Maybe it's time for a new website.

Does your website get a thumbs down?

Having been in the computer industry since the mid 1980's, it is fair to say that I have seen a lot of growth and changes throughout the years.  The emergence of Windows, computers, touchscreens, multi-media, all of it has come a long way.

Unfortunately, not everything in the computer world has done the same.  I have seen and still do see websites that look like they were developed in the 1990’s. They are not mobile friendly, awkward to navigate and dare I say not pretty at all?  Some statistics indicate that 75% or more of website visitors will never contact a business if their website is outdated.  I know I am one of them.  Are you?

As member of the salon community, you are in the “appearance” business.  You make your client’s look and feel great.  It’s all about impressions.  If a visitor were to go to your website right now, what do you think their impression would be?  I visited a client’s website a couple months ago and I was astonished on how rudimentary and quite frankly, unappealing the website was.  It was flat out ugly.  I know they run a highly successful salon but you would never know that by looking at their website and that is the reason I decide to write this short blog.
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Creating a beautiful website is quite easy and it can be done fast with very little money.  You do not need a web developer or even a graphic artist.  You can do it yourself or hire a high school kid at a low rate.  The tools are all out there for you to create a dazzling website.

Where to start.

Two option options I am familiar with are Weebly and Wix.  I personally like Weebly as I have used them for a number of years but they all, for the most part, work the same.  Drag and drop.  Doesn’t get any easier than that.  

Some ways to make a dazzling website

• Choose the style that best meet your needs. When you use one of these DIY website builders, you can choose from a vast array of styles.
• Chose a color scheme that matches your salon’s color scheme.  Having everything tied together creates a nice synergy.
• Think about what you want to post.  Do you want to post client before and after pictures?  Pictures of your equipment?  Pictures of your employees?  Pictures of both the inside and outside of your salon?   All these can be done easily and using your phone, you can easily post small videos as well.
• Use eye catching images to give the user a great first impression.  Not all images cost money. There are websites that provide free images and video.  Pexels is one I have used in the past.
• Make sure your contact information is easily seen including your open and close times and days of the week you are opened and closed.
• Be sure the navigation is fluid and allows your visitors to easily find what they are looking for.
• If you accept appointments, be sure you have a way for the client to make an appointment online.
• Create employee profiles so your visitors know a little bit about your employees.  Show their picture and some of the work they have.
• Finally, be sure there are no misspellings.  

If you build it they will come.

You can create a website using Weebly or Wix for $20 a month or less.  So there is no reason not to have a dazzling website.  Building a better website will help attract new clients and potentially be great for your bottom line.

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Please note that the websites mentioned in this blog are for reference purposes to help you get started.