A salon website gets bookings when it does five things:
- People can book online at any hour.
- Deposits cut no-shows on long appointments.
- Prices are on the page as text.
- Each main service has its own page, so Google searches can find you.
- It loads fast on a phone.
Gift vouchers sold online and rebooking reminders are worth adding once the basics are in place.
That applies whether you've been open ten years or you're opening next month. A new salon needs it more, because nobody's heard of you yet.
Why should salon clients be able to book online?
Because people decide to book outside your opening hours, in the evening, on Sunday night or on the school run. If booking means calling while you've got your hands in someone's hair, many will mean to ring tomorrow and never do.
Online booking lets the 10pm scroller book there and then, see real availability and get a confirmation. I've written about whether online booking suits your business. For salons selling appointments by the slot, it nearly always does.
The Book button should be easy to find on every page and take people straight to your booking app, so it still feels like your salon.
Do deposits stop no-shows?
They help a lot. A missed three-hour colour on a Friday is a big chunk of a day's takings you can't get back. Taking a small deposit, or a card on file for a no-show fee, gives people a reason to turn up or cancel in time. Reminders help too. A systematic review of appointment reminders found they cut missed appointments by about a third. Most salon booking apps do both.
Should I put my prices on my website?
Yes. Hiding prices is meant to stop the phone-around bargain hunters, but they ring anyway. Meanwhile the client happy to book a £120 appointment can't see what you charge and books the salon that shows it.
Put the price list on the page as text, not a PDF and not a photo of your printed menu. It's easier to read on a phone, easier to update, and searches like "balayage prices Epsom" have something to match. Same reason cafés shouldn't put their menu in a PDF.
How do I get found by people who don't follow me?
Instagram reaches your followers. Google reaches the person who moved to Godalming last month and searched "nail salon near me".
- A page for each main service, so "lash lift Woking" has somewhere to land.
- Your town in the words on the page, not only the footer.
- Photos of your own work with short descriptions. Your Instagram photos can do double duty here.
- A complete Google Business Profile with reviews. The full guide is in how to show up on Google Maps.
How fast does a salon website need to be?
Fast. Beauty searches happen on phones, and Google's research found 53% of mobile visitors leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load. Check yours in PageSpeed Insights. I build mine to load in about a second on a phone.
What else can a salon website earn?
Gift vouchers. Sold online, they're paid up front and bought at any hour, often by someone who lives miles away. Most booking apps can sell them. If yours only exist as cards at the till, you're missing last-minute and long-distance gifts.
Rebooking reminders. An email six weeks after a colour with a link straight to your availability fills the diary from clients you already have. Many booking apps can send these automatically.
What does a salon website cost?
| Price | What you get | |
|---|---|---|
| Website | £300 | Up to four pages, your price list, a Book button, words written for you, Google set up |
| Logo and website | £450 | Everything above plus a logo, colours and fonts. For new salons |
| Website you can edit | £750 | Up to eight pages, and you change prices and photos yourself |
Bookings, deposits and vouchers run through the booking app you choose, and I link it in. The domain is about £10 to £15 a year, paid by you so it's in your name.
If your Instagram is doing its half of the job and the website isn't, tell me about your salon. I'm based in Woking and work across Surrey, and I'll come back within 24 hours with one fixed price.
Questions
- Does a salon need a website if it has Instagram?
- Yes. Instagram reaches people who already follow you. A website with your prices and a Book button catches people searching Google for a salon near them, and gives your followers somewhere to book.
- Should a salon take deposits for bookings?
- For long or expensive appointments, it's worth it. A small deposit or card-on-file fee makes people far more likely to turn up or cancel in time. Most salon booking apps can take one.
- Should salon prices be on the website?
- Yes, as text on the page rather than a PDF or photo of a price list. Clients want to know before they book, and text prices can match searches like balayage prices Epsom.
- How much does a salon website cost?
- My website is £300 for four pages with your price list and a Book button, £750 if you want to edit prices yourself, or £450 with a logo if you're just opening. Bookings run through the booking app you choose.
Federica helps new businesses look established, get found and get enquiries, with branding and websites, from Woking, Surrey. She studied engineering at the University of Manchester and was a Lead UX Engineer at IBM before starting Made by Federica. More about her
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