How many times over the last year have you made an online purchase and what drove you to make that purchase online instead of in store? Was it the price? Was it the the product? Or was it simply the convenience of being able to order from the comfort of your own bed?
The reality is that in the digital world we live in now where there is instant gratification for almost everything, people are looking for the most convenient and most time efficient solution. Throw a global pandemic in the mix and now people not only want the convenient solution, but also the one that keeps them out of public. Online shopping options in virtually every industry have popped up since 2020 to allow them to continue business with those who are stuck at home, and a lot of salons have missed out on that opportunity. Not only that, but a lot of emphasis was placed on supporting local businesses during lock downs- but if there wasn’t a convenient, easy way to do so, customers purchased their beauty care else where.
Now more than ever, an e-commerce site for your salon is so so important not only to increase revenue for your business, but also to have available for your customers who deserve easy access to the products they want to purchase from you.
STATS ON STATS
You know we love a stat- so we want to hit you with a few that made our jaws drop.
E-commerce will make up 22% of global retail sales by 2023
By 2023, U.S e-commerce revenue will be $740 billion
Over 75% of people are shopping at least once a month online
In 2021, the number of online shoppers is 2.14 billion or 27.6% of the worlds population
63% of shopping occasions begin online
So what do these stats tell us? They tell us that e-commerce sales are not only taking the retail world by storm but they will continue to grow year by year. They tell us that the majority of people are shopping online monthly and that most sales or purchase journeys begin online.
With numbers like these and projections for growth over the years to come, how can your salon afford NOT to climb aboard the e-commerce train?! The answer, plain and simple and not to be blunt, is it can’t- not long term at least. We are on the brink of a digital revolution and whether you like it or not- the world is heading in that direction. Now is the time to get your salon on the digital map so that guests and potential customers can find you online and purchase from you what they were going to purchase online anyways. They WANT to support their salons business more than a big box store- it’s your job to give them that option with an online shop.
HOW TO GET STARTED
There are so many website builders available for you to start your salons e-commerce journey, including our very own Salon S.O.S option! If you’re interested in learning more about our easy to use and affordable e-commerce site builder for your salon or spa, click here!
Choose a platform to create your e-commerce site. When you’re looking, keep in mind ease of use as well as cost. If you aren’t super tech savvy, go for a more simple option that is user friendly to prevent frustration. E-commerce sites can also be pricey to build and maintain and the point of it is to create revenue- so make sure you’re not overspending on features you won’t utilize anyways.
Start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to create a super immaculate, fancy, complicated online store. You’re creating an online store create a convenient shopping opportunity for guests and potential customers- ditch the unnecessary bells and whistles to prevent overwhelming yourself to start.
Make a plan and stay consistent. Like anything else in marketing- consistency is KEY! Advertise your online shop regularly on your social channels and make it easy for your followers to access your shop. Keep the online shop link in your social media bios for easy navigation.
You're also going to want to make sure your website is as easy to find as possible, check out this blog post for tips on how to get your salon page to the top of search engine results!
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
It’s not enough to simply have an e-commerce site, although it’s a great start! You also need to create awareness and drive traffic to your online store and this is done through social media, search engines, and in salon. Here are some tips on how to best utilize each of these channels.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is going to be the easiest way for you to promote your online store. However it isn’t enough to just have the link to your site in your social bio, you need to consistently remind your followers that it’s there and that’s it’s got what they need!
Plan to do at least 1 or 2 posts a week about your online store and what it offers. You’re already posting about your favourite products that you sell in salon, now make sure to mention it’s available easily and conveniently online. We suggest including a call to action to drive traffic to your online shop and encourage online purchases.
Here’s a few examples:
-Save yourself a trip and grab yours online today!
-Limited supply available, guarantee you get yours by purchasing online today
-These are flying off the shelves, make sure you get yours ASAP by purchasing online!
Emphasize how EASY and QUICK it is for your customers to buy their favourite products online with options for pick up in salon at a later date or delivery to their front step. Consistently posting about your online store will help to create more awareness for your following so that they know they can’t conveniently make their next product purchase from you online!
IN SALON
There are many ways to promote your online shop even when guests are in salon! Promoting your online shop while clients are in your chair will create awareness and have them looking and buying online after their salon visits.
QR code’s at stations
This is a good way to get your clients scrolling your online shop while they’re having their service done. It allows them to take a closer look at the products you offer while they process so that they have an idea of what products they’re wanting to take home! It also is a great way to remind your clients that you do have an online store they can shop from between their salon visits.
Product Prescription Cards
Having a Product Prescription card for your team to fill out for their guests with retail recommendations is a great way to encourage retail purchases at their appointment. Not only that, guests then have a physical (or digital if you opt for that!) copy of retail recommendations from their stylist that they can use for online purchases in the future! It’s a super quick, simple, and cute touch that your guests will love. We recommend having the website printed right on the card or perhaps a QR code that will bring them right to your online shop!
Team Discount Codes
Okay so just because it is a discount code it doesn’t mean you have to be constantly offering monetary discounts!
We love the idea of creating individual discount codes for our team to have them promoting the online shop on their on social media for more reach with the discount code offering being a gift with purchase. This gift with purchase can be many things- a travel mini, shampoo/conditioner sachet, a tester of sorts etc. OR you can offer a tutorial gift with purchase where the customer receives a video tutorial of how to use the product they bought, how to do a particular style, etc with their purchase! Get creative with it-your team will love the opportunity to retail online and customers will love the added incentive.
For more retail ideas to use in salon on online, click here!
Here’s our challenge(s) to you!
If you don’t currently have an e-commerce site, start looking into online shop builders within your budget! We offer a fool proof, super affordable solution to create your online shop that we’d love to tell you more about. Check out our e-commerce solution break down to learn more.
If you do have an online store, we challenge you to try implementing one of our hot tips listed above! Make sure to tag us in your social posts @salon.s.o.s
For all of your salon and spa digital marketing needs, hit us up on social @salon.s.o.s and get the scoop on all of our services on our website!
Digitally yours,
Salon S.O.S
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