There’s been a lot of talk about the benefits of online stores for salons, spas and clinics. Starting an online store for your salon allows you to sell your professional take-home products and it can generate additional revenue for your business. For many salon owners, it’s still uncharted territory, so we sat down with Sally Turpin from Salon Pay to chat about why an online store is a must-have for your hair and beauty business.
Here are the key things you need to know about an online store for your salon
- An online store can be a natural extension of your salon and your brand. You can curate a selection of retail products to help your clients stay beautiful between visits and prolong the benefits of salon treatments
- You can start small with just a handful of products and, as you grow, add more products, bundles, packages, online vouchers and gift cards
- It’s an additional source of revenue during periods of lockdown and beyond
- Online shopping is a part of the daily life of your clients and it makes it convenient for them to purchase online from you when they’re running low on their favourite hair and beauty products
- It’s easier than you think to set up an online store for your salon, spa or clinic. No advanced computer skills are necessary with the support of online platforms
Read on to learn more…
What are the benefits of having an online store for your salon?
“Online stores have become much more prominent since the arrival of COVID-19. What we found in the first lockdown was that clients wanted to support their salons, spas and clinics, and they were reaching out for options to do it.
For example, in my business, we had to be agile and help all of our salon customers get their online stores up and running. We taught them and helped them get their products up online so that their clients were able to purchase products and support salons in a way that was both safe and secure.”
Additional brand awareness for your salon
“Having an online store that offers your products also acts as an additional advertisement for your hair and beauty business. When you use photos of products that you use at your salon, it gives the clients an idea about your brand.
While it helps increase brand awareness, predominantly it’s that cash flow during the closures that had a positive impact and in some cases kept businesses afloat during lockdowns where others had to close indefinitely.”
What kind of products can you sell online?
“You can sell whatever you like. You can bundle things up, choose your top ten products that you want to sell or choose the most popular products at your salon or clinic.
You can sell anything you like that’s going to help your clients: anything that helps treatments last longer, help clients feel beautiful for longer, help their skin and hair to stay beautiful between visits.”
How many products should you be selling online?
“We don’t recommend putting all of your products online. When there’s too much choice, people just scroll and scroll. Try not to get bogged down with putting every single item or every single service online, because typically that’s not how hair and beauty consumers make purchases.”
How do you promote your online store to your clients?
Promote your online store on social media
“Social media is really where it’s at. Promoting it in a place where your clients are, like on Facebook and Instagram, is key. We’ve seen huge success when salons do fun little catchy posts about a product of the week or a take-home facial of the week.”
Get your staff to spread the word
“Have your staff members talk about the online store ‘Oh, you love the smell of this shampoo? You can get that on our online store anytime you like.’ or ‘Do you love this moisturiser? You can get it here today. If you run out, you can buy it on our online store’.”
How do you set up an online store for your salon or clinic?
“The key is to have nice imagery, short product descriptions and not to list too many products and services. Just keep it simple and don’t make it overwhelming for yourself or your clients.
If you’re a Salon Pay customer, then we do the bulk of the setup for you including the payment arrangements. You just need to add in your product photos, descriptions of your products and/or services. You can sell both on the Salon Pay online store. You also get all of those great payment options. Your clients can choose to check out in a variety of different ways.
Good imagery is important. You can either take photos yourself on your smartphone which helps to keep the brand message consistent. Or your suppliers often have photos of their products that you can use. It’s that simple.
If you need help with anything, Salon Pay is always there to help you. You can always call us and get assistance with your store if you need it.”
How profitable can an online store be?
“It depends on your priorities as a salon. For some salons, it’s really important to sell online and they work hard at it. For example, you’re doing a social post, you’re talking to your clients about the store, you’re engaging when they ask questions on those social media posts and you’re answering them. You’re timely with your messaging and you’re having those nice images on your shop and making it easy for clients to do business with you. Then really it’s limitless.
All of your clients should be able to have take-home products because, in our industry, there’s always a take-home product that goes hand in hand with the services that we’re providing.
The spike in sales happens around all of the big holidays like Mother’s Day, the Spring Racing Carnival that we have in Melbourne, and Christmas time when people are actively shopping online.”
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