If you ask any salon owner what the best things about having their own dedicated website are, chances are the ability to take instant online bookings is going to be one of the biggest benefits they mention. If you think having a website that not only increases your online presence and brings your services to as many people as possible, but also enables you to handle client appointments quickly and easily, is too costly, too complex to use, and not really an ideal fit for you, you would be incorrect on all counts.
Let's consider just why an instantly bookable salon is going to be instantly better for you and your clients:
While it is true that hiring a web design company to build a website for you, or having a member of your team work on the design for weeks on end, can take time and money you may not have, there are alternatives.
A website building service specialising in the salon industry that gives you your own salon business site within a week or two, complete with beautifully designed templates you can change at a moment’s notice, is a more cost-effective option.
They can deliver a bespoke website that includes everything you need, and everything your clients need, to ensure your business is the one they choose. And when online customers find your salon business website, they can easily make their appointment at the click of a button using the in-built booking option.
An online booking function can make your workload lighter, more efficient, and just plain better. This facility means your clients (current and potential new ones) can book an appointment at any time of the day or night, from anywhere.
That means people visiting your area can find you and schedule their visit before they make their trip, while those people nearby and on the go can do likewise, without having to even call you. This eliminates the need for you to pay someone to answer calls, and to phone and remind people of upcoming visits, because the system can automatically send out emails and text messages to clients ahead of their appointment.
How often have you waited for someone with a booking to arrive, only to receive a message that they had forgotten about it? If you have a website, you can post details on your terms and conditions outlining any fees for missed bookings, but you can also use automated reminders, so clients know their appointment is approaching, eliminating the risk of lost revenue for you.
Not only that, you can also assess your schedule over days, weeks or months, so you can identify the times when fewer bookings are made, and easily have details of special offers for these periods uploaded with a simple call to your web design service. Filling the chairs at a special discount rate for a few days is far better than a week of nearly empty chairs, and the instantly bookable site can help you make it happen.
Chances are you did not open a salon because you love admin work. It is more likely that you opened the business because you love hair and beauty work, you love interacting with people, and you like to keep up with trends in the industry. With a website that allows for instant bookings, you can remove the need for much of that admin work, and focus on running your business.
If you are still using the paper and pen approach to appointments, you have to pay someone to manage the phone and desk. With a strong online presence that gets your salon business found by consumers, many of your clients will come via the web, so it doesn’t make sense to have them come to your website, only to have to call you for a booking.
If they can make that appointment directly from your website, it makes life a whole lot easier for them, but it also means you don’t have to pay for someone to man the reception desk all day. Yes, those calls will still come, but not nearly as often, thanks to an easier, hassle-free booking alternative.
Affordable, efficient, effective, increasing your client base while reducing your costs and admin – the question is not so much why you should have a website with an online booking facility for your salon, but why you don’t have one already.
To get started, contact The Digital Salon Group and see how they can help you create an instantly bookable site that becomes an instant success.