Q+A TIME! “Does my salon need a website?”

Hi there everyone! Today I wanted to use our blog post to conquer a question that we are asked pretty much every single working week by current clients or potential clients…“Does my salon really need a website?”

Salon Tracker is in the salon technology biz so of course we are pro a salon website! With all of the social media platforms available nowadays, it can seem a very long and costly process to set up a salon website especially when you have the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Here we wanted to state why a salon website is optimum as well as social media platforms so you really find success online. Here goes!

• Nowadays, everyone is addicted to Google. We have a cold, we want the best remedy, who do we ask? Google. We want to know the best nearby restaurant…who knows it all? You guessed it, Google. It’s the first place customers turn to when they want information on a business, which means if you aren’t there, you’re missing out on potential customers and these customers will instead stumble across your competitors. No thank you!

• Having a website offers the potential to sell treatments and retail products online through online booking and ecommerce. Salon Tracker actually can install an online booking widget on your site for customers to book online which means your calendar will be open to bookings 24/7! Online sales allow you to work outside of your typical day to day calendar which means opportunity to make more money is everywhere.

• By having an online website with some good backlinks and SEO, you can generate new customers and leads through having a website especially by offering data capture forms. Offering an educational blog with the ability to sign up is a great way to engage with potential clients before they use your services which creates an aura of professionality and trust before they become a customer. You can do this through texting or email automation- both proven to be successful!

• Having a website allows you to get media coverage if you hold an event that your local media would be interested in. Salons currently miss out on this market quite a lot if they do not have a website which is unfortunate because there is so much media opportunity for them.

• When you do create a website, you just need to ensure it is mobile optimised so your audience has a fantastic experience of your website and will definitely return. Nowadays, most people use their mobiles to access information online so if you aren’t mobile optimised you will miss the boat.

• Let’s be honest, we all love Facebook but the search just isn’t as great as Google. With Google we can access everything we need about that “term” which means it allows for more meaningful traffic.

• Even if you are the busiest of salons, you need a website to network to new people who might move into your area or to generation beneath. 

So you know you want a website, but what to put on it?

• Basic contact details and information
• Stylist/ therapist profiles and their experience and speciality
• Photos of treatments/ styles you have carried out
• Treatment list with all of the prices
• Products and brands you stock or use
• All the contact details we could wish for including a map and opening hours!