Salon Branded Free Resources

Google My Business: Boost Your Local Visibility and Customer Engagement

admin@salonbranded.co.uk (Salon Branded) — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 19:50:21 GMT

Discover how Google My Business boosts your visibility, enhances customer engagement, and optimizes your local SEO.

As a small business owner, visibility is everything. You want potential customers to find your business quickly, know your hours, and understand what makes you unique. That’s where Google My Business (GMB) comes in—a powerful, free tool that helps businesses improve their online presence and attract local customers. In this article, we'll explore what GMB is, how it works, and why every business should leverage it for local success.

What Is Google My Business?

Google My Business (GMB) is a free platform offered by Google that lets businesses create a detailed, customizable profile. This profile appears in Google Search results and Google Maps, showing key information about your business, such as location, contact information, hours of operation, website link, and customer reviews. Think of it as a digital storefront that gives potential customers a quick, accessible snapshot of what you offer.

By setting up and managing a GMB profile, businesses of all sizes can improve their local search engine optimization (SEO) and connect more easily with local customers.

Why Google My Business Is Essential for Local SEO

If you’ve ever searched for a restaurant or service near you, you’ve likely seen Google’s local map pack. This map pack highlights local businesses, along with their ratings, locations, and contact details, making it one of the most coveted spots on Google’s search results page. When you have an optimized Google My Business profile, you’re more likely to appear in this map pack, bringing your business to the forefront of potential customers’ searches.

Key Benefits of Google My Business

1. Increases Local Visibility

With GMB, your business gains visibility in both Google Search and Maps, helping local customers find you easily. This is especially beneficial for businesses that rely on local customers, like retail stores, cafes, and service-based businesses.

2. Enhances Customer Engagement

Through Google My Business, you can engage with customers by sharing updates, responding to reviews, and answering questions. This engagement helps build trust and creates a positive experience, even before someone walks through your door.

3. Provides Valuable Insights

GMB offers insights into how customers interact with your listing. You can see how people found you, what actions they took (like visiting your website or calling you), and how many views your profile received. These insights can inform your marketing strategy and help you better understand your customers’ preferences.

4. Allows You to Highlight Unique Offerings

Google My Business lets you post updates, promotions, or events directly on your profile. For example, a restaurant could highlight a weekly special, while a boutique could promote a seasonal sale. This is a great way to keep your audience informed and encourage them to visit.

Steps to Set Up and Optimize Your Google My Business Profile

Claim Your Business

To start, search for your business on Google to see if a listing already exists. If it does, you can claim it; otherwise, create a new profile. Google will guide you through the process of verifying your business, which usually involves a postcard mailed to your business address.

Complete Your Profile Thoroughly

The more information you include, the better. Ensure your business name, address, phone number (NAP), website, and hours are accurate. Select the appropriate categories that describe your business, as this will help Google match your profile with relevant searches.

Add High-Quality Photos

Photos make your profile more engaging and give potential customers a sense of what to expect. Upload pictures of your storefront, interior, products, or services. Aim to add new photos periodically to keep your profile fresh and visually appealing.

Encourage and Respond to Reviews

Positive reviews not only improve your profile’s appeal but also impact its ranking in local search results. Encourage happy customers to leave reviews and always respond professionally—this shows that you value customer feedback.

Regularly Update Your Profile

Keep your profile updated with any changes to your hours, location, or contact information. Posting regular updates, like new products or special events, can also keep your audience engaged and informed.

In conclusion, Google My Business is an indispensable tool for any business seeking local exposure and a stronger online presence. By optimizing your GMB profile and keeping it up-to-date, you can improve your local search ranking, engage more effectively with customers, and build trust within your community.

Unlocking Success: 5 Reasons Why a Hair Salon Website Is Essential for Your Business Growth

admin@salonbranded.co.uk (Salon Branded) — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 17:58:43 GMT

In the modern era of technology, the beauty and grooming industry flourishes through being seen and easily accessed. As an astute salon owner, you understand the importance of staying ahead in this fiercely competitive field. One essential tool that has the power to revolutionize your salon's outreach and elevate your business to unprecedented levels is a meticulously designed hair salon website.

