5 Essential Tips for Running a Successful Salon

Running a successful salon requires more than just technical skills – it’s about creating a great experience for your customers and effectively managing your business. 

Here are five key tips to help you thrive in the salon industry!

Invest in trained staff

Your staff are the face of your salon. Hiring trained professionals not only ensures quality services but also boosts your confidence in what your salon offers. Clients appreciate expertise and professionalism, so investing in skilled staff members is crucial for building trusty and loyalty.

 

Utilise Strategic Marketing

 In order to attract new clients and retain existing ones, effective marketing is essential. Use various marketing strategies to promote your services, including special promotions and offers. Utilise social media, SMS and email campaigns to expand your reach and keep your salon top of mind.

 

Stay Organised with Salon Tracker

Managing bookings, appointments, and client information can be overwhelming without the right tools. Implement a salon management software like Salon Tracker to streamline operations. This software helps you to stay organised, manage schedules efficiently, and maintain client records seamlessly.

 

Define your USP

What sets your salon apart from the competition? Identify your USP – whether it’s a personalised service, unique ambiance, eco-friendly products, or exclusive treatments. Highlight this USP in your marketing efforts to attract clients who resonate with your salon’s unique offerings.

Create a Welcoming Atmosphere

The ambiance of your salon significantly impact the overall customer experience. Ensure your salon is clean, well-maintained, and has a welcoming atmosphere. Pay attention to details like lighting, music, and decor to create a relaxing and enjoyable environment for your clients.

Implementing these tips will not only enhance your salon's reputation but also contribute to the growth and success of your business. By focusing on professionalism, effective marketing, organisation, differentiation, and customer experience, you'll be well-positioned to thrive in the competitive salon industry.

Salon Tracker x

Salon Tracker’s Marketing Features

Sending out campaigns couldn’t be easier with our marketing suite on Salon Tracker! 

We have a variety of templates which you can use, as well as 20 marketing filters and even the option to create your own. It’s as simple as selecting the template, editing your message and clicking send!

 Now you might be thinking to yourself why would I need to do this?

Well… Marketing campaigns are a great way to boost your business. Sending out offers to customers is a great way to entice them to come into your salon and ultimately increase your profits!

 

A great example of this is our ‘Customers who haven’t visited in a while’ template. This campaign filters through customers who haven’t come to your salon for a while and invites them to come in for a treatment with a discount. 

An example of how the pre-filtered campaign would look is:

Hi <<Forename>

You are missed! All appointments booked before [ENTER DATE] will receive [ENTER DISCOUNT] discount.

<<CompanyName>> <<CompanyTel>> T&Cs Apply

We also have an option on Salon Tracker to schedule your campaigns to be sent out. This is great for if you are wanting a campaign sending out whilst you're away or if you want to plan ahead and be prepared!

For example if you were wanting to send out a bank holiday campaign you could use our summer sale campaign template and edit it to say:

Hi <<Forename>>

We are offering a free [ENTER VALUE] voucher with every booking made this week, which will be redeemable on bank holiday Monday!

<<CompanyName>> <<CompanyTel>> T&Cs Apply

It is also important to think about when is best to send out your marketing campaigns. Using our reports feature on Salon Tracker can help you with finding the best time to send out your campaigns.

For example, by using our Sales by Hour report you can see which times are quieter and use the marketing feature to increase your sales in these periods. Sending out a marketing campaign with an offer during quieter periods may give your customers the incentive to come in.

If you would like to know more about our marketing suite, or any of our features then just give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or drop us an email at info@salontracker.co.uk

One of our team would be happy to help with any questions you might have!

Salon Tracker x

Level up your business with online bookings

Want to make instant bookings, reduce no shows and make money outside of your salon hours? Well this blog will discuss how our online booking system can do all of that plus more!

Feature of the month-

Level up your business with online bookings

In the tanning industry, timing is everything. Making bookings and boosting revenue beyond regular salon hours is the brilliance of online bookings. With this feature, your tanning salon can continue to thrive and shine, catering to clients whenever they crave that golden glow that your shop can provide them.

 

Harness the power of social media to enhance your tanning salon's success. By seamlessly integrating our customised booking link into your social media, you're creating a direct pathway for clients to schedule their next bronzing session as they scroll their favourite platforms. By linking your online booking it effortlessly connects your online following and customers to real-time bookings.

