What You Should Be Getting From Your Website!

I remember, back five years ago, when nearly every salon owner I asked was in the process of building a web site.  This was the “new way” that advertising was going to be done.  No more newspapers, Val-Paks, Super Coups, or Yellow Pages.

Remember when we used to think that the Internet was going to provide “FREE” salon advertising?  Let me ask you a question.  Is it really?

Fast forward five years later, and if you ask those same salon owners – you will get a much different response.  Most are despondent with their inability to take advantage of all that the Internet can offer. 

Bad or incompetent web designers, high monthly fees, and old, tired sites are the norm 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.

In fact, over 70% of all people looking for a new business – use the Internet.  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.  Do I even need to do the math?

So, what’s the biggest mistake that almost all salon owners make when they design their web sites?

Answer: There is no offer to get the person into the salon!

Look, the Internet is nothing more than 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.

If you’re getting a thousand hits a month on your web site and you’re only getting one new client a week, should you be spending more money every month trying to get traffic?  Or, should you 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 web site comes up, that coupon should be very visible.   It should also be very enticing. 

I would use “50% off the first visit to the salon” as my initial enticement.  Why?  Because I know that the new client is potentially worth at least $300/year if I do my job right.  And, I’m gambling that I will do a good enough job to keep the clients coming back if I 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 expecting way too much.

Call your web designer today and get started on implementing this technique.  Five new clients a week might be just around the corner for you.