Full Transcript
[0:00]
Welcome to the 805 Web Minute. And today we're talking about why your amazing Instagram account isn't enough to fill your appointment book. Yeah, we're doing a deep dive specifically for our central coast salon and spa owners. We want to talk about that crucial difference between building a beautiful brand on social media, which honestly, so many of you are doing spectacular for sure. And actually getting those, you know, high intent paying clients walking through the door right here in Essela County. Okay, let's unpack this because I see this all the time owners pour so much time into perfecting the reels, they get these stunning before and afters. And they feel like they're crushing it with marketing. Right. They're getting the legs, they're getting the follows, but then they look at their book for next week. And there are still these, these big empty spots. It's what we call the Instagram Google gap. And it's really less about your talent and more about your, um, your digital infrastructure. Yeah. So think of it this way. Instagram is your stage. It is absolutely essential for building that portfolio for that community feel and showcasing your art. I mean, that's why over 60% of consumers trust baby brands. They find their stages set. The lights are on the show looks amazing. Exactly. But if you look at where the bookings are actually coming from, about 70% of salon traffic comes from online sources. And that's a mix of social media and search. Ah. And that search part, that's Google. That's where the clients with, you know, commercial intent or living. They aren't just browsing for fun. They're ready to buy. So Instagram is for the what's cool question. And Google is for the who can do this cool thing for me right now. A question. And this is the core of the problem. Your Instagram doesn't help them find the door. It just doesn't rank on Google the way a real dedicated website does. Right. So if a potential client is new to the area, maybe searching hair salon near me or their tourist down in Pismo Beach, you need to fill like yesterday. They need a real digital door to open, not just a link to a profile. That makes total sense. But here's where it gets tricky because a lot of really savvy owners say in a
[2:03]
task ad arrow or Grover Beach, they use booking software, Vager, fresh, a gloss genius. And they think, well, I have a website. My booking page is my site. Right. And that's the trap. But that's not enough. Is it especially for local SEO? It falls critically short. And those platforms, you know, they're great for managing appointments, but they're built for the transaction, not for the discovery. They create two huge, really debilitating problems for local owners. Let's start with the visual. When the aesthetic, I noticed that right away. Yeah. The lack of identity, those booking pages, they have to be cookie cutter. Yeah. Your booking page looks almost identical in its layout to every other salon in Esselot County that uses the same software. It just can't reflect your unique vibe or the brand you work so hard to build. So it's like owning your own beautiful custom boutique. Versus just having a little powder space in a giant generic department store. That's a perfect analogy. You're just renting digital space. And that leads right into the second. And I'd say more technically serious problem, the sub domain trap. Okay. Let's go deeper on that. I'm paying for my software. My address is say your name.vagra.com. You're telling me I'm hurting my own SEO. What is domain authority for a small business? Absolutely. So domain authority is basically Google's measure of trust for a website. And when you operate on a sub domain like that, all the good work you do, it builds up Vagros trust with Google, not your own. So I'm literally helping a billion dollar tech company get better rankings while my own business is stuck on page three or four of the local results. That's exactly it. And because those platforms are just for transactions, they don't have the the architecture you need to tell Google about your specialties. You can't properly optimize for things like belayage specialist in Paso Robles or medical grade facial and grover beach. So you're invisible to the very clients who are searching with money in hand for those high ticket services because Google just can't connect the dots between your location, your service and you. The booking platforms are for when the client has already decided.
[4:06]
They can't be your first handshake. You need a dedicated website to be the hub that ties everything together. Your Google business profile, your reviews, your services. That brings us right to the clients journey. So I'm on my couch. It's a Tuesday night. I'm thinking about a big hair change. What does that process actually look like? It's not just one click on Instagram. No, it's way more involved than most owners think. Yeah. The data shows a potential client takes on average three to five separate moments of research before they even think about booking. They are doing some serious homework. Give me an example. What are those moments? Okay. So moment one is discovery. They'll search something like Harris Lawn near me. And look at Google Maps. They're checking your location, your hours. Okay. Moment two validation. They click the website link from that Maps listing. And they're asking, can they do what I want? What's the vibe here? Makes sense. Moment three is trust. They're jumping over to read reviews. What are other people saying? Then moment four, maybe connection. They might check your Instagram then to see your most recent work. And then what? The moment five is the conversion. They go back to your official website, the hub, to find the right stylist and actually book. That's a lot of bouncing around. And if there's friction at any one of those steps, like a clunky website or a generic booking page, poof, they're gone. They're gone. And you mentioned reviews. They're absolutely king. A huge 90% of consumers read online reviews before they choose a salon or spa. If those reviews aren't right there, easy to find on your website, you're making them work way too hard. So a good website has to nail a few key things to get that person from researcher to client. What's number one? Number one is the work itself, a deep portfolio. Your Instagram is the highlight reel, but your website has to show the depth of your expertise, real, organized before and after. It has to be organized by service, right? If I want to see belayage, I don't want to scroll through 100 photos of men's cuts. Exactly. Organize galleries for color, for nails, for specific facial results.