 

Life is fast-paced, and your clients are always on the move. Online bookings allow them to schedule their tanning sessions on the go anytime, anywhere. They can be the first to book their favourite bed before they get off work with a click of a button. Convenience at its golden best!

Avoid the fade-out caused by no-shows. Implement deposit payments to ensure commitment. A small deposit not only minimizes the chances of last-minute cancellations but also keeps your tanning beds occupied and profitable.

How does this work?

Once you're assigned to the Enterprise package we will create your custom online booking site using your salon theme colours, logo and all your salon services. Your customers can register in store or online and create their 4 digit pin to log in and book from their phone. 

So there it is! Embrace round-the-clock availability, leverage the power of social media, cater to your on-the-go clients, and bid farewell to no-shows which is all included in our Enterprise package (£90+VAT per month), call 0113 350 8230 to either upgrade or start today. 

Salon Tracker x

Happy Galentine's Day!

 

Happy Galentine's Day!

 

Why not make the most of Galentine's and Valentine's day by offering discounts and deals in your salon!

Here are some ideas for things you could do to increase your sales during this period:

 

Galentine's Spa Day

Offering special packages for groups of friends is a great way to promote your business and bring new customers to your salon. Packages could include facials, massages, manicures, pedicures or any other treatments that you offer! Offers like buy one get one free or group discounts are always great to get a group together. You could even plan a full spa day package for the group with all treatments included... Because Galentine's is all about treating yourself and feeling good whilst catching up with the gals right?

 

Valentine's deals

Offering special couples packages is also a great way to increase your business. Whether that be couples massages or getting your nails done together! A special treat for a loved one is always appreciated! It's a great way to relax and catch up with that special person in your life. It gives you the chance to enjoy each other's company whilst being pampered in the best way possible.

 

Gift Card Specials

Offering Galentine's gift cards can encourage your customers to buy gifts for their ‘gals’ to treat themselves. This will benefit your business as it can attract new customers to your salon through loyal customers referring their friends. Who can say no to a day out with their bestie, and what better way to do this than with a gift card!

 

Remember to promote your Galentine's Day and Valentine's specials through your salon's website, social media channels, email newsletters, and in-salon signage to attract clients and encourage them to celebrate friendship and self-care at your salon!

Here are some ideas of quick and easy SMS marketing campaigns you could do:

'Love is in the hair! Treat yourself this Valentine's Day with a salon pampering session. Because nothing says self-love like a fresh haircut or a relaxing spa treatment. Book now! '

'Get that sun-kissed glow just in time for Valentine's Day! Enjoy our special offer on tanning sessions and look radiant for your romantic date night. Book now and shine bright!'

'Pamper yourself or surprise your sweetheart with our exclusive Valentine's Day offer! Enjoy 20% off on all spa services, from massages to facials. Treat yourself to some love and relaxation! '

'Celebrate love, celebrate life, and celebrate your radiant self with our Valentine's Day tanning offer! Enjoy discounted rates on our premium tanning services and glow like never before. Book your session today! '

'Don't miss out on our Valentine's Day special offer! Enjoy a free manicure with every haircut or blowout. Because nothing says love like a fresh new look! '

We hope this blog helped you with ideas to help promote your business and increase your sales!

 

Salon Tracker x

Your Guide to Christmas Marketing

 

Your Guide To Christmas Marketing

Everybody wants to look good for Christmas, so they’ll be more likely to book their beauty treatments and tans, but how can you drive them to your salon? And how do you keep them coming back?

 

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is possibly the most powerful marketing strategy to drive in new clients. One of the most effective ways to spread the word is to incentivise current customers with a refer a friend scheme, offering a discount for both your existing customer and the new member that they bring in. By doing this, you are likely to keep the new client coming back after they have experienced your amazing in-salon experience, and then they will likely refer someone else, with this cycle continuing to bring you in lots of great new customers.

 

Social Media

So you already post multiple times a week, but how do you get your salon’s name out there to new potential customers? Running a giveaway on your Instagram or Facebook page is a very effective way to reach new people. Give instructions for people to follow to be entered into the giveaway like “tag 3 friends” and “share to your story”. Everybody loves a freebie, so everyone will be tagging their friends and sharing, especially when it’s not costing them anything.

