News summary: How to consider eyewear found online

GROWTH SPURT: Online eyewear sales jumped 31 percent from 2010 to last year, according to The Vision Council, a trade group representing industry manufacturers and suppliers.

ADVANTAGES: Shoppers looking for glasses online can find a broader range of styles and price breaks that they may not see in stores. They also can have samples sent to their homes or try on glasses on virtually using a picture of themselves.

LIMITATIONS: Eyewear experts at a store can help customers make certain a prescription fits the style the customer wants. Adjustments to prescriptions or frames also may be easier with a store visit.