Maximize Your Reach:

Your salon's digital presence is your gateway to a broader audience. A well-designed website optimized with targeted keywords like "hair salon" can significantly enhance your visibility on search engines. This means when potential clients search for services like haircuts, styling, or coloring, your website appears prominently, increasing the likelihood of attracting new customers.

24/7 Accessibility:

Unlike a physical salon limited by operating hours, a website operates round the clock, catering to clients' needs anytime, anywhere. Whether it's booking appointments, browsing services, or purchasing products, a website provides convenience, empowering clients to engage with your salon at their convenience.

Showcase Your Expertise:

Your website acts as a digital portfolio, showcasing your salon's expertise, services, and talented stylists. High-quality images, testimonials, and detailed service descriptions not only captivate visitors but also establish trust and credibility, compelling potential clients to choose your salon over competitors.

Appointment Management Simplified:

Incorporating an online booking system streamlines the appointment process for both clients and staff. It minimizes phone calls, reduces scheduling errors, and allows clients to book their desired services effortlessly, improving overall customer satisfaction.

Stay Ahead in the Competition:

In an industry where trends and styles evolve rapidly, a website provides a platform to showcase your salon's innovation and adaptability. Regularly updated content, blogs, or galleries featuring the latest hairstyles, tips, and industry insights keep your audience engaged and position your salon as a go-to destination for cutting-edge trends.

Investing in a professionally designed and optimized hair salon website is not just an option but a strategic necessity. It's a powerful tool that not only expands your reach but also solidifies your brand's online presence, ensuring that your salon remains at the forefront of the industry.

Ready to elevate your salon's digital footprint and unlock its true potential? Contact us today to embark on the journey towards a successful online presence for your hair salon.

Remember, the right website isn't just an expense; it's an invaluable asset that propels your salon towards sustained growth and success in the competitive beauty landscape.

How to Make your Salon or Clinic Stand-Out on (Locally) Google?

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 19:50:00 GMT

Most people think about “success”, in terms of Google search results, by focusing on SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) tricks like using keywords to stand out and to refine their search ability outcomes – i.e. getting their page on the first page of Google. This is traditionally the right way to stand out on Google. However, this is for businesses who want a global digital footprint. Smaller businesses can stand out on Google by focusing on local SEO success. This is about making sure their business is on local business listings or map-based results for local search queries. It may all sound technical, but in this article, we will showcase how you can stand out (locally) on Google.

Dont just be on Google, Lets make your salon Stand-out on there!

Why Having a Local Online Presence Is Crucial for Salons?

In today’s interconnected world, as billions of people walk around with smartphones and with more consumers looking for businesses and services through mobile rather than computer-based digital engagement, the power of local digital marketing cannot be overstated. Google’s wider reach in terms of results, thanks to the hundreds of millions of local businesses receiving customer calls or billions of digital web-based engagement thanks to the power of local search results. The better the local listing, on services like Google My Business, the more they are deemed reputable from a consumer perspective.

Google listings are search results based on location query-based results that allow people to understand their local geographic area in the digital context. These listings are further augmented by user reviews whereby local people searching local businesses are allowed to post reviews based on their own lived experience. This helps to drive further search result outcomes as the algorithms utilised by Google Search will place emphasis on locality + user reviews to provide greater clarity for user search outcomes.

How To Leverage The Power of Google For Your Local Small Business?

Head to Google My Business and sign-up today. Here is how you sign-up and get your hair salon business online, locally for listings and local search results:

Sign-up for your free account – you will need to include key business information and verify your identify as the business owner.
Add your business location – this means Google Maps will be able to identify your business in geographic search queries/results.
Identify your business category – make sure you mark the correct sector
Input your correct telephone number – this makes it easier for people to get in touch, fast!
Website – make sure you link and verify your website in your My Business account with Google.
Finally, undertake final Google Business account verification – via telephone, email or via mail. Once approved, your listing will go live.