 

Salon Exterior

Get creative with your festive decorations! Make sure you pay as much attention to the outside and windows of your salon as you do to the inside. With sunset coming much earlier throughout Winter, some bright decorations and lights in your windows will attract people who are walking and driving past; it’s like having a free billboard! An added benefit of this is that putting up Christmas decorations is super enjoyable and sure to get you and your staff members into the festive spirit.

 

Salon Tracker’s SMS and Email Marketing Suite

A great way to entice current and previous customers is through SMS and email marketing messages. You can offer special discounts or incentives for them to book with you. With Salon Tracker’s marketing suite, you can filter your customer list to include only relevant customers (e.g. customers who haven’t booked with you within a certain timeframe). This clever feature allows you to send different messages to different groups of customers.

For more information, please call us on 0113 350 8230 or email info@salontracker.co.uk and one of our friendly sales team will be happy to help!

Have a great Christmas!

Salon Tracker x

How to make the most out of Black Friday!

Everybody loves a good deal, and with the countdown to Christmas beginning soon, treating your clients is the best way to keep them coming back for more.

This blog will give you a rundown on how you can benefit from Black Friday deals in your salon!

One great way to get your customers to buy more of your courses, treatments and retail products is by adding discounts. A deal always appeals to customers and will ultimately increase your sales and keep your customers happy.

Another great way to benefit from Black Friday is by offering discounted gift vouchers in store. This is a great Christmas gift for your customers to purchase, and of course expand your customer base.

You could also offer free minutes on a course you sell which will attract your customers to purchase them, in return bringing more bookings to your salon.

A great way to promote your deals is by using social media and our advanced marketing suite on Salon Tracker. Letting your customers know about your offers will bring in more business.

And we of course practice what we preach and had to do some deals of our own! 

Read below to find out what our amazing Black Friday deals and discounts are:

 

Sign up now and get 50% off your first month

Purchase our SMS bundles and get 15% off now!

And last but not least... Purchase our hardware for up to 15% off 

Our deals are available until 1st December 2023 so don't miss out!

 
If you're not already a customer of ours then what better time to join us than now with these amazing deals on offer! Just give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or drop us an email at info@salontracker.co.uk.

That's all for now!

Salon Tracker x 

Halloween marketing tips.

 

Halloween Marketing Tips, will it be a trick or treat?

Run competitions/ giveaways

Spread the word about your business and increase your social media presence. Do giveaways for a free tanning course or any service your salon offers and to enter the giveaway ask people to follow your account and share the post or tag friends to enter the giveaway. This is a great way to get your salons name out there and have organic growth from people in the area. 

Seasonal offers

Get your salon involved in the festive seasons, and boost your business by offering seasonal courses and deals. Halloween is just round the corner, which is a great excuse to promote Halloween exclusive deals for your salon, be creative and give current and new customers a Halloween themed deal!

A few ideas for Halloween Tanning + Beauty deals:

- Scary Good Deals

- Pumpkin Spice tan

- Trick or Treat Yourself Package

- Glamour under the Moonlight

           Social Media Brand Identity

Having an online presence on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook is a massive aspect of your salons potential to grow and become a recognisable, popular and a trusted salon in a competitive industry. How do you do this? Well, here are a few steps you can take to increase your salons brand identity:

       Colour scheme- Ensure your salon is themed with no more than 3 colours, you can use your theme with every post you make, salon decorations and your salon logo. This will also make your account feed look visually smooth and neat, remember, nobody likes a messy Instagram feed!

          Consistency- A post a day keeps the competitors away! Posting everyday or even a short story is a great way to increase your social media engagement with potential and current customers, and also improves the personal relationship between you and your customers in and outside the salon. Show off customers results, reviews and what your salon really has to offer!

