One aspect of marketing that seems to, often, get forgotten is building trust and confidence in your business. Many business owners may be preoccupied with getting their business in front of as many eyeballs as possible but, if people don’t believe in what they are being advertised, then they are unlikely to become your customer. Furthermore, certain types of marketing like “spam” may actually decrease confidence in your business and turn off potential customers if the manner in which you are reaching potential clients is perceived as underhanded or deceitful.
INCLUDE A “GETTING TO KNOW THE STAFF” PORTION ON YOUR WEBSITE
It is basically understood by everyone at this point that a decent website is a necessary element for a modern business; especially a customer-facing business like a spa or salon. However, what might be less understood are all of the elements which that website should contain. As a spa or salon, it is logical to have the services you offer, the prices of those services and a seamless way for clients to schedule appointments. However, after that, business owners may wonder what else they can or should include on their website. We suggest a “getting to know the staff” portion for the website. This section can include images of the staff in a professional setting, their areas of expertise, years of experience and even some basic elements about their social and personal lives. Think about it, the more the client knows about your business before even making their first appointment, the more confident they will feel about becoming your customer and making that first appointment in the first place. This is also a way to display the credentials of your staff so that clients can select the staff whom they want to make an appointment with based on that expertise.
GET PERMISSION TO DISPLAY BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES OF CLIENTS
Now, this strategy to help build confidence in your salon or spa will require the cooperation of clients and will not be for everyone. However, with permission, getting quality before and after pictures of clients who have undergone hair, manicure, pedicure or facial services can be a great way to demonstrate the expertise of your business and help new clients feel enthusiastic about putting themselves in the hands of your business. These images can be placed directly on independent websites, social media and even physically at the location of the business. Remember, many people may be hesitant about putting their physical appearance and well being into the hands of someone who they haven’t vetted. Being transparent with these types of pictures that show what outcomes clients can expect from your services is a great way to calm the initial anxieties that clients may have.
MOTIVATE CLIENTS TO REFER THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
One of the best ways to build confidence in your potential client base is to have your current clients recommend your business to their friends and family. People who trust the source where their recommendations are coming from are much more likely to act on the guidance of that source. Luckily, this strategy to build confidence in your business is essentially free and largely based on how pleased your current clients generally are with your services. However, if you wanted to further motivate clients to refer their friends and family, you could include future discounts or other benefits for the customers who do refer their friends and family.
CREATE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
For those spa and salon owners who are slightly more technologically-inclined and at least have some basic video editing skills, free instructional videos placed on social media sites can be a great way to expose yourself to potential customers, build confidence in your expertise and obtain free advertising through the views that the video gets. Like was previously discussed with the strategy of exhibiting before and after photographs of clients, this tactic, for most spa and salon businesses, will be more effective with the cooperation of a client or family member who can fulfill the role of the person receiving the services in the video.
CONCLUSION
There are countless ways in which you can build confidence in your business. Some of them, like presenting clients with a professional website that demonstrates the expertise of your staff, are well within your control and should be within the economic or financial reach of almost everyone. Others, like reviews on tech platforms, are mostly out of your control. With a little dedication and luck, these reviews will also contribute positively to the confidence which your potential client base sees in your business. However, If someone wants to (even unjustifiably) sabotage your business with these reviews, there is certainly opportunity to do so. For this reason, it is important to do everything you can to control the confidence which is felt for your salon or spa.