The salon and beauty industry has traditionally been based on a brick-and-mortar model, but all of that has changed in recent years. In today’s world, clients value quick gratification and convenience. This is especially true for younger clients, who prefer text messaging to calling, same-day appointments, online scheduling.
To attract younger clients while continuing to grow their business, salons need to be able to meet customers’ needs by providing a variety of communication options. Here are a few suggestions from our beauty industry experts at National Salon Resources for staying current by offering convenience and connectivity.
Start by Identifying Ineffective Business Practices
Salon clients are more technologically intelligent than ever with increasingly sophisticated shopping habits. Beauty industry pros that can’t keep up risk losing out on valuable business. Here are some business practices to get away from if you’re hoping to stay relevant:
- Manual appointment confirmation and paper scheduling
- Clients leaving messages/texts to schedule appointments
- Not recording all client data including DOB, color formulas, and email
- Incomplete marketing strategies
- No retail component in-store
- No retail online
- Not offering stylists access to their schedules after hours
- Inability to access data, business trends, and client info outside of the salon
- Poor or missing digital presence or Google search presence
While it’s not necessary to correct each of these, it’s good to think about the business practices in your salon and how they could be better.
Identify More Effective Practices
Now that you’ve identified the areas where growth is needed, it’s time to start reframing your client’s experience to make it more client-centric: offering features and services focused on meeting the expectations and needs of your clients. You could start by offering digital access, online retail, digital scheduling, and a comprehensive marketing approach to round it out. This business model works well whether your salon business is large or small. Try implementing these more effective practices for modern salons:
- Mobile access
- Automated appointment confirmations and reminders
- Salon marketing
- Increased social media presence and online visibility
- Integrated inventory for professional products and back bar
Many of these suggested business practices can be achieved by signing up for Salon Interactive and creating your own custom-branded online store.
Focus on Overall Customer Experience
Whatever changes you integrate, your new approach needs to be all about providing a complete customer experience your clients will love. Switching to digital scheduling from an outdated appointment book or using digital point-of-sale software creates better overall service for your clients.
Going mobile and allowing clients to book and purchase online meets clients on their terms and schedules. At the same time, allowing stylists remote and after-hour access to data creates a smoother booking process. It also allows stylists to give each client a more personal, tailored experience.
Modernize Your Salon From Salon Supplies to Online Brand Recognition
Are you ready to create an unparalleled customer experience in your salon? If your salon isn’t keeping up with the Digital Age, it’s time to get on board. At National Salon Resources, we can help you offer your clients a wide range of online and in-store retail salon product options. Create an account online or connect with an NSR beauty industry expert by calling or texting us at 1-800-622-0003. We’re here to help!