Other things to consider, make sure you upload recent and high-quality photos of your business premises. This helps to give your business a ‘real-world feel’ and helps improve consumer trust. Add your business open hours as customers are always Googling this information. Finally, encourage people to add reviews. This is a key part of the search technology used by Google, so leverage this power.

By using these services you can help drive more people, searching locally, towards your salon business by leveraging the power of Google and My Business tools that can help you grow as a strong local business partner in your community.

What Do We Mean - Responsive Web Design?

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 06:00:03 GMT

You’ve probably heard of responsive web design but you might not be fully informed with regards to what it actually means and what the benefits of it are. That’s what we’re going to clear up for you today, so read on to find out what we mean when we talk about responsive web design.

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive web design is all about fluidity. They use fluid grids to ensure the layout of the website can shift and change depending on the device that the website is being viewed on. They also make use of responsive images and media. It allows users browsing your website on mobile devices to have the full experience being offered by your website without having to sacrifice anything. Everysite we build at Salon.Branded is responsive, it once of the many benefits we offer.

There are many benefits that come with a responsive web design. It’s no coincidence that so many websites operate in this way, and you can find out more about these benefits below.

Increase Mobile Traffic

Increasing mobile traffic should be a top aim for your business, especially right now as more and more people are prioritizing mobile browsing. By having a responsive web design in place, you can ensure your website is an appealing destination for mobile users, boosting traffic numbers.

A Better User Experience

The user experience people viewing your website get will be much better if you have responsive web design in place. The user will have their experience tailored to them based on the device they’re using and that’s what delivers the boosted user experience for each and every user.

Faster Website Loading Times

It tends to be the case that websites that employ responsive designs load faster than those that don’t. And we all know how important fast loading times are. If you want to make your website as fast as it can be, a responsive web design should certainly be part of those efforts.

Lower Bounce Rates

When people arrive at a site on their mobile device and it looks terrible because of a lack of responsive design, they leave almost immediately. That’s what causes a high bounce rate, so by putting in place a responsive web design, you can lower that bounce rate.

SEO Benefits

SEO remains as important as ever, and it’s certainly now the case that search engines understand the importance of mobile browsing for so many users. That’s why you’ll get an SEO boost by delivering a responsive design with your website.

More Conversions

When your site loads quickly, has an SEO advantage and adapts depending on the device it’s being viewed on, people will start to trust it more. And when your website is better trusted, conversions will increase as a result. That’s something every website owner wants.

Now that you know all there is to know about the importance of responsive web design, all that’s left you to do is to implement a responsive web design strategy on your website. Doing so will help you to reap all the rewards discussed above.

Using Instagram for Social Media Marketing for Salons

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 06:00:02 GMT

Instagram is a brilliant marketing resource for hair salons and hairstylists to help promote their business and drive engagement. In this article we will highlight several key ways in which hair salons and hair stylists can leverage the power of visual marketing through Instagram.

First off, you need to switch from a personal Instagram profile to a professional Instagram business profile – don’t worry it is free to sign-up and run. By spending a few minutes setting up a business account you can help improve your business brand by coming across to your clients or potential clients as a professional business.

Also Read - A Guide to Setting Your Facebook Business Page

3 Ways Instagram can Help Your Salon Business?

Consistency and Quality

You will need to understand two things about Instagram marketing success. Businesses that succeed do two things correctly. They post regularly and they post high-quality images. If you post irregularly and use low quality (or worse stock images) you could be viewed as rather unprofessional by potential clients using the platform to find a new salon.

So, post daily, at the correct time (think about when your customers have free time – remember you can talk to your customers during their engagement with you and you can learn about their free time), and make sure the photography used is high quality. Remember that in your pocket or purse you have a high-definition digital camera – also known as a smart phone!

