Salon Web Sites

As the industry continues to grow, salon operators need to take advantage of every medium that can make their lives easier. Having a salon Web site provides customers with important salon information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A Web site can also supply customers with coupons, allow them to manage their accounts from home and open up a whole new world of advertising. The best part is that creating a Web site isn’t as expensive or difficult as many operators may think.

Site Design

Most of us aren’t computer geniuses, but you don’t have to be Bill Gates to be a part of the Internet. The first step is to identify a Web-site designer. Lots of college students and recent graduates are Internet-savvy and capable of creating great sites, at reasonable prices.

You’ll also need to identify and purchase a domain name. It’s inexpensive and the designer can help if you’re unfamiliar with the process. Keep in mind that a stand-alone name is easier to remember than one combined with another site. For example, www.tanandtravel.com is much better than www.gte.superpages.tanandtravel.com. Choosing your URL will, however, depend on the host you choose to work with.

When designing your site, experts suggest looking at other tanning sites and pinpointing elements that you like about those sites, then map out a chart listing what you want to present on your site. In addition, it’s important to think of new customers and the questions they might ask, and address those questions on your Web site. For example, you might post a Q&A on tanning and tanning safety, as well as photos of your equipment and prices. It’s also a good idea to include special-offer coupons.

Web sites are always a work in progress. That can be a big frustration for salon operators. The best advice is to have fun and enjoy the fact that you can come up with ways to make it better every day. They are tools that make it easier for people to know who you are and what makes your salon stand out.