How much should an optometry practice spend on marketing?.
A percentage of collections, and why recall should be funded before ads.
· 5 min read
Established single location optometry practices commonly spend three to six percent of collections. Startups and cold start locations run higher, often into double digits for the first year or two while they build a patient base.
Before any of that goes to advertising, fund recall. A practice with two thousand active patients and no annual reminder system is leaving a full schedule on the table, and reaching those patients costs a fraction of buying new ones.
After recall, the highest return spend is usually unglamorous: a managed Google Business Profile, insurance plan pages, and online scheduling with real availability. Those three convert the searches that already exist in your neighborhood.
Paid search comes last and works best on narrow terms. Eye exam plus your suburb, plus each insurance plan name you accept. Broad ophthalmology and vision terms burn budget in a hurry without producing booked exams.
The short version
- Three to six percent of collections for established practices.
- Recall before advertising, every time.
- Insurance plan pages convert better than broad paid search.
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