Ten Technologies: Web Development

While many salons have developed professional websites, many have not learned how to use them to best support their salon business. SALON TODAY invited Mike Cooper, founder of Salonbuilder and the MODERN SALON Site Kit, to share his thoughts on the top five tips for salon and spa online success:

1. Professional Website Design:

“It is very important that a business website project a professional image. The navigation must be easy to understand for the visitor, and text should be in simple and readable fonts. Appropriate imagery and photos depicting the look and feel of the business are also very important. It should also include a complete menu of services offered, as well as product lines carried, special offers and promotions, complete contact information and a listing of team members.” says Cooper.

 

2. Search Engine Optimization:

“Nearly all website visitors find what they are looking for online using search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. The most beautiful, expensive, and well-designed website with poor content and no search optimization will receive very little traffic. Conversely, a well designed, but inexpensive template-based site with great content and good optimization can get great search results and high traffic. It is important to have good descriptive text and excellent META tags (hidden programming text) included on the site. Inbound links (other websites that link to yours) are also important for good search rankings.”

 

3. Interactive Tools and Content:

“Adding useful tools such as online appointment booking, gift certificate and/or product sales, and multimedia content such as slide shows and/or video make a website not just an online advertisement but rather a convenient time-saving destination for current clients and new visitors. These features help define a business-building website.”

 

4. Social Networking Links:

“Providing links to and from the major social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs etc. are increasingly important and serve to enhance the search rankings for a business website. But, these social network sites must be constantly updated and kept fresh along with the content on the website. Merely having the links does nothing unless the content is timely and compelling.”

 

5. E-Marketing and Online Promotions:

“Every business website should have a tool or page allowing visitors to sign up to receive additional information. By collecting  e-mail addresses, the business owner can then send e-mail marketing messages promoting services, products, events and other information easily and inexpensively.”

To find out more information on how SalonBuilder/Site Kit can build a professional beauty site that works for your business, visit modernsalon.com/sitekit.