Interact, Interact, and Interact

The more you engage with other user profiles – of clients and thought-leaders – you can make sure you help curate the transfer of your salon’s content to a broader network of Instagram users. You can help leverage the power of your clients, use their networks, to drive new engagement with new potential customers.

Also, whilst engaging with different profiles remember to also use the power of hashtags – these are searchable tags that help ‘group’ content into easy to digest results on Instagram, Facebook, or even other social media platforms. So, identify relevant hash tags and utilise them in ways that help drive your content in new directions.

Showcase Your Customers (And Don’t Forget to Tag Them!)

Remember, your customers love coming to your salon. They are your greatest brand ambassadors. Why not utilise the power of digital word of mouth? By asking permission to take before and after photos, tagging the customer, and then sharing that post on Instagram (with relevant hashtags), you could drive wider engagement and build upon the greatest business marketing resource – word of mouth.

Digital word-of-mouth is not dissimilar to traditional word of mouth – people will see your post, they will know the individual personally and therein they will engage with them about the hairstyle, the salon, the service and the customer will be your greatest advocate in delivering new customers. So, next time you make someone really happy – and as they’re looking at themselves in the mirror – ask them if you can take and share a photo of the encounter?

Why not sign-up today to Instagram business account? Click this link and follow the three-step process to getting your hair salon business online and on the world’s most popular visual social networking platform – Instagram

A Simple Guide To Setting up and Using Mailchimp

admin@salonbranded.co.uk (Salon Branded) — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 11:03:59 GMT

Mailchimp is an email system that is one of the most popular in the world for email marketing. It is a tool used by many people and companies around the world and offers some brilliant features for your marketing campaign.

If you are looking to make some positive changes to your email marketing this year, Mailchimp is a tool you should check out. It is FREE for up to 2000 subscribers and this makes it the perfect tool for your small marketing campaigns in 2021 and beyond.

We have previously discussed the Benefits of Having a Newsletter for Your Business , so today we want to take a deep dive into Mailchimp and talk you through how to set up Mailchimp and use it for your marketing this year.

Using Mailchimp for your Salon or Clinic

Create a List of Subscribers

The first step to setting up your Mailchimp account is creating a list of email subscribers. This list will consist of every recipient you want to send your email newsletters to, and any other emails you want to send. You can create a few different lists in this setup so you could create different categories to suit your customers.

For example, if you were a hair salon you could create a list for colour clients, gents, VIPs, and student clients offering them tailored news and content to suit them.

To create a list in mailchimp first choose ‘lists’ at the top of the page and click ‘create list’. Here you can input your details for each of your recipients such as their name, email address, and any other information you need.

You can also fill in your own details where you will choose which email address the email comes from, and what name it comes from. These should be your name or the name of the company and your business email address.

During this process it is important to note that you will also share your mailing address here. This will likely be your office address or a PO Box where people can send their questions and enquiries and communicate with you in a different way.

Designing your form

Now you have your lists ready to go, it is time for you to design your sign up list for your recipients where they can sign up for more news and promotions or opt out. This part of the process is fun and where you can ready start to get those creative juices flowing.

The dashboard for your list will include statistics about your newsletters including how many people opened the email and clicked on a link in the email. This will be useful later on to see how successful your various campaigns have been.

Click ‘sign up forms’ and ‘general forms’, and you will be taken to a place where you can edit this part of your newsletter. Mailchimp is great for customisation in these sections because it will provide you with drag and drop form builders as well as plenty of font, colour, and image options. You can really have some fun with this part of your newsletter and use your creative mind to customise this to suit your branding.

Once you are happy with the design of your sign up form you can make note of the URI because this can be used in other places such as on your website or social media to get people to subscribe to you. This is a great way to market cross channel and is so easy to do.

