Case study
O'Hea Opticians
O'Hea Opticians is an optician in Malta with branches in Gżira and Valletta, offering eye tests, prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses and quick in-store repairs. M7Alpha designed and built its e-commerce website, produces graphic design and print work for the business, and hosts and maintains the site.
The project
O’Hea Opticians is an optician in Malta with branches in Gżira and Valletta, offering eye tests, prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses and quick repairs from its own in-store lab. M7Alpha designed and built the O’Hea Opticians e-commerce website, produces graphic design and print work for the business, and hosts and maintains the site. This case study looks at how one website can present both expert eye care and designer eyewear, and how it keeps offers and news current.
What makes an optician’s website different from a normal shop?
An optician sells two things at once: clinical care that people need to trust, and eyewear that people want to enjoy wearing. A website that only shows frames feels like a fashion shop, and one that only talks about eye tests feels like a clinic. O’Hea needed both.
The site opens on style, with a light, confident tone about finding a pair that suits you, then moves straight into premium, personalised eye care: thorough eye tests, varifocals, contact lenses, professional frame fitting and repairs carried out in-store. Further down, the homepage introduces the HOYA lenses the practice stocks and the international designer brands it carries, such as Tom Ford, Zegna, Dior and Celine.
How is the O’Hea Opticians website structured?
The main menu mirrors the reasons people visit an optician, with booking always in view. Each part of the site answers a specific question:
| Section | The visitor’s question |
|---|---|
| Services | Can you test my eyes, fit my frames or fix my glasses? |
| Products | Do you have sunglasses, spectacles, contact lenses and children’s eyewear? |
| Limited Editions | Is there anything special or hard to find? |
| Offers & News | Is there a current promotion I can use? |
| Locations | Which branch is nearest, and when is it open? |
| Book an Appointment | How do I book an eye test? |
| Careers and Contact | Are you hiring, and how do I reach you? |
The Book an Appointment button sits in the main navigation on every page, and the opening hours appear in the footer throughout the site. For a practice with two branches, those two details answer most of the questions people would otherwise phone to ask.
How do offers and news stay easy to follow?
Every offer has its own page with the same clear layout: a headline, a short explanation, a note on terms and links to related offers. Examples include a back-to-school offer for students, a free upgrade to HOYA’s Meiryo lens coating, a second-pair offer on HOYA lenses, and MiYOSMART iQ lenses for myopia management.
Because each offer is a page of its own, it can be shared on social media, linked from a printed flyer or found through search, and the homepage pulls the latest news and offers into a single strip so returning visitors see what is new straight away.
Where do e-commerce and print fit in?
Online sales and printed material support the practice rather than replace it. Eyewear is a personal purchase, and many customers still want an eye test, a fitting or advice in person, so we built the site as an e-commerce website while keeping the route into the branches just as visible as the route to buy.
Alongside the website, M7Alpha produces graphic design and print work for O’Hea Opticians. Handling the website and print together keeps offers, campaigns and the brand looking consistent, whether a customer meets them online, on social media or in a branch. You can read more about how a consistent identity works in our article on branding vs logo.
What can other opticians and eyewear retailers learn?
Lead with care and trust, show the style, and make booking effortless. In practice that means:
- Explain each service plainly, from eye tests to repairs, so people know what to expect.
- Keep an appointment button in the main menu on every page.
- Show branch locations and opening hours everywhere, not just on the contact page.
- Give every offer its own page with its terms, so it can be shared and found.
- Name the lens and frame brands you stock, because people search for them.
Clear service pages also help AI assistants. When someone asks ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot or Perplexity where to get glasses repaired quickly in Valletta, the answer depends on websites that state those services and locations plainly.
How M7Alpha helps retailers and eye care practices
M7Alpha designs and builds websites and online shops for retailers and service businesses in Malta, and supports them with graphic design and print, all from our in-house team. If you run a practice or a shop and want a site that sells as well as it informs, see our web design and development service or tell us about your project.
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the O'Hea Opticians website?
M7Alpha Creative Studios, a web design, development and branding agency in Żurrieq, Malta, designed and built the O’Hea Opticians e-commerce website. M7Alpha also produces graphic design and print work for the business and hosts and maintains the site.
Where are O'Hea Opticians' branches?
O’Hea Opticians has branches in Gżira and Valletta, Malta. Both offer eye tests, eyewear, contact lenses and in-store repairs, and appointments can be booked through the website.
Should an optician sell eyewear online?
It can work well alongside the practice. Products such as sunglasses and contact lenses suit online sales, while prescription eyewear usually still needs an eye test and fitting in person. The website should make both routes clear.
How much does an e-commerce website cost in Malta?
It depends on the number of products, how they are managed and which features are needed. Our guide on how much an e-commerce website costs in Malta explains what drives the price.
