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Expert Career Advice ➜ Managing a Beauty Business ➜ Effective Beauty Salon Website Ideas That'll Inspire Your Own

When it comes to promoting beauty salons, most of us probably think of social media first, particularly Instagram, because of its immediacy.

But don't underestimate the power of an excellent website experience. Remember, your beauty salon's website is a virtual extension of your brick-and-mortar storefront—one that works for you 24/7. Build it right, and it will attract new clients and give current clients a reason to return.

Below, we're sharing effective beauty salon website ideas that will do all of that—and more.

Beef up the basics

When people enter a website, they crave an exceptional user experience and the ability to easily find the information they're seeking. If your beauty salon website fails in those two critical areas, you'll lose people before they even have a chance to explore your site's offerings.

Audit your website by asking yourself the following questions:

Is the site easy to navigate?

We know beauty pros like being creative and different. But you're going to want to save any avant-garde approaches for actual work you perform in the salon rather than on your website. Instead, especially when it comes to the site's navigation, follow tried and true approaches that will meet people's expectations.

In terms of the navigation, you'll want to have these items at the very least:

• Home
• Services
• About
• Locations
• Contact

Note: You don't necessarily have to include "Home" in the navigation itself. Today, most people understand that clicking a business's logo (which should appear on every page of the site) will bring them back to the home page. Just make sure that's the case on your site.

Do you have a robust footer?

Thanks to smartphones, people are accustomed to the long scroll. And as they scroll, they expect to find helpful info every step of the way, including website footers. In the old days, footers used to be sparse, containing nothing more than copyright info and maybe a phone number.

But today's footers offer plenty of canvas to reiterate important information and links. The footer is also a good place for social media icons, email signups, and policies (such as a privacy policy and your policy regarding website cookies).

Is the site mobile-friendly?

People view sites on various devices, from smartphones to tablets, laptops to desktops. A good site will be responsive, meaning it will automatically adjust itself to render correctly (and nicely) across all devices.

To understand what we mean, look at your site on a desktop. Now, grab your phone and look at your site. Things will display differently, simply because of the change in screen size. The questions to ask yourself: How does the site look from one device to the next? Does it still look good? Is it still easy to navigate?

Many plug-and-play website builders offer responsive templates or full mobile-friendly site designs. A good web developer will also build sites with responsiveness in mind. And, of course, plugins are available that can help make an existing site responsive.

If your site isn't rendering well on mobile, reach out to support channels—either the web vendor itself or community support to see if there are workarounds. If that doesn't work, consult a web developer.

Getting your site to render beautifully across all devices is a worthy investment, and not simply because it will make for a better user experience. Google uses a site's mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal, meaning that your site might perform poorly in search results if it's not mobile-friendly.

Is the site secure?

This goes along with the previous point. Google wants you to use HTTPS rather than HTTP because it's more secure (HTTPS is encrypted; HTTP isn't). Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal as well. Plus, people want to browse secure sites, especially if they use their credit cards to buy something. Bottom line: Using HTTPS creates a better user experience because it builds trust.

If your site isn't secure, consulting a good web developer to help you navigate the change is probably a wise move. If you're tech-savvy and want to do it yourself, here's a deep dive into HTTPS.

Do you have complete contact information that's easily accessible?

Nothing is more frustrating than fumbling around a beauty salon website for a phone number, salon hours, or address. Include "Contact" in the main nav. But consider including basic contact info—like phone number, address, and hours—on every page. (The footer is a good place for this info.)

On your main contact page, make sure you provide multiple ways for people to get in touch: phone (make it clear if you accept texts), email, and forms. Make sure the form works. Get in the habit of auditing all contact methods regularly (every quarter ideally).

You should also audit what happens post-contact. If someone submits a form, what happens next? Does a page or pop-up appear indicating that the form went through successfully? Does this thank-you provide a friendly next step? For example, "Thank you so much for contacting us! One of our awesome team members will be in touch soon. If for some reason you don't hear back within two business days, give us a shout via phone (because sometimes gremlins eat our forms)."

Always customize any baked-in communications (like pop-ups and autoresponder emails) with language that reflects your brand.

If you have multiple locations, what's your approach to listing them?

If you have one location, you can skip this item. But if you have several locations, keep reading regarding ideas.

• Offer one page with complete info on all locations. This approach can work well if you have only a handful of locations. Otherwise, it will get too unwieldy and become hard to navigate.
• Offer a page for each location. You could have "Locations" in the main navigation and a drop-down that lists each location (each one would link to its own page). Or you could have one main location page. Then, on that page, you'd list each location—name/city only—and each one would link to its own individual page.

Individual location listings offer several benefits. First, you can truly highlight the vibe of that particular location through pictures, including the décor, the team members, and the location itself. You'd be able to list the hours and contact info for that location as well.

Second, it can help from a search engine optimization (SEO) perspective. (More on SEO below.) If someone is searching for a salon in a specific town/city, you'd have a website page that specifically talks about your location in that town/city, which will help boost its chances to appear high up in search results.

Awesome beauty salon website ideas to try

OK, now that you've beefed up the basics, let's talk about beauty salon website ideas that'll truly help your salon stand out.

Go big or go home with your photo gallery.

The look and feel of your beauty salon website matters—not just in terms of navigation, but also images. You want to make sure you have plenty of high-quality images that accurately reflect your brand and that inspire site visitors to act (meaning they book an appointment).

For the main website images—in other words, images you use in headers or as design elements—you should invest in professional photography. Whenever possible, use photos with real people and spaces rather than stock photography.