Offer something as a lead magnet

A lead magnet is anything that attracts people to your business and leads them to your website to browse your products. In a newsletter, this could be a mini e-book or a discount on products, or even a useful guide that your subscribers get exclusive. Anything you can offer to your recipients in the initial email will increase your chances of success. This can be a brilliant chance to get inventive with what to offer and your customers will appreciate what you are doing and will be more likely to carry on subscribing to you.

Consider what your audience might want or need. If you are a Counseling clinic website then a useful guide or meditation hack is a great idea; for a Salon website a welcome discount is great; and for a beauty website a helpful evening beauty regime is great. Choose your content carefully and even use other companies to see what they offer.

Customise the email

Now is the time to use the drag and drop options to customise your newsletter including your lead magnet to encourage people to carry on reading. Make sure to give a warm welcome to your audience and speak in a conversational tone because this is how you will gain a good rapport with your audience.

Important note: at the end of your email make sure to add that all important ‘unsubscribe’ button to ensure that people don’t get unsolicited emails because this will damage your reputation and is also illegal!

Change your mailing address

It is legally required to include a mailing address in your emails and as we mentioned before this could be your office location or your PO Box. It is important never to share your home address because this can be dangerous as well as annoying if you start getting mail through for your business. A virtual mailbox can even be a good option and will save you worrying about post.

Send your newsletter

Now that you have created your amazing Mailchimp newsletter it is time for you to send it! To send your email you should navigate to ‘campaigns’ and then click ‘create campaigns’. Here you will be able to send a regular campaign or different types of campaign depending on your goals. To send a default campaign, choose the list and click ‘next’ and then you will see an option to name your campaign. It could any anything from:

Welcome campaign
Colour spring deal campaign
Free face mask campaign

As long as the name holds meaning to you and you know what it means that is all that matters! Now is the time to design the last stage of your newsletter and send it out.

We hope this simple guide will help you set up and use Mailchimp for your business this year!

Why using Google MyBusiness Can Help Boost Local Engagement with your Salon’s Website or Social Media

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 11:11:08 GMT

Make sure your salon or clinic is being discovered.

Being “discoverable” is central for any business with an online presence. You might not be sure if you need an My Business account with Google, but this article will help highlight why it is critical for small businesses to use My Business and to utilise it to help drive new traffic to your website and social media networks.

The fact is more people are searching for local businesses – even bricks and mortar businesses – than ever before online. The reality is that 90% of consumers will pick up their smartphones rather than explore their local high streets or pick up the Yellow Pages. This is just a fact of how consumer behaviour has changed in the past quarter century.

Why Being “Discoverable” On Google Is So Important

Your customers, new or prospective, will be online – it doesn’t matter if you don’t sell anything online. They will be online looking for you so you can ill afford to not have an online presence. This is why Google’s My Business service is so crucial. Your goal is to increase foot traffic into your salon business – Google can help. By setting up a Google My Business account, you can make sure that if someone Googles “hair salon in xxx”, your business listing will be one of the search results either on Google search or Google Maps.

Another key benefit is local SEO improvement – you see by using Google My Business you massively improve your Google local SEO search results experience. This is because if someone searches for you or within the strict parameters of the locale and skills on offer by your business, you will be on the first page of Google – the holy grail of SEO success.

Google is the primary search engine and as a result getting your business listen on the platform means you company, regardless of whether it has a web presence or not, using a Google My Business account guarantees top search engine results. Another benefit is that all this data can help your business – you can leverage the power of Google My Business to help fine tune any paid Google ads you may or may not be running.

Stay in Control & Keep Your Customers Informed

Making sure the latest information is available to your patrons is critical for your business – especially during the current climate. Therefore, by updating your Google My Business account regularly you are keeping your customers informed whilst staying in control. This means that unlike Trip Advisor or other third-party platforms, you control the narrative and therein can challenge any false information.

Google’s My Business provides a listing interface that includes contact information, business opening hours and any other relevant information – including any additional service delivery-related information during Covid-19. This provides the basis of Google’s local SEO focus and why your business will gain first page search result ranking.

