www.yoursalonnamehere.com
8.22.05

Dot-Com or Dot-Bomb? That’s the question many salon owners are asking themselves. Do they really need to have a web site or is it just a status symbol to show their friends and inflate their ego?

Let’s face it, the Internet has invaded our homes and even our children, but does it really make sense to put your business online. Absolutely, but there are several key components to consider before you make the leap into cyberspace.

The sole purpose of any web site must be to provide a customer or potential customer information about your products and/or services. A web site can provide a great opportunity to showcase your salon through photos of beds, retail products and the people that work in it. It also offers you something a direct mail campaign will never do and that is detailed tracking. However, it needs to be done in a way that the information is easy to find and more importantly, easy to read. Flashy intros and rinky-dink animation are definitely web site fau pas and are in need of an Extreme Makeover: Web Site Edition! From content to set up and maintenance to cost, a web site doesn’t need to boggle the mind or break the bank.

In real estate we’ve all heard, “Location, Location, Location.” Well in the world of web sites its, “Content, Content, Content!” An effective web site will tell the story of the business by providing enough crucial information that the lurker will be compelled to either call the salon or pay it a visit. Too much scrolling up/down or pointing and clicking and you stand a good chance of losing their interest.

Most people don’t know the first thing about designing and uploading a website let alone managing it. Technology is constantly progressing and computers are becoming much easier to work with and this includes web applications. With the right suite of tool, this task can become not only doable, but almost enjoyable.

The popular belief is that web sites cost thousands of dollars and for good reasons. The thing web design firms or your neighbor’s kid don’t want you to hear is that there are a lot of great products on the market that allow people to manage their own web site for a small monthly fee. A product that has worked well for our clients is a company called MySiteCafe (www.mysitecafe.com). They have developed a tool that is easy-to-use and it has been designed around the tanning industry. It offers salon owners specific updatable modules such as tanning packages, products, coupons and even the ability to book appointments online.

The reality is that over 68% of Americans use the Internet, which has increased over a 100% in just three years. So before you turn your head and look the other direction consider not if, but WHEN will you take your salon to World Wide Web – your competition has!