          Hashtags- Using hashtags can be very advantageous to your business on social media, especially for smaller businesses. Using hashtags that relate to your post and business will increase its reach and will appear on other users feeds who follow the same or related hashtags. You can also start using your own hashtag specifically related to your salon, which you can use every time you post. You can also encourage customers to use it when they share their results online too! This is a great way to grow your online presence organically and grow a community that you can be proud of. #trickortracker

 

      Salon Tracker Marketing suite

Last but not least, The Salon Tracker marketing suite which comes with our Professional and Enterprise packages, is designed to help your salon grow. From mail chimp integration, customer text templates, review templates for texts/emails and much more there isn’t much that our marketing suite can't do for your marketing needs this Halloween. With it all in one place, there’s less time wasting on separate platforms trying to market to your customers and more time spent on delivering the best service to your customers.

If you are wanting to treat your customers this Halloween then follow the simple steps in this blog or head to the Salon Tracker marketing suite.

 

If you are not already a customer then what are you waiting for, just call us on 0113 350 8230 or email us info@salontracker.co.uk.

Salon Tracker x

Key Things to Consider when Opening a Salon

When starting a salon there are a lot of things to consider before opening shop. Things like how you want to come across to your customers, how you want to spread the word about your salon through marketing, the feel of your salon interior, what staff you are wanting to hire, and keeping up to date with bookings. This blog will talk through some of these things that are important to mull over before opening.

Clear Vision

It’s important, when opening a salon, that you have a clear idea of what you’re wanting within the salon. What is your USP? Maybe it could be that your salon is eco-friendly, or that you specialise in treatments for special occasions such as weddings. Maybe that your tanning treatments are super safe and have looked into avoiding the dangers of UV exposure. Or maybe you already know what your USP is… that’s great! 

Branding & Marketing

Branding & Marketing is also a key way to engage with your customers. A striking brand with bold colours can attract customers and marketing is also key to keep customers up to date with offers you have on within the salon and to let customers know about their upcoming appointments. With our Salon Tracker software we offer a marketing suite with marketing suggestions as well as an option to customise your own, if you so wish.

Ambience and Atmosphere

Customers come into a salon for an experience, so thinking ahead about how the atmosphere is within your salon is crucial. For example, having the right colour scheme within the salon interior, having comfortable chairs, and ensuring that customers feel relaxed and enjoy their time in your salon, making them want to keep coming back for more.

Staff and Hiring

Having professional and well-trained staff is also beneficial to your salon as it ensures the treatments that your customers have will be done by professionals and you will have no stress or any issues with the appointments. However, if you are planning on training staff then it is important to think about how to manage your time for this before opening your salon. At Salon Tracker we offer free staff training, so you can tick that one off your list!

Staying organised

Finally, an important part of opening a salon is keeping on top of your bookings and staying organised. With our Salon Tracker software we make this step super easy! Features in our software such as the bookings tab include a calendar view so you can easily see your bookings, and our software can store the customer’s information within the database to make it easy to book them in for the future.

I hope that this blog has helped you with a few things that are necessary when opening a salon, and has given you some ideas for what you could do if you decide to open one.

If you’re interested in getting booked in for a look at our services in a FREE demonstration or a FREE two-week trial, please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 0113 350 8230 or emailing us on info@salontracker.co.uk.

 

Salon Tracker x

Professional Beauty London 2023

 

We are back and better than ever!

Come and join us this March at Professional Beauty 2023 at Excel London. It has been a whole year since we've seen you all and we can't wait to tell you about what we have been working on this year. You can find us at stand Q32 on 5th-6th March and talk to one of our dedicated sales team and receive our exclusive show deal! We will be showcasing all of the new features from the past year and we can't wait to see what you have been working on too. 

What's new and improved?

We have spent the past year improving all of our existing features and we even have some new features that we think you'd love to hear about. Here is an introduction of what we can't wait to show you in March: 

Online Payment and deposits-

We have now made online booking easier and more effective for you by adding online payments and deposits. We have brought this feature out with you guys in mind. Did you know that 40% of bookings are made outside of Salon hours?  This is why we've partnered with the payment provider stripe so customers can now charge their clients a set deposit when booking appointments online therefore reducing no-shows and generating a more streamlined revenue. 

Editable Siteview-

This past year we have been improving our Siteview app so that you can edit appointments within the app. This is available both as a feature within the native app on IOS and Android devices but can also be used in the web browser on any PC/iPad that has internet access. Appointments can now be added, edited, updated and deleted within the app, in which this is all permission based within the software itself, meaning if there are certain elements within the app that you don’t want some employees having access to (for example reports), these can be restricted for certain logins. This is now available to anyone on our Enterprise software package.

