10 web mistakes

With the majority of salons losing out on business due to poor online content, Fiona Vlemmiks discovers how to avoid the most common website blunders

“UNDER CONSTRUCTION” PAGES

In this digital age, a website is vital. But if your salon’s site is still at the creation stage, publishing “under construction” pages can do more harm than good. These pages can be extremely frustrating for your potential customers, who follow a link expecting it to deliver, only to be disappointed. They’re then unlikely to return, having probably found what they are looking for elsewhere. Lopo Champalimaud, chief executive of salon booking website Treatwell, explains: “Immediacy is key. When customers search, they're looking for something right here, right now. ‘Coming soon’ information is not going to cut it.” Chris Brennan, content marketing manager at Phorest Salon Software, says an alternative solution to using an “under construction” page is to direct your clients to another site where they can make an appointment or get information “like a Facebook page or your salon's app,” he suggests.

STOCK PHOTOS

Customers browsing your website want an honest insight into your salon’s environment, treatments and staff – stock images don’t provide this. While a seemingly easy and inexpensive option, they can actually be a false economy. Good quality, professional photographs are worth the investment, says Champalimaud, whose site offers a free photography service to salons in major cities: “It's important that your images look genuine so customers feel reassured that what they see online is what they'll find in reality.” David Pickering, managing director of salon software company Salon Genius, provides another reason for avoiding stock photos, particularly pertinent to salons that offer nail art. “Trends are constantly evolving and changing, and stock images become out of date very quickly. Using your own pictures of what you’re creating shows you’re keeping bang on trend with what is being requested in the salon.”

POOR NAVIGATION

A successful website is clear, concise and easy to navigate. Copious rambling text will only deter customers. “You don't need lots of pages with subsections; they will not add any value and end up making it harder for your client to actually book an appointment, which is the ultimate goal,” says Brennan. “The important pages are: about us, services, the team, gallery, contact and online booking. If it doesn’t add value for your client, give it a miss.” It's also important to inject some personality into your website words. “If it doesn’t feature the people who make your business successful or a potted history of the salon or spa, then how can you separate yourself from your competitors and persuade potential clients that your business is the one for them?” asks Trevor Jennings, general manager at Shortcuts salon software. “Some background information along with the vision of the business and profiles of the key people will give users more confidence in your brand.”

NOT MOBILE OPTIMISED

According to Professional Beauty’s exclusive Insider research, just 47% of beauty salons have a mobile-friendly website, highlighting a potential weak spot in those businesses’ online presence. "Nowadays 60% of visitors access websites from their mobiles, so every website must be optimised for phones and tablets. We call it a 'fully-responsive' website," says Alexandru Stefan, chief executive of Clinic Software. Pickering adds, “You may find that your forms don’t submit properly from a mobile phone if your website is not mobile-friendly; sometimes your contact details won’t even be displayed correctly.” Website specialist Catherine Trebble of FullAppointmentBook.com, which works with beauty professionals, advises checking websites that are more than 18 months old to make sure that they are in-step with the latest mobile technology. “A non-mobile-enabled website gives the user a poor experience. We’ve all tried using our phones to navigate around a website that clearly wasn't designed for a small screen and given up in frustration.” Also, Google now penalises non-mobile websites by removing them from search results across all mobile devices. “This change means that if your nearest competitor’s website is mobile enabled then it will show up in the searches, and yours won’t,” warns Trebble

INCORRECT CONTACT DETAILS
This one may seem obvious, but a report by directory service Yell.com revealed that 88% of beauty salons and mobile therapists list incorrect, outdated or inconsistent information on their websites. The research also showed that 89% of people would look for an alternative company if they couldn’t easily find a correct email address or phone number. “This is probably one of the most grave mistakes made on websites,” agrees Brennan. “After all, if your clients can't get in touch, they won't book appointments, which in turn will lose you money.” Ideally, you should offer several methods of contact. Stefan suggests a click-to-call button for potential clients accessing the website from a mobile device. When it comes to directions, he recommends Google Maps, the ubiquitous desktop web map service which offers route planning. “When you have a Google map on your website, you have an option under ‘directions’ to show to your customer the quickest way to your business address,” he adds.

NO ONLINE BOOKING

“Most people love the option to book online,” says Pickering. “It’s easy and convenient. You don’t have to wait until the salon is open, you can do it there and then and know it’s done. But ensure that your software automatically updates your system in real time so there is no chance of duplicate bookings.” Champalimaud agrees. “It’s all about the experience – customers need to be able to find the right appointment at the right price at the right time,” he says. “The easier you can make your booking process, the more likely a customer will book with you time and time again.” There are multiple options for salons seeking to offer an online booking service, from website forms to a salon management software system. Trebble suggests another solution for those on a tight budget: “You can at least have a link marked ‘book here’ that leads to an email so the prospective client can email their booking query to you.”

NO INTERACTION

“Some salons still make the mistake of creating an online brochure rather than a thriving, dynamic community”, adds Jennings. Having a blog or news page, or linking to your social profiles from your website, increases your visibility and keeps content fresh. “Every salon should have a social media-savvy team member,” says Pickering. “What better way to shout about what’s going on in the salon or share hints and tips with your clients than in a blog or news page? Get each member of the team to produce content or submit ideas for what they would want to see on the website. You can use these free platforms to boost your business and reach out to new audiences.” Jennings highlights another reason for linking to social media. “To be picked up by search engines, a site needs to be constantly evolving, with regular blogging and news updates, rich with connections to other sites and links to a proactive social media presence.”

OUT OF DATE CONTENT

Even if your original website is attractive and well written, frequent time slots should be set aside for checking and updating it. “We live in the information age and staying up to date and current is nonnegotiable,” says Brennan. “If the information on your website is out of date, you come across as unprofessional or as though you just don't care.” Be realistic about how much time you can devote to your website. Although desirable, news sections are best avoided if you are time poor. Instead, go for interesting but static content that doesn't need to be updated often. “There is nothing worse for a client to see than a blog or news section that hasn't been updated in seven months,” adds Brennan. Trebble says that, “It's these little things that lose us clients and we don't even realise it's happening.” She continues, “If a client goes to your website to make sure you are open on a Monday and finds only Christmas 2015 opening hours listed, they may assume you're not open, and go elsewhere.”

BROKEN LINKS

Broken links look unprofessional and will irritate your website’s visitors. “There is nothing more frustrating than when a link takes you to the wrong place or is simply broken,” agrees Pickering. “Make sure your web page is user-friendly and check that all your buttons and links work.” Search engines don't like dead links either, which could affect your Google ranking. Trebble explains: “When search engines such as Google ‘spider’ your website, if they find dead links, it’s like a black mark against you. So if you’ve been doing well with your search rankings and appearing near the top of Google search results, you may find your website slipping down the list if you have dead links.” Check your site often for broken links, or retain a web maintenance service to look after this for you.

NO CALL TO ACTION

This marketing term means an instruction to your website visitors to take an immediate response, such as “call us now to book”. “Every page on your website should have an invitation to find out more about whatever is being discussed on that page,” says Trebble. “Certainly, the ideal call to action at the end of every treatment page is a link to where your web visitors can book an appointment with you.” While they might not always result in an immediate booking, calls to action can provide you with the chance to obtain potential customers’ details to be used for future targeted marketing. “Don’t miss the opportunity of turning a random web surfer into a potential client,” says Jennings. “Mention a new service or this month’s offer. If you’re blogging about a training course, add in a link to receive your newsletter, which allows you to grab the potential customer’s data.”