When you think about how consumers embark on finding an eye care provider, or any type of health care provider for that matter, you might imagine a patient seeking out a word-of-mouth recommendation.

However, word-of-mouth business represents a finite sphere of leads. In this day and age, information is readily available at our fingertips. People are increasingly turning to the Internet for research, especially for topics related to health. Supposed self-diagnosis through websites such as WebMD is all the rage. In fact, Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that more than one-third of U.S. adults are turning to the Internet before calling their doctors.