Enhanced security-

We know how important it is to keep your reports, takings, customer data and much more safe and secure. This year we have been further developing your Salon security. With Salon Tracker's Professional and Enterprise packages you can create password protected staff logins, you can even add a staff fingerprint for extra security. We can change your staff members' permissions so that only you can access to features such as reports or stock levels. With our fingerprint reader you can ensure that your customers are only using their own minutes and keep their data safe. 

Hardware-

In addition to all of our existing hardware, we have been working on a new hardware feature to improve your salon's efficiency and security. We are now launching QR code scanners for all of our Enterprise customers. All you need to do is get your customers to log into their online account and click into their profile icon to pull up their unique customer QR code. They can then scan this in the Salon to pull up their customer details making the book in process quicker and easier. 

On top of all our great features we also offer free demonstrations of the software and free two-week trials so that you can try Salon Tracker out free of charge. 

So come and visit us at stand Q32 for your very own live demonstration with one of our sales team who are there to answer any of your questions! 

Register for your free tickets at: Professional Beauty London 

See you soon, 

Salon Tracker x 

The Hidden Costs of 'Free' Salon Software

You may think you’re onto a winner when you sign up to a free Salon Software subscription but have you actually thought about the hidden costs and implications that come with it? You may end up paying overall just in the online bookings you take when the money from them bookings should be rightfully yours, wouldn’t you agree?

Here at Salon Tracker we have kept the same pricing model since 2014 – that’s nearly a decade of affordable software that is tailored to each of your Salon needs. Furthermore, we have 3 set subscriptions with no hidden costs… FREE training, FREE support and unlimited FREE online bookings. What more could you want?

The beauty industry is a competitive place, and it's important for salon owners to stay ahead of the game. However, when it comes to salon software, many salon owners mistakenly believe that free software is the best option for their business. While free salon software may seem like a great idea, there are hidden costs associated with using it that can add up over time. First, free salon software often comes with limited features and functionality. This means that salons may not be able to do all of the tasks necessary for running their business. For example, if a salon uses a free software to manage their appointments, they may not be able to customise the system to fit their business's needs. At Salon Tracker, all our development of features is done in house and we really care about the needs of our clients so everything that is requested is always taken on board. We really rely on our clients feedback to improve the software in every update we do – something a free software has not got the capacity to give you.

Additionally, free salon software may not offer online booking or other features that are necessary for a successful salon. Did you know that according to a study carried out by Zippia in Nov 2022 67% of clients prefer online booking and 40% of bookings are made outside of salon hours? That statistic alone is too significant to ignore as online bookings become more of a necessity than a luxury in order for your Salon to stay competitive. Although free software providers may offer the online booking functionality, there is a high chance they charge per booking made instead and in some cases they charge a high amount per new customer that registers. One free software actually charges a 20% finder’s fee for every new client booking so if they book a £60 treatment, £12 of your hard earned money goes to the software provider.

Secondly, free salon software often comes with outdated technology. This can lead to significant security issues. This could make your software vulnerable to malware and other malicious attacks, which can place customer information at risk. Thus putting you at risk of a GDPR breach leaving you with a hefty fine.  Additionally, outdated software can also be unreliable and unable to keep up with the demands of a busy salon which can lose you customers due to frustration and therefore reduce your profit, not what you need for your up and coming Salon. Free salon software has also proven to lack customer support. This means that if a salon owner runs into any issues with their software, they may be unable to get the help they need in an instance. Without proper support, salons may be unable to troubleshoot problems or update their system as needed. Whereas here at Salon Tracker, we are always on the other end of the phone to assist you with any help you may need instead of waiting days sometimes weeks with free salon software providers.

Finally, free salon software may not be compatible with other software programs and systems. At Salon Tracker, we link with payment provider ‘Payment sense’ and all of our POS hardware meaning that everything is all in one place. Additionally, salons may have difficulty transferring data from one program to another, leading to data loss or other costly issues. While free salon software may seem like a great way to save money, the hidden costs associated with it can add up quickly. Before you decide to go with a free salon software provider, you should carefully consider the features and functionality of the software and ensure that it meets the needs of your Salon. At Salon Tracker, we offer a FREE 2 week Trial and a virtual demonstration of the software with one of our friendly sales team, just give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or enquire through the link below to get started today!

