A strong web presence is essential for any local service-based business. A day spa website should be as visually pleasing as the spa itself in order to be an effective marketing tool for the business. Tasked with drawing the attention of new clients and building strong relationships with existing clients, your spa website can be your most powerful, 24/7 employee on staff. Whether you are celebrating your grand opening or have served the community for years, we have some tips that will help you take your web presence to the next level.
Web Design
Your website should help you establish and build your brand. A modern and relaxing website design can help convey the exact ambiance and feel of your spa. Since new clients haven’t seen your actual location, it’s important for your website to convince them to make an appointment and enjoy the stress-free and relaxing environment you offer.
Visually appealing colors will catch the viewers’ eye and communicate with potential customers at a subconscious level. People tend to determine subconsciously whether or not something is interesting and colors speak the language of the subconscious.
A simpler layout will best present information in a user-friendly way. A visual hierarchy will help existing and potential clients make sense of your website. Intuitive navigation also positively impacts the user experience of your site. A bright, easy to find, and easy to use call to action can help increase conversion rates. Style choices aside, your website layout is not the time to get unique. A site that meets viewers expectations is a safer route to take.
Device Responsive and Mobile Friendly
Offer a website that is device responsive and mobile-friendly. Visitors will expect a consistent experience in regards to viewing and navigating around your website, irrespective of what type of device they are using. Visitors will quickly leave your site if it doesn’t meet their performance expectations.
A responsive website responds to the specific mobile operating systems of the device being used. The navigation is often condensed, unnecessary images are hidden while other images are optimized for that specific device.
A mobile-friendly website displays a website in exactly the same way on all devices because it doesn’t rely on mobile operating systems. No images are hidden and, instead, are scaled based on the size of the device being used.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Marketing is a blanket term for any series of strategies used to help a website rank higher within search engine results. One method is the process of search engine optimization, also known as SEO. Search engines rank and display websites according to an always evolving algorithm. While specifics of a search engine’s algorithm are not entirely understood, we’ve learned many vital aspects over the years and search engines, like Bing and Google, continue to share more detail with each major update.
Each time a new iteration comes out, your website may need some tweaks to make sure you are giving yourself the best opportunity to rank well in the search results. Whether you are unfamiliar with SEO best practices or need a refresher, we’d recommend the following:
Load times of your web pages are part of the criteria search engines use to rank websites. Sites that load quickly will rank higher in the results than those with slower loading times. In addition, consumers are becoming more and more impatient in regards to the time it takes to begin interacting with a website. If they can’t engage with content in a matter of seconds, they will move on to a website that is better optimized for speed.
Include a Service Menu
Today’s consumers would rather research online than call to obtain information. By offering an online service menu, you will help convince site visitors to book appointments at your spa. Avoid using a PDF file for sharing information about services. Many people use their mobile devices to access the Internet and PDF files not only require the additional step of downloading, but they are also difficult to view on a mobile device.
On your services page, make sure to include all the services that you are offering, as well as prices for each separate service or for a package of services. Include customer reviews of your services as well as products and packages of services that offer the best value to your customers.
Include Customer Reviews
Positive reviews from existing customers are an excellent marketing tool to help generate new business. Satisfied customers are the best promoters of any business. Customer reviews provide reassurance to potential customers and should be prominently featured on all of your web pages. Offering social proof is an excellent way to build consumer trust and convince site visitors to complete a purchase. BrightLocal found that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Online reviews and ratings are major factors that influence online consumers and shape the way they interact with businesses. Reviews posted on sites like Google allow customers to compare products and services based on other people’s experiences. More than 50% of consumers often or always read online reviews and 97% read online reviews for local businesses. The content in online reviews can be the difference between the success and failure of a small business. 62.7% of consumers believe online reviews are important or very important when choosing a local business.
Online reviews are a powerful tool for sharing information. On the downside, reviews tend to over-represent extreme views and are highly polarized. Just remember that frustration leads to negative reviews so being proactive in how you deliver your products and services will be well worth the effort on the front end.
Highlight Special Promotions
Whether you are featuring calendar related specials or “evergreen” specials (year-round), know that consumers like to believe they are getting a deal. Include dedicated banners or pages to visually communicate the offers. Do pay attention to what you have posted so things are kept current and you aren’t advertising a Mother’s Day Special in August. Be sure to educate your staff on all available offers so there is no confusion or frustration for your customers.
Provide Contact Information
Visitors to your website should be able to easily and quickly find contact information including a physical address, any necessary parking information, a Google Maps link, a phone number, e-mail address, and other types of contact details available. We recommend including contact details in the header or footer of your website so it is available regardless of which page a visitor is viewing.
Provide the Option to Book Online
Consumers would rather book an appointment online at a time that is convenient for them. This may often be at a time outside of your regular operating hours. Online booking should be a quick and comprehensive process. Consumers should be able to identify appointment availability and apply any membership benefits or promotional discounts during the booking process. Use of online booking software also allows front desk staff more time to interact with customers at your physical location which increases the level of customer service you provide.
Offer Online Gift Cards
Many people on both the giving and receiving end prefer the option of gift cards over actual items or specific, predetermined services. Many businesses find that buyers return fewer items when they have control over what is being purchased and they often spend beyond the value of the gift card they receive. An option that does not require businesses to create physical cards, such Squarespace Gift Cards, gives each gift card has a unique code so it may conveniently be emailed to a recipient.
Include Relevant Photos of Your Business
Given the fact that the average attention span of today’s consumers is less than 10 seconds, brands need to communicate information quickly before consumers move on to another website. Pictures help potential customers envision themselves using your services. Photos of the outside of your building will provide clients with a visual clue to quickly identify your location upon their arrival. Images of the inside of your space help you communicate the ambiance, cleanliness, and more that you have to offer clients. Before-and-after pictures of existing clients help users identify with the experiences of previous customers.
Include Staff Bios on Your Website
Your website content should include “About Us” sections that offer a brief biography, training, education, and areas of expertise of your staff. Highlight the aspects that make your spa stand out from competitors and help visitors to your site understand who you and your staff are as people. Digitally “meeting” the people with whom they will interact will help many prospective guests feel more comfortable with utilizing your services.
The experts at Strategy Driven Marketing have extensive experience in the development and creation of engaging websites for organizations of all sizes and across a number of industries. We understand the important role a website plays for a day spa and would love to learn more about your business so we can help you offer an effective and engaging website that will let you maximize your revenue potential. Contact us today – let’s get started!