[6:07]
So they know instantly that you can handle the service they want. Okay. What's next? This one feels huge in the beauty world. It's about connection. Need number two is knowing who does what? The team clients are thinking, who am I going to be sitting with for two hours? Who knows my hair type? Who has the certifications? A generic booking page just gives a name. But a real website can have actual team photos, not stock photos. It can have bios, list specialties and really show some personality. And that builds so much confidence before they ever commit. It turns it from just a transaction into a personal experience, which is why they choose local business to begin with. All right. Number three, this is the one that makes owners nervous pricing. Need number three is clear pricing. Bidance, look, we get it. Salon pricing is complex. It depends on so many things. So a lot of owners just avoid posting prices at all. I know they do, but I've personally bailed on a salon's website because I couldn't even get a ballpark idea. It just feels secretive. And I assume the worst. It creates so much friction. Clients just assume they can't afford you and they click away. You don't need a full menu, but you do need guidance post starting at prices. You know, belly, eyes from 150 or price ranges by stylist level. A little transparency makes a huge difference. Okay. And the final piece is actually getting the appointment locked in. Need number four, yeah. Seamless logistics. It has to be obvious. Do you take walk-ins? Is it appointment only? And most importantly, how do I book? And we know people hate making phone calls. Oh, the stats are totally decisive. 67% of customers prefer booking online, only 22% prefer to call. If you're forcing two thirds of your potential clients to pick up the phone, you're just putting up a giant wall. That is a powerful number. I mean, for a busy person calling during the day is almost impossible. It's even bigger than that. 58% of customers say they would actually switch salons if they couldn't book online. That's not just a lost booking. That's a lost client for life, all because of your digital setup. Okay. So a dedicated website is clearly a non-negotiable hub.
[8:09]
Let's give our local owners a final checklist. What are the five absolute must-haves for that site? All right. If you're in the beauty and wellness space, here's your quick list. Let's hear it. First, a portfolio that sells an organized gallery showing your range and your transformations. Second, a team with personalities, real bios, real photos, real specialties. Third, a clear booking path. The online booking button has to be obvious, easy, and it must work perfectly on a phone. That mobile point is everything. I can't even imagine booking a service on a desktop computer anymore. You shouldn't have to. The number is 82%. 82% of all online salon bookings are made on a mobile phone. If your site isn't built for that, if the button is tiny or hidden, you are losing almost everyone. Wow. Okay. What are the last two essentials? Fourth, reviews front and center. You have to feature those Google reviews. We know 71% of people won't even consider a business with less than three stars. You need to show off those five star reviews right away. And number five takes us right back to the beginning, beating that Vagaro trap. Exactly. You have to be found on Google. The site needs that location specific content, that proper integration with your Google business profile. So you actually show up when someone searches. You know, I'm often booking things late at night when the kids are asleep, and I can finally think straight, is that a common thing? Extremely something like 46% of all online bookings happen when salons are closed evenings early mornings. It just proves that 24 seven online booking isn't a nice to have anymore. It's a necessity to catch all that business. And there's a huge hidden benefit here too, right? For long term client retention. This might be the most important stat of the whole deep dive. When someone books online for the first time, they come back about 78% of the time. Compare that to a walk in who only comes back about 39% of the time. Wow. So you're saying a good online booking experience literally doubles your client retention rate. Why is it so different?
[10:10]
It's about intention. When a client goes through those three to five research steps, they read the bios, see the portfolio, check the prices, and then book. They made a very conscious high trust decision. They are already committed. A walk in his spontaneous that initial commitment translates directly into loyalty. That one statistic is enough to make the case right there. Okay. Let's wrap up with the big pitfalls. What should local salon owners stop doing like today? First stop relying only on Instagram. It's amazing for inspiration, but it will not help the person searching esthetician near me. Find you. You need both Instagram to inspire the website to convert and lose the generic photos. Absolutely. Use photos of your stylists, your salon, your actual work, authenticity is what builds that initial trust and mobile, mobile, mobile. Test your site on your phone right now. If that phone number or booking button isn't immediately obvious and clickable, you were losing money as we speak, fix it. And the last one, keep that team page fresh. Yes. An outdated meet the team page just kills your credibility. It signals that you're not paying attention to the details. And in this business, details are everything. That's the quick tip for today. If you want a professional website without the agency price tag or the DIY headache, here is the better way at you grow. Pro, we build it. We manage it and we handle every update forever, all for just $79 a month. There is zero setup fee, no contract lock in. And it is strictly month to month. So there's zero risk. We're local here in AG and we can have you live in days, not months. Want to see what your site could look like? Go to you grow.pro right now and we'll design three custom mockups for your business, completely free. No strings attached. Thanks for listening and keep growing.