Salon Tracker FREE trial!

Salon Tracker x

How to Build your Salon's Profits in Quieter Seasons!

We know that January can feel quiet after the Christmas rush. This doesn't mean that you can't build your profits. We think this would be a great time to look over prices, strategies and marketing tools. But where do you even start? No need to worry we are here to help. 

These quiet periods are great time to grab the attention of new customers, create your Marketing plans for the year, get up to date on your reports or even have a bit of a Salon Makeover.

SMS Marketing Campaigns 

SMS marketing is a great way to engage with existing customers by sending text campaigns out such as for customers who haven't visited in a while. You could even include a January discount. On Salon Trackers marketing suite we have already made a template for you so that you don't have to worry about what to say.  Alternatively an SMS campaign can win over new customers, we think it would be a great idea to send a refer a friend campaign out. This way you can reward your loyal customers whilst obtaining new ones. 

Keep on top of your reports

Keeping an eye on your reports can sometimes take up a large amount of your day. It can be easy to put this task to the bottom of your to do list. This January period would the best time to look over your reports. Whilst you are having a few less bookings you can look over last years reports, takings and products to create any strategies or improvements for the upcoming year.  Why not take this opportunity to get on top of your admin and look at building your profit before the bookings come flooding in. With Salon Tracker you have access to over 25 reports including action log, day end receipt, no show bookings, retail sales and much more. We try to make running a Salon as easy as possible by the reports acting as your very own accountant. 

 

Salon Makeover 

You might even be thinking of giving your salon a bit of TLC. Are you wanting to mix up the colour scheme, get new equipment or even do a complete Salon rebrand. Now is the perfect time, you can get all the hard work done now so that when summer comes around you will have customers lining up to get booked in. 

We think you should take these quiet periods as a blessing in disguise. This is the time to get all the tasks done that you haven't had time to get to and to put plans in place now that will improve your profit in the future. We hope that these January tips have helped to keep you busy and will build your profits in the upcoming months. If this January you are looking to switch from paper cards or from a different software provider now is the time. If you would like to get booked in for a demonstration and two week free trial with one of our specialist sales team then give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email at info@salontracker.co.uk. Or if you are already one of our amazing customers drop us a message on Instagram, @salontrackersoftware, to let us know how your Salon is getting on in the new year. 

Christmas Marketing Tips

It's that time of year again and we know how busy you must be in the festive season. Have you been so busy getting ready for Christmas that you haven't had time to think about your Christmas marketing techniques? No need to stress, we have you covered. We have come up with some great marketing tips and tricks for your Salon this Christmas. 

Christmas competition

Do you want to increase your social media interactions this Christmas? We have a great idea for you, how’s about running a Christmas giveaway. This idea is always fun and easy to do. You could give away prizes such as 20 free minutes on a sunbed for the festive season or a cut and blow dry ready for the annual work party. All you need to do is create a social media post with your chosen prize and get your customers to comment or share on their stories to enter the competition. This Christmas trick is a great way to engage with your customers over Instagram or Facebook whilst still promoting your Salon at Christmas.

Christmas opening hours

We know that Christmas is a busy time of year, and you will be up to your ears in bookings. If your Salon has decided to have extended Christmas opening hours, make sure people know about it. A great way to make people aware of your extended hours is to do a social media post displaying your new Christmas hours. This will ensure that all of your customers are aware of your extended Christmas hours and will help to boost your bookings.  

    Window Display

    A great way to engage your customers and increase the sales of retails products is to create your very own festive window display. A window display is the perfect way to grab your customers attention and create a desire to buy your products for themselves or as presents for others. At Salon Tracker we think the best way to create an engaging Christmas window display is to have a theme. For example, Winter Wonderland or Santa’s workshop. Having a theme will make sure that your display is not overcrowded and keeps your products at the focus of attention.

