Around five years ago, nearly every salon owner I spoke with was in the process of building a salon website. This was the "new way" that advertising was going to be done. Everyone thought that the days of newspapers, Val-Paks, Super Coups, and Yellow Pages were behind them.
Remember when we used to think that the Internet was going to provide "FREE" salon advertising? Let me ask you a question. Has this really been the case for you?
Fast forward five years later, and if you speak with those same salon owners, I believe that you will get a very different, less enthusiastic response. Most are despondent with their inability to take advantage of all that the Internet can offer.
Unreliable or incompetent web designers, high monthly fees, and outdated, boring sites are the standard for salons today - rather than the exception. But, is the Internet the problem? Of course not, the prevalence of the Internet is way beyond even the most optimistic predictions of 2003. People use it every day for almost every need imaginable.
In fact, over 70% of all people looking for a new business will use the Internet to find them. The Internet is not the problem. If you're not getting at least 5 new clients a week from the Internet, you are leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table. Let me tell you why.
Five new clients a week equates to about 250 new clients every year. Those 250 new clients are potentially worth about $300 each (in sales) to a salon. That equates to about $75,000 per year. And that's just the first year. Most clients stay with a salon for 3-4 years. I think the possibilities are quite clear.
So, what's the biggest mistake that almost all salon owners make when they design their web sites? Answer: There is no offer that is beneficial enough to the client to get them into the salon!
Look, the Internet is simply another advertising medium. Why would you not at least try to entice a visitor in with a compelling offer? Ninety-nine percent of all salon owners think that in order to get more new clients into the salon - they need more traffic. When in reality they need better CONVERSION. It is probably not the case that potential customers can't find your salon, it is much more likely that they aren't given a good reason to walk in your door instead of someone else's.
If you're receiving a thousand hits a month on your web site and you're only getting one new client a week, you should recognize that the problem is not a lack of traffic, it is a lack of conversions. You should be trying to get more of those thousand visitors to actually pick up the phone and call your salon.
The very best way that you can get more people to take action is to give them an incentive to try your salon out. As soon as your salon website comes up, that coupon should be very visible. It should also be both enticing and valuable. I would use "50% off the first visit to the salon" as my initial offer. Why? Most clients will think that it is such a good offer that it is worth taking a chance on a new salon. And as the salon owner, you know that the new client is potentially worth at least $300/year if you do your job right. And, you should be willing to gamble that you will do a good enough job to keep the clients coming back if you get an opportunity to service them. You should be at least that confident.
Don't make the mistake of listening to web designers and having the coupon buried in some "esthetically pleasing" place on your web site. It's all about conversion. And if you are expecting a person to hunt for the coupon, you are going to be disappointed because it's not going to happen.
Why don't you contact a web designer today and get started on implementing this technique? Five new clients a week could be just around the corner for you.