By all accounts, building a successful optometry practice requires great patient care. But according to Dr. Wes McCann, great care alone isn’t enough. Sustainable growth comes from understanding the numbers behind the business and using those insights to make intentional decisions.

In a recent conversation on For the Record, Dr. McCann shared how practice owners can use data, marketing, and patient education to create stronger businesses while delivering better patient outcomes.

One of the biggest mistakes practice owners make is focusing on metrics without first identifying what they are trying to accomplish.

Are you trying to attract new patients? Grow a specialty service such as dry eye or myopia management? Increase patient retention? Improve revenue per patient?

The answer determines which optometric marketing metrics deserve attention.

For a cold-start practice, the primary objective may simply be filling the schedule. For a mature practice, growth may come from expanding specialty services or increasing patient engagement within an existing patient base.

Understanding the destination makes it easier to determine which numbers matter most.

Many practice owners focus heavily on total appointments. While patient volume is important, Dr. McCann believes deeper metrics often reveal the greatest opportunities.

Optometric metrics such as average revenue per patient, new-patient percentage, optical capture rate, dry-eye conversions, and myopia management adoption provide a more complete picture of practice performance.

These data points help identify gaps that may otherwise go unnoticed. Is the issue patient awareness? Doctor communication? Staff education? Financing options? Understanding the numbers helps uncover the real challenge.

One recurring theme throughout the discussion was the importance of educating patients before they ever enter the exam room.

Patients who encounter information through social media, email campaigns, websites, and in-office messaging arrive more informed and more prepared to discuss treatment options.

Dry eye is a perfect example. Many patients suffer from symptoms but never mention them because they assume discomfort is normal. Consistent educational touchpoints create awareness and encourage meaningful conversations once patients arrive for care.

By the time the doctor makes a recommendation, it no longer feels like a surprise—it feels like a solution.

According to Dr. McCann, effective marketing isn’t about doing more marketing. It’s about addressing specific business objectives.

A location struggling with appointment availability may need campaigns focused on attracting new patients. Another location may be fully booked but underperforming in specialty services, requiring educational campaigns focused on dry eye or myopia management. The strategy should always follow the data.

The most successful practices use marketing and internal business metrics together to guide decision-making rather than relying on assumptions or intuition alone.

While metrics are critical, numbers only tell part of the story.

Dr. McCann emphasizes that every patient interaction should reflect the practice’s brand—from the website and social media presence to the front desk, exam room, and optical experience. Patients should experience the same values in person that they see online.

That consistency creates trust, strengthens patient relationships, and reinforces the identity of the practice.

For new graduates and experienced practice owners alike, the lesson is clear: growth should be intentional.

Track the right optometric metrics. Understand your goals. Educate patients consistently. Build a brand that authentically reflects your values.

When data, culture, and patient care align, practices don’t just grow; they create lasting impact for both patients and the profession.