    Gift vouchers

    Another marketing tip for this Christmas is to use Christmas gift vouchers. If you are wanting to have an offer on this Christmas how’s about using a gift voucher. Creating a gift voucher with festive images on is a great way to entice customers into your salon and make use of your offers. You can post on your social media accounts to make everyone aware of your gift vouchers and get them lining up to book in with you. 

    Christmas countdown loyalty card

    We have a great marketing trick to increase your bookings in the lead up to Christmas. This year how's about creating a loyalty card for the Christmas countdown. This will urge customers to come into your salon repeatedly to claim their free festive reward. We think it would be a great idea to do a 12 days of Christmas loyalty card. For example, the customer would use a sunbed 12 times and get their last session free. This Christmas trick would help to bring up your bookings and will give your customer a Christmas reward for their loyalty. 

    We hope that these Marketing tips will help you in the lead up to this Christmas season. We would love to see your Christmas decorations and displays, just dm us a picture @salontrackersoftware. Here at Salon Tracker, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

   Salon Tracker X

Loyalty with Salon Tracker!

 

When it comes to running a successful salon business, customer loyalty and retention is one of the most important factors. The salon market in 2022 is one of the most condensed with a lot of different businesses offering the same services. In this blog we are going to talk about the features that are already implemented in Salon Tracker which can help you encourage your existing customers to keep coming back to your salon rather than opting to have the same services at one of your competitor salons.

Pack Quantities

One feature that is already within Salon Tracker is pack quantities. This feature allows you to sell your services in packs and take payments upfront. This means that customers can buy a bundle of services, often for a reduced price, upfront. By offering this customers can purchase multiple services upfront for cheaper and it will therefore encourage them to stay loyal to your salon. By doing it this way you are also able to take payment upfront meaning there’s no chance of your salon losing out if these customers decide, for whatever reason, to not come back.

 

Marketing

Another way you could encourage your existing customers to stay loyal to your salon is to market to them via text and email. Salon Trackers intelligent marketing suite, which is available on our professional and enterprise packages, can help you do this in the easiest way possible. In our marketing suite you can filter out your customers depending on who you want to send a message to. For example, if you are wanting to thank your most loyal customers from the past three months, you can go to the marketing suite and then select your filter for the ’10 Best Spending Customers in the past three months’. Once you have this list of customers you could send them a message as follows:

‘Congrats, you are one of our top customers this season! As a thank you show this message next time you’re in for £5 off your next booking’

This gives you the opportunity to keep in contact with your customers, encourage them to keep visiting and also reward these loyal customers.

 

Customer Groups

Another way you can use Salon Tracker to reward your loyal customers is to set up customer discount groups. You can set up as many different customer groups as you would like with different discounts on retail products and booking services. One way you can do this is to have different customer groups for silver, gold and platinum customers. You could offer different discounts in each group with the idea that customers can work their way up these groups to get the best discount by being loyal to your salon.

If you would like any more information on any of these things or would like to get booked in for a free demonstration and two-week trial, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us on 0113 350 8230 or email info@salontracker.co.uk

Salon Tracker x

5 ways to increase your Salon Bookings this Autumn

With the busiest season of the year for Salon Owners coming to an end, you may be wondering what you can do to try and keep your calendar as full as possible... luckily we're here to help!

We've come up with 5 ideas that are bound to push your bookings this Autumn giving you a full calendar that you have worked so hard to achieve 

Hype yourself up

Believe it or not but you are your own biggest supporter and social media is exactly the place to show yourself off! You can use your Instagram as a portfolio to upload all your best work and your potential future customers can see just how good you are. A key tip is to tag the client you have done the treatment on so they can interact with the post and even better - comment on it telling you just how much they love it! 

I would also encourage your clients to write reviews on all your social media platforms to organically build your reputation and on Instagram make use of your highlights! Create a story with a 'questions' function on and ask for reviews on here. You can then repost every review you get and add it to your highlights so people browsing on your profile can easily access truthful reviews that people have given you and even more so will encourage them to book. Did you know that 94% of people say positive reviews make them more likely to use a business?

Another tip: Add your Salon Tracker booking link to your highlights too. You can call the highlight 'book now' then use the 'add link' function to put the link on. This can also be in your Instagram bio giving clients easy access to booking an appointment as a study found 90% of people prefer to book online rather than in person or on the phone.

