Bringing Your Salon into the Digital Age

Posted by Karen Erdelac on Jun 14, 2016

bringing your salon into the digital ageWith many industries relying more on technology to drive sales, the salon industry is no exception.  In a business that is customer-centric with a heavy focus on convenience and luxury, it is important that your salon offers the latest and greatest in beauty options.  One of the most obvious and important steps in keeping up with the times is to ensure your website is mobile friendly.  Being on the cutting edge is essential in the success of any beauty based business, here are some high tech trends you want to make sure your salon is offering.

App Booking

Online appointment setting has been a trend for many years in the salon industry, however, using an app instead of having to navigate to a website offers an upgrade to convenience and accessibility.  There are apps that have already been created that your salon can use to allow customers to set appointments.  However, it’s a great idea to develop an app of your own that is personalized for your salon.  This provides greater exposure, personalization and an additional avenue for promotions and advertisements.  Having the ability to set up and change appointments on their mobile device allows customers greater flexibility and control over their beauty regiment. An app that is simple and easy to use is important as you do not want to alienate those customers that may not be tech savvy.

Virtual Inventory

Over the years, many consumers have stopped purchasing their hair and beauty products directly from the salon.  The reasons for this can range from price to limited inventory.  Having an online store that customers can access while at your salon is a great way to increase revenue.  This allows you to provide them with advice on which products to buy and offers unlimited inventory.  This also provides your business with additional opportunities for promotions and discounts.  For example, offering free shipping for customers that spend a certain amount in-store or offering discounted services for customers that spend a certain amount online is a great way to take back some of the beauty product business that has migrated to outside establishments.

"How to" Videos with Call to Action

Many salons post “how-to” videos demonstrating different hair styles and beauty tips with access to their company website as well as social media avenues.  These videos are a great way to promote your business, however, many salons are not reaping all of the benefits of these postings.  It is essential that you include some type of call to action along with these videos.  Having a link attached to these videos that brings your prospect directly to your website to set an appointment or view different beauty options will make your advertisements much more effective.

Tablet Menu

Traditionally, in hair salons there have been books with different hair styles and themes to pull inspiration from and a lot of salons still have these books collecting dust on their selves. What if you could revolutionize the way that your clients choose their hair styles; Have something that is more inclusive of today’s trends and styles? Have tablets in the shop that offer all of the latest and greatest, as well as older fashion trends could be your answer. The user interface could have haircut options for different lengths of hair as well as an up-do menu for all those clients that come in for prom season. The possibilities are endless.  It doesn’t have to be all hair though! For nail salons having nail designs like nail shape and polish designs in an electronic portfolio would be a great way to free up space in your store.  You could also have all services offered at your establishment listed with pricing so while your client is waiting they can find all the answers they are looking for. 

Hair Color Apps

bringing your salon into the digital ageWe all know that there’s an app for everything, so why not an app for hair color. These kinds of apps allow your clients to upload a picture of themselves and then 'try on' hair colors to see what a different color would look like on them. This is something your salon could have linked to on your website or even on your in-store tablets.

Funding your Digital Revolution

Converting your salon into a digital marketing powerhouse can be costly, but it is essential in order to compete with the larger chains.  If you’re in need of fast cash to implement these improvements at your salon, consider a merchant cash advance from Quikstone Capital Solutions to keep your hair salon on the cutting edge.Apply Now

Topics: Salon and Day Spa