Does your salon need a website? Absolutely! In today’s digital age, this is no longer a question. In fact, it's one of the most important tools in your belt!
A website is a necessity for any business and should be the foundation of your marketing plan, if for the sole reason because that’s where your potential customers are spending so much of their time – researching on the internet. If you are trying to survive with only social media accounts, you aren’t reaching new consumers – you’re simply speaking to your existing followers.
But if you actually want more clients, a business website is a must. Here are 8 simple reasons why:
1. Consumers expect it
If this were the only reason on the list, it would be enough. A recent study by The Local Search Association shows that 63% of consumers use websites to find and engage with local businesses. People today use the internet like they used to use the phone book. They search for any new business by going to a search engine, like Google. No website symbolizes no business! Even if a consumer has already heard about your salon, they want to find out the size of your salon, what it looks like, information about your services and pricing, information about your staff, none of which is easy to find through social media accounts. If you don’t have a business website, today’s digital-savvy (and impatient) consumers will quickly check out other salons that do have this information readily available.
2. Provides credibility
Think about it. If you were searching for a specific restaurant, dentist or florist to get more information, but that business didn’t have a website, what questions would you have? Is this company actually in business? Are they so behind the times that they just haven’t gotten around to it? Are they struggling financially and can’t afford it? These are all things you don’t want anyone thinking about your salon! The Local Search Association study reported that 30% of consumers won’t even consider a business if it doesn’t have a website. Having a website will not only provide the information potential clients are looking for, but it will give your business credibility. It says, I am here, I mean business, and I am in it for the long haul.
3. Saves you time
Time is an important resource in our industry! Today’s consumer wants an abundance of information before making a decision. By providing information online, you can save a vast amount of valuable time that you would otherwise spend on the phone or through messages (email, text, messenger) answering the questions of potential customers. Because the Salon S.O.S. web development team has a background in the salon industry, when we build a website for you it becomes a virtual one-stop shop where people can find every piece of relevant information that they would want to know about your salon.
4. Always available
Once your website it up and running, it is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your website is available to answer your customers’ questions for you at the time that is convenient for THEM. Having all the answers available on your site also saves you from having to answer the same questions over and over again to different people.
5. Own the space & control the content
You can’t control what people say about you on social media channels, but you control 100% of the message on your website. And the beauty is that since there are no space or time restrictions on a website, you can say so much more than you can on social media pages or any type of advertising. If you have a website, you can always showcase your very best images in a portfolio gallery. Best of all, you are in control of what people see - which is not the case on social media.
6. Your competitors all have company websites
If you search for top salons in your area, that you know of, chances are they already have a website. This gives the impression that they are established salons with good reputations in the community. If you are a smaller salon and some of your smaller competitors still don’t have websites, this is your opportunity to get an edge on them. Remember, your salon is a business and if you want to become an established salon with a good reputation in your community, you have to follow the best practices of other successful businesses.
7. Your chances of getting found, go UP!
Consider this: 81% of consumers perform online research before making a purchase. That means they go to a search engine, like Google, and type in one or more keywords, ex: “best hair salon near me.”
If you don’t have a website for your business, the chances of your business showing up on the results page are zero. But if you have your site optimized for search engines, you can increase your chances of appearing at the top of Google’s results and getting more visibility and legitimacy with potential customers.
8. It’s never been more affordable
While some marketing agencies charge several thousand dollars to design a website, we at Salon S.O.S. have designed professional website templates specifically for the salon/spa industry with zero up-front costs and monthly payments from only $25 to $50! (Plus standard hosting fees.) Check out our sites HERE!
Hopefully by now you recognize the need for a website and if you’ve thought in the past that they were too expensive, now you can see that there’s really no excuse to keep putting it off!
Looking for more Instagram and social media tips for salons and spas? Check out the rest of our Resource Library for valuable content to help grow your salon or spa business!