Automatic follow ups

The most common mistake made in Salons is using follow-up texts incorrectly. Texting a client 2-3 days after their appointment has proven to be less successful than if you were to text your client 4-6 weeks after their appointment saying something along the lines of:

" Hi Client, it's been 6 weeks since your last hair cut, please use our online booking platform online.salontracker.co.uk/thesalon to book your next appointment! "

To make this even easier for you, Salon Tracker's effective marketing suite can do this all for you. If you create your own custom marketing campaign, you can use the filters to select 'appointment booked' and change the dates back to 6 weeks ago which will then filter out all the customers who had an appointment 6 weeks ago - convenient eh? This will then prompt the client to book an appointment again instead of remembering a few weeks after.

Use an effective referral scheme

If your clients love what you do, then why not encourage them to talk to their friends & family about your Salon and introduce a referral scheme? Lots of clients will be more encouraged to sing your praises if there is an incentive involved so why not try some of the following schemes:

- If your friend uses your Unique reference when booking their appointment both you and your friend will get 10% off your next appointment.

- Mate date! Bring your friend along for this treatment to get £5 off each.

- For every 5 friends you refer to our Salon you will get a 1 free appointment for any treatment up to £50.

Utilise google Ads

Google Ads are one of the hidden gems that aren't spoke about enough. If you utilise them properly, the function of google reviews plays an important part as well as as the functionality to book through a google ad. 

If someone is new to the area, and they google 'salons near me', it's important your Salon remains near the top as realistically, nobody is going to sit scrolling to find the Salon that is right for them. They're going to pick one from the top that has the best reviews and provides convenience such as an online booking functionality.

Salon Tracker is your Personal Assistant

Above all, Salon Tracker can act as your very own personal assistant and can do the majority of the work, without you even realising it. 

We provide free training and support to help you get the most out of the software as well as lots of help videos that are always accessible.

Our enterprise package is our most popular package and it costs just £90 per month which is less than one Full Head of Highlights per month! With this package you have Unlimited online bookings at no extra charge, the ability to take online deposits and payments with a small % fee plus much more.

If you'd like to trial our software for 2 weeks free, please leave your information by clicking this link and a member of our friendly sales team will be in touch!

Salon Tracker x

Why Building a Brand for your Salon is Important and how to do this!

 The salon industry is one that is continually growing and one important thing all salons should be doing in this day and age is establishing their salons brand. This blog is going to discuss the importance of building a brand for your salon, whether you have one or multiple salons, and will also give you some tips and tricks on how to do this.

Why it’s Important

Standing out from the Crowd

One of the main reasons why all salons should establish their brand is to help their salons stand out from the crowd in what is a highly condensed market. Creating a strong brand identity and putting this out towards potential your audience will help your salon stand out from the crowd and then hopefully drive more customers to choose your salon rather than another in your area.

Helps you connect with your Customers

As well as helping your salon stand out from the crowd and therefore encourage more customers to choose you, building a good brand for your salon also helps  you connect with the customers. Creating a recognisable brand for your salon will help you establish a connection with your customers and help drive things including communication with your customers and help drive brand loyalty from them.

Increase Profit

Your salon having a consistent and recognisable brand will also help drive sales and increase profit. This is because customers will know exactly what to expect when getting a service at  your salon and this consistency will drive them to continuously come back and also recommend your salon to their friends and family.

How to Build a Brand

One of the easiest ways to build your salon brand is to utilise social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to do this. Here are some of the key things that will help you build your brand on these sites.

Consistency

One thing that will help when you’re trying to build your brand using social media is consistency with what you’re doing.  Whether that be consistently posting to your feed or making sure you’re always communicating with your followers. If you’re consistently doing something this will make it easier for your target audience to notice this and will therefore help you start to build your desired brand.

Uniqueness

Another thing that will help you build your brand is to try and base this of something unique about your business. For example, if you’re a family ran salon, base your brand around this. You could do posts about how you decided to open your salon, the process of doing this as a family and also share other family run business related content. This will help set you apart from other salons and therefore mean that more customers will likely choose you over your competitors.

 

If you would like any more information on anything discussed in this blog or if you would like to get booked in for a free demonstration and two week trial of the system please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email us at info@salontracker.co.uk.

 

Salon Tracker x