Google My Business profiles also improve business professionalism and wider credibility – this is because more than 70% of prospective customers are very likely to visit a local business who has an up-to-date Google My Business profile. Having a profile that is complete and up-to-date drives customer attention and therein cements trust.

Sign-up Free Today

All you need to do is head to the Google My Business website, found here , and sign-up for your free account. The simple and easy-to-navigate account setup process will allow you to include photos of the business, information about contact details, opening hours and more are easily available to upload. Why not head to Google My Business today to find out how you can improve your local SEO search results and make your business more accessible to local people?

A Guide to Setting Your Facebook Business Page

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 11:17:05 GMT

The benefits of a Facebook Business Page for your brand.

When you have a business, you need more than a website today. Facebook has over 2.6 billion monthly users and it is becoming a go-to platform for people to find local services, such as salons. If you have a salon, you can use a Facebook business page to share your business, engage with customers, and find new customers.

Facebook Profile or Facebook Business Page

Many business owners wonder whether they should create Facebook profiles or Facebook pages for their businesses. If you want to engage with potential new customers and be found on Facebook, you will definitely want to create a Facebook business page.

When you set up a profile, people need to send you friend requests to connect and engage with your business. You will have smaller numbers because a lot of people are hesitant to send friend requests to a business. When you have a Facebook business page, people can “like” it, which is far more comfortable. Facebook guidelines also say that profiles are for people and business pages are for business.

Include Basic Business Information

One benefit of having a Facebook business page is that you can show potential customers and customers your business information. They will know where you are located, your hours of operations, and how to get in touch with you. You can even let them message you if they have any questions.

Including your location will allow people to see where you are on a map, which makes it easy for them to find you and they can tag you when they are there.

Show People What You Do

One of the most effective ways of showing people why they should use your business is through videos and photos. They will catch people’s attention and make your business more approachable. The phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words” holds true in advertising today so you will want to upload pictures and videos that entice people to come to your salon.

You can show people before-and-after photos, products that you offer, and customer testimonials. Customers can tag you when they post their own photos, which will give you exposure to their friends. Facebook is a great way to make connections and you have an opportunity to let the public see behind the scenes at your salon.

Advertising and Reaching People

Facebook offers two kinds of publicity. There is your organic reach and your paid reach. Your organic reach is engagement that you get from shares, likes, and comments. You should interact with anyone who comments on your page and create posts that encourage engagement. You can have giveaways, promotions, and more or you can offer polls to get input from people. This will help to spread the word that you are open for business.

Your paid reach is gained through Facebook ads. You can choose a dollar amount and Facebook will target customers based on your preferences. This is a great way to reach new people who are in the area but have no connection to you or your followers.

You Can Create a Call to Action

A call to action is a way to get people to engage. You can have buttons that encourage people to click on them. You might have ones that say “Shop Now” or “Click for more information.” You can create a call to action so that people find it easy to get in touch with you or learn more about your business.

If you offer both services and products, be sure to make that clear on your page. Give potential customers and customers the ability to create appointments easily or to order things that they want.

Final Words

There are many great reasons to create a Facebook business page and you can customise it to show the public what you offer. Write engaging posts and try to use photos and videos. People will stop to watch a short video before they will read a long post so be sure to include videos of messages that you want to send out. When you use Facebook for a business page, you can advertise, connect with customers, and spread the word about your business to everyone in the local area.

If you need help integrating your Facebook Business Page with your website please get in contact with us.

Benefits of Having a Newsletter for Your Business

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 11:30:44 GMT

Does your Salon or Clinic make use of your current clients?

If you own a hair or beauty salon, sending out newsletters is a great digital marketing strategy to promote customer engagement. More so, if you are looking for a way to connect, convert, and build an engaging relationship with your visitors, then email marketing is for you. Before diving into the topic, let’s first take a look at a few newsletter/email marketing facts;

Companies use these newsletters to publicize relevant articles, content, and sometimes, special offers that benefit the client.

