a way to offset hardware and software costs rather than a guaranteed profit line.
How Beam helps
Turn the TVs you already own into managed digital signage from one dashboard.
Schedule exam content in the waiting area and frame content in the dispensary.
Refresh insurance and seasonal offers remotely, with no USB sticks.
Earn from idle time through the Beam Network, with category blocks so competitors never appear.
Honest limits
Digital signage supports your team. It does not replace a good optician handoff after the exam. Screens will not fix poor frame selection or uncompetitive pricing, and they do not directly change your Google rankings. They help by putting the right message in front of patients at the moment they decide where to buy.
Get started
Ready to turn your waiting room into a capture-rate tool and a revenue stream? Book a demo at usebeam.io
Sources
What is a good eyewear capture rate for an optometry practice?
Many consultants treat 65% or higher as a solid target. Older benchmark data put the average for independent practices at 50% to 55% or less, so most practices have room to grow.
What should an optometrist show on a waiting-room TV?
Show lens upgrade explainers, insurance reminders, frame lines you carry, and second-pair offers. Keep each message short so patients can read it in a few seconds.
Can I show ads from other businesses on my practice screens?
Yes. With the Beam Network, you approve which ad categories appear and block competitors, so only relevant local advertisers show during idle time.
Will digital signage alone raise my capture rate?
Not on its own. Screens work best alongside a strong optician handoff, good frame selection, and clear pricing, and results should be read as directional.
How many screens does an optometry office need?
Most single-location practices do well with one screen in the waiting area and one in the optical dispensary.