If it's been a while since you did any updating on your salon's website, now is the time. More than ever, customers are visiting sites online to get information about businesses before they make the trip to the physical location. Make it easy on your potential clients when they look you up. Hire a designer or use a service with templates.

The visual impression that your visitors get from your website is almost as important as the information you provide. You need a clean look with no elements that distract from your images and copy. Avoid flashy visuals and stick to a simple, sleek look. If you don't have web design experience, this is one thing that is definitely worth investing in. A good designer can be pricey, but there are other options. You can sign up for a service such as Square-space, which offers solid templates, hosting, and support to help you along the way.

Provide high-quality images.

Clients who are researching salons definitely want to see what your place of business looks like. They want to feel reassured that the place they're considering for their beauty needs is clean and well organized. Make sure your photos clearly show your salon chairs, shampoo stations, massage tables, and floors, preferably on a bright sunny day with the windows open for additional light. Feature your photos prominently on your site.

Include simple copy and make it easy to find.

The most relevant information your site visitors will want includes business hours, location, and a description of the services you offer. Display these items prominently on your site, preferably on their own pages with easily navigable tabs. Another good feature to provide are brief bios of your stylists and other staff to familiarize your potential customers with your employees, as well as information on any events you host or community work you do.

If you're not confident in your own writing abilities, it's best to get help. You can hire a content writer or ask a friend who you know is good with words. It's very important to make a good impression with properly structured sentences and good grammar, so definitely don't skip this step. Make sure your writer knows to make the web copy succinct and to the point so your customers get the information they need right away.

By following these tips, you're sure to see an improvement in user experience on your website, which will ideally help drive more clients through your doors!

We've all heard that it's cheaper to retain an existing client than to acquire a new one, and the beauty industry is no exception. As a beauty salon owner, client retention should be one of your top priorities. Here are four tips that can help you win over first-time visitors and turn them into clients for life.

1. Build personal connections.

Take the time to listen to your clients and engage them in meaningful conversation while they're in your salon chair. Make eye contact, ask plenty of questions (people love talking about themselves!), and use the client's first name to help establish a personal bond that makes clients excited to come back and see you. By building a personal relationship with your clients, you can turn one-time visitors into lifelong customers.

2. Educate your clients.

Many clients appreciate it when you explain what you're doing and why as you work with them. Little things like explaining why a particular product will or won't work for someone or demonstrating a quick styling secret can not only help establish your expertise with your clients, but also provide extra value and get your clients excited about learning something new. Just be sure not to go through your entire bag of tricks in one sitting, so you have something new to demonstrate next time.

3. Make booking easy.

Your clients are just as busy as you are, so if you want to earn repeat business be sure to make your appointment booking process as painless as possible. If you can, take advantage of online and pre-booking options that allow clients to schedule or change appointments on their own quickly and easily. Sending out appointment reminders and confirmations are also great ways to remind clients when they're due back in your salon. Remember, the easier you make it for clients to come back, the more likely they'll be to return.

4. Over deliver with extras.

Never underestimate the power of all the little extras you can offer in your salon when it comes to improving customer retention. Simple things like providing free coffee, snacks and wine, complimentary scalp massages, or giving away product samples can go a long way toward winning lifelong clients. Your extras don't have to be anything extravagant or expensive, but giving clients a little more bang for their buck can help you stand out from the crowd and earn more repeat business.

For beauty salon owners, client retention is all about creating an exceptional client experience. Anyone can offer your client a haircut, but only you can provide a unique personal experience that meets the client's needs and makes them feel special. By incorporating the four tips above into your salon experience, you can turn your patrons into clients for life.