Personalized email newsletters perform better as they are 75% more likely to be opened and read by clients.

Effective newsletters should not be sales driven but informative.

No doubt, today’s business owners have made a shift from the traditional newsletters to email newsletters which provides quality to readers and is also one of the best forms of digital marketing for service providers.

With that being said, here are a few benefits of sending out newsletters.

Benefits of Newsletters

The benefits of newsletters include the following;

They expand your outreach thereby, increasing your revenue
Newsletters provide business owners with a platform for sponsorship and subscriptions.
With newsletters, subscribers can receive relevant, customized content without having to scan through your website.

Services Available on Email Marketing Platforms

The services provided by email marketing platforms differ based on the platform and plan selected. There are email marketing platforms that provide businesses with intelligent marketing automation, which enables you to have an insight into your customers’ purchase behavior and intents. With this, business owners can have more in-depth conversations with their customers.

Also, some email marketing platforms provide you with the necessary tools needed to grow your email list. You get to design your newsletters, automate email sequences and create a mobile responsive sign-up form that is compatible with any device.

Other services provided by email marketing platforms include live chats, discussion forums, and automated updates for your readers. Take time to research and choose the best email marketing platform based on features like ease of use, automation, pricing, and the industry they aim at serving as some platforms are designed with specific industries in mind.

How Often Should Newsletters Be Sent?

There is no specific frequency here in terms of how you should send your clients newsletters, but a fair gauge would be a minimum of once a month. You should strive to keep a balance – if you stretch it beyond a month, people will forget about you, and if you make it too frequently, you will irritate your readers. Keeping your newsletters to an average of once a week is just right.

What Should Be Included in a Newsletter?

An excellent newsletter should have the following;

1. Relevant Content:

Your newsletter should be simple, precise, and informative – no fluff. Don’t focus too much on marketing and publicizing content. Instead, provide your clients with relevant information that will benefit them.

2. An Attractive Layout:

Make sure you exercise caution when choosing your newsletter’s layout. You do not want it to be exaggerated. Try not to abuse the use of images, they should simply complement the text and not form the basis of the newsletter. A newsletter filled with images will equally take a longer time to load, and this can make your clients lose interest.

3. Creative Headlines:

The subject of your emails should be catchy and enticing to your readers, it will equally motivate them to open and read. However, do not overdo it. Make sure that the content accurately represents the headline.

A guide for hair salons to return after Covid 19

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 11:30:45 GMT

Is your salon ready for opening?

Getting Salons prepared to open after lockdown

COVID-19 has completely turned personal lives and businesses everywhere upside down especially salons. It’s thrown everyone for a loop and disrupted the normal ebb and flow of daily life.

As a beauty salon owner or hairdresser, you may feel a bit frustrated or slighted because your business can’t operate over technology or from home like others have been doing. Therefore, you may be eager to open your doors and get back to work. It’s essential to use the time you have now to prepare yourself for the reopening of your salon and getting back to work. Learn tips and best practises for a safe and adequate salon return after COVID-19.

Making A Plan of Action For Salons

A wise first step is to make and have a plan of action in place so that when you get the green light, you’re ready to welcome customers through your door. With the spread of Coronavirus, you now have to learn ways to adapt your business to the new normal. Use the lockdown as a chance to rewrite, rework, and re-energise how you will operate when it’s time to get back to business. These hours of uncertainty and stillness are the perfect opportunity to practise acceptance, conduct some housekeeping, and educate yourself on how you can safely and successfully reopen when the time comes. There are certain exceptions you may want to include in your plan, such as eliminating late cancelation fees so they can reschedule without penalty if they’re feeling ill.

