9 Salon & Spa Software Must Have Features

In this digitized era, businesses that fall behind technologically are crippling themselves.

Yes, even Salons and Spas.

If you own or manage a spa or salon, the software you choose will have major bearing on your bottom line.
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That’s because today’s Point of Sale (POS) systems do so much more than your old appointment book used to.

The Value of Modern Salon & Spa Software

Modern POS systems can almost make your receptionist obsolete.

But the best ones can do much more than that.

The best salon software in the world can act as a branding and marketing hub.  Integrated technologies allow you to connect with your users in a multitude of ways and bring them back in over and over.

As we move further into the 21st century, the way businesses connect and build relationships with their market will become more and more important.

If you own a salon, spa, or tanning salon, there are a few absolutely must-have features your POS software needs to posses.
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Here are our top 9:

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1. Appointment Management

Easily the most fundamental thing salons and spas need from their software:

Appointment management made easy.

And frankly, if your POS doesn’t facilitate that, it really isn’t worth much.  Not only should it be easy to find the next opening in your schedule, it should be a simple process to add, remove, or edit appointments.
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Software systems that understand the future needs of the industry and its clientele also include client portals and/or apps that allow customers to book appointments themselves.

2. Customer Relationship Management

Customer relationships management (CRM) is a relatively new term that refers to how businesses relate to their customers from first contact, through the buying process, and thereafter.

The CRM software industry is currently exploding as more businesses realize just how powerful it can be.  The main advantage is that it helps businesses turn more leads into clients, more clients into return clients, and more return clients into raving fans.

However, the needs of salons, spas, and tanning salons are particular.
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This is why having a POS system that is tied to your CRM is so powerful.  You’re more likely to get the kind of unique features that will help you connect with the salon and spa audience.

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3. Email Marketing Integration

Since the inception of the Internet, email has been a revelation in communication.

Now—with the advent of social media—many businesses are questioning the effectiveness of email marketing campaigns.  However, time and again email marketing proves to be an invaluable tool for businesses looking to drive revenues.
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That’s why the best salon and spa software on the planet helps collect emails and execute campaigns.  Ours even integrates with Constant Contact in order help you grow your list.

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4. Social Media Integration

Just because you have email covered, doesn’t mean you should neglect social.

Having a software system that integrates your customer profiles with social media is enough to give any salon or spa a real advantage.
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Connecting with your potential target audience on their favorite social media platforms is one of the best ways to increase brand recognition and loyalty.  It can also help you in the search engines.  Plus, it is a powerful way to execute promotions.

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5. Tracking and Reporting

The main advantage of keeping all of your information in an automated system is that you can spend less time tracking revenues and expenses and more time analyzing them.

With automated reporting, it’s much easier to see where you are doing well and where you can improve.  It’s important that the data is extensive, the analysis is thorough, and the reporting is clear.
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When the tracking and reporting are up to par, they can really make it easier to set and complete goals in your business.

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6. Inventory Management

POS systems that are designed by authentic salon and spa minds take into account the retail side of the industry.

Many salons and spas struggle to sell their merchandise.  One of the reasons is that managing a client service and retail business at the same time can be challenging—especially when it comes to bookkeeping.

​By centralizing all of the revenue streams into one interface, modern salon software makes managing the different aspects of your business much easier.  Oftentimes, easiest often also means most effective.

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7. Staff Management

Again, having all of your operations in one location is a great way to increase efficiency.

It follows that using an all-in-one system that handles booking, merchandize, and staffing is one of the best things you can do for your spa, salon, or tanning salon.
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Granted, that system needs to be intuitive and easy to use while also providing extensive features and flexibility.  That’s not an easy thing to pull off.  Make sure that the POS system you use can accommodate everything you need it to.

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8. Tight Security

When we talk about software security in this industry, it’s not so much about the digital threats and hackers.

Sure, there is always that too.  When you integrate point of sale systems, client data, and employee data with online systems, you always have to be sure that the system is secure.  Hackers are a real thing.

Most software companies can be trusted with that type of security.  

However, many spa and salon owners are at risk for employee theft and fraud.   So the ability to restrict staff access to various aspects of your system based on roles is an important feature.

​Make sure that the software you choose for your salon is designed with your protection in mind.

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9. Great Support

Last, but most certainly not least, your software system absolutely must have a support team that you can count on.

No matter how user friendly a POS system’s design, someone is bound to have a problem they can’t find the answer to at some point.  Sure, a great user’s manual can make things a bit easier.  But nothing compares to a real-live human.

Any salon software system that is worth its salt has a multitude of features that you may or may not know that you need.  And many times, you’ll begin to use those systems gradually.
 
Knowing that you have someone there to help if you need it makes the process of integrating the use of these features seem a lot less scary.

If you own a salon, spa, or tanning salon you probably already know:

Your software system can either make your life easier or harder.  The best ones make things easier by centralizing your most important operations.  They also provide features that help you to grow your business.

A salon’s software system can act as a catalyst for growth if it is built for the modern world.  If you’re in the market, make sure that you choose a POS system that is up to that challenge.