Cleaning & Safety Precautions For Salons

Due to COVID-19, it’s no secret that your salon’s cleaning and safety procedures will need to be updated and modified. Both customers and staff will require extra protection to keep everyone safe and healthy. While you may already wipe down equipment and maintain proper sanitation, your efforts will need to be ramped up when you return to work after COVID-19. You’ll need to sterilise tools and wipe down stations between each client, which will also take more time. Plan to have everyone pitch in to perform a deep clean at least once a week. Provide your staff with the right cleaning tools and disinfectants they need to keep their work and styling stations, counter tops, and treatment rooms free from germs at all times. Your salon should have regular supplies of tissue, antibacterial soap, and alcohol-based hand cleansers to promote healthy habits.

Social Distancing For Salons

To follow social distancing guidelines, you’ll likely need to restrict the number of people you have in your salon at any one time. You can achieve this goal by turning to an appointment-only system and reducing the number of people who will be in the waiting room at one time. Consider eliminating services that require excessive touching such as scalp massages. You can keep your distance by having an empty chair between each client. Another consideration is to have perspex screens between seats to add a level of safety and comfort. Shaking hands or giving hugs may have been a way to give your clients a warm welcome in the past, but it’s best to avoid these gestures in the future. Remind your staff to avoid touching their faces and consider providing your employees and customers with masks and gloves.

Communicating with Customers & Staff

Keep open and honest communication and transparency between your salon and clients by posting your enhanced cleaning efforts. It’s also a wise idea to encourage staff and customers to stay home when they are sick or have any symptoms. You’re going to want to take the time to train your employees, so they know how to best keep their spaces organised, clean, and safe. Constant communication and updated procedures will allow you to reduce or eliminate risks that come with running a hair salon.

Not only post signs in and around your salon but also use technology such as social media and email to get in touch with your staff and customers. You can also send quick and informative reminders or updates via text. Incorporate health questions to your online booking system and website so you can reduce the number of phone calls and inquiries you may receive related to these matters. A add on option for our monthly webdesign packages is a newsletter marketing service. This might be whats needed to communicate effortlessly with you clients.

There are a few questions you may want to ask your clients as they book appointments and to include when you send them reminders about their upcoming services:

Are you or a person in your household currently in self-isolation status
Are you suffering from any cold or flu symptoms?
Have you recently travelled to any of the countries with a high concentration of COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days? For example, Japan, Italy, China, and France?

Setting up a Facebook shop.

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 11:30:47 GMT

Using the power of you social media following.

COVID-19 has turned the whole world upside down. Since the middle of March, many small businesses such as salons have been forced to shut as they have been deemed not essential, and unsafe for customers and workers. For those of us who work in beauty salons and practice healthcare services, business has been halted and this has made it impossible to earn a decent wage.

However, this pandemic doesn’t have to completely shut down your operations, and today we want to talk about a simple method to make some money during these difficult times: a Facebook shop.

If you are unfamiliar, when you create a Facebook page, you have the option to add a shop to your page where people can directly buy your items. This can be useful for small businesses such as authors, artists, and commerce businesses; and you can use this too. If you need help setting up your social media for your salon, please contact us. We offer this a bolt-on service to all our salon webdesign packages , but happy to set this up for external customers during these difficult business times.

A Facebook shop can be a useful tool to have at your disposal, and during these hard times it may be a crucial means of income for you and your family. If you sell retail stock such as hair products or beauty products in your salon, why not take some photos and sell these products through Facebook instead?

To promote and sell your products, you can create video tutorials at home of you using these products, and share helpful tips and tricks that your customers can try at home to maintain their hair, skin, nails and more. Become a part of your customer’s everyday life by setting up shop on Facebook this month and engaging with your followers even when you cannot see them

We have also created a guide for hair and beauty salons to return after Covid-19

Is Your Salon or Clinic GDPR Ready

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 11:30:48 GMT

FREE GDPR HANDOUT FACT SHEET FOR YOUR SALON OR CLINIC

Please find a brief outlying fact sheet for your salon or clinic.