But beyond that, you'll also want to have some sort of Gallery in your website navigation. If your salon focuses on hair or barbering, the pics will be all about hair. If your salon is all about nails, then that will be the focus. Ditto with skin. If your salon offers a variety of services, consider breaking down your gallery by service. (So perhaps there's a drop-down in the main navigation under Gallery: Hair, Nails, Skin, Massage, Waxing, and so forth.)

The images you use on places like Instagram will most likely work fine for your website's photo gallery. Luckily, today's smartphones take great pics, and with a little guidance, you can learn how to take amazing pictures with a professional flair. (See our photography tips in the article we did on Instagram marketing for beauty salons.)

You could also break down your gallery (or add some sort of filter) that allows people to sort and view based on categories like . . .

• Before and After
• Seasonal Inspo
• What's Hot
• Glamour
• Weddings
• Proms

You get the idea. People looking for a new salon want to view pics—LOTS of pics—so that they can get a feel for the kind of work you and your staff do.

Tell an interesting story on your About page.

People love reading stories. And the About page is the perfect spot for telling yours. Talk about who you are, what inspired you to open the salon, your background, and so forth. If you love creativity, this page is the place to unleash your inner artist and show off the personality behind your salon (from creative layouts to lots of candid shots).

Say no to boring bios.

Searching for a beauty professional is similar to online dating. And just as a well-written online dating profile is an essential element in the OK Cupid world, so it is in a world where a prospect searches for their ideal hairstylist, barber, nail technician, esthetician, or massage therapist.

Make sure you have thorough online bios for every staff member in your salon. You can have a main "Meet the Team" page. On that page, include thumbnail headshots that people can click through to read the complete bio. Write the bios in a fun, conversational style. Include a professional headshot along with candid pics. And make sure you include links to any relevant online portfolios of work, like Instagram.

Bios offer another opportunity to get creative:

• Add effects to pictures. For example, if someone hovers over the professional headshot, maybe an animated gif appears featuring the person doing something fun and silly.
• Include a "lightning round" of questions and answers. Ask the same questions of all team members (e.g., favorite food, favorite vacation destination) and list that person’s answers on their bio page.
• Provide a quote regarding "My ideal client." This will help prospects determine if they're a good fit for the beauty pro.
• Include a quote from a happy client. Customer testimonials always carry a lot of weight and provide social proof.

Make it easy for people to schedule appointments.

Online appointment schedulers make life easier for guests and salon staff. Some tips when researching and selecting different products:

• Read reviews. See what other beauty pros have to say. Capterra is a great place to start.
• Make sure the scheduling app can integrate and play nice with your site.
• Make sure you understand the costs and contract. Some apps are free—or free for a certain number of bookings a month. Some apps have strict contracts. Some apps might offer you way more than you need in terms of features (which means you could end up paying for features you never use).
• Make sure the team is on board with the scheduling app. And be sure to provide proper training.
• Keep your eye on it. Nothing is worse than a broken scheduler. You'll occasionally want to run tests and make sure it's working.

Think in terms of plentiful resources.

Yes, the goal is to have people turn to you—the professional—for the salon services they need. But let's face it: Clients still need help in between appointments. If you freely give them that help via resources on your site, you'll make them love you even more. Helpful resources will also demonstrate your expertise—an important selling point to prospects doing their research.

Your "Resources" section can live in the main navigation. Under it, you can include whatever you want. Here are some ideas.

Harness the power of FAQs. Too many businesses treat FAQs as an afterthought—or simply an item to check off a list. But thoughtful FAQs can make lives easier for clients and prospects alike. Think of all the questions you regularly field, from hours to pricing to how long certain services take. Answer all those questions on your FAQs page instead. (And continue adding to them over time.)

Something to keep in mind: Important info will exist (and should exist) in multiple places on your site. Pandemic protocols are a great example. You should probably have a call-out on your home page. But you should also have a section in your FAQs that addresses COVID-19 as well.

Provide "What to Expect" cheat sheets or downloads. Not everyone is familiar with what goes into receiving a facial or getting acrylics or having their bikini area waxed. It's always going to be someone's first time—or first time at your salon. Providing comprehensive info for first-timers can help differentiate your salon from the competition by showing people what they can expect when they choose you. For example, "What to expect during a facial with us." Or "How to prepare for a wax with us."

Offer video tutorials. People love videos. And videos are a great way to demonstrate techniques (rather than writing out directions). Videos can also perform double duty. You can create a YouTube channel with your videos, and you can upload them to IGTV as well. Once you create enough videos, you could highlight a different one every month on your home page.

Include a repository for reviews.

No doubt, serious searchers will already be looking at places like Yelp, Google My Business, Facebook, and other review sites. But it can't hurt to include reviews on your site, too. To aggregate reviews, you can use a reviews website plugin. (Here's a good roundup of WordPress plugins, including free options.) Many of these will "pull" in reviews from other sites, like Yelp. On your Reviews page, you can also ask people to leave a review.

Sell, sell, sell.

Your website can make you money—and we don't mean simply through appointment bookings, either. Websites are also a great place to push retail sales 24/7. For example, maybe someone is running out of their favorite detangler. Instead of waiting until their next appointment or settling for a drugstore brand, they can purchase the precise product they want from your online store at 6 AM when they're thinking about it.

Popular e-commerce solutions include WooCommerce, Shopify, and Squarespace. Again, do your homework, read reviews, and talk to colleagues about their experiences with different e-commerce products.

To blog or not to blog—that is the question.

Attend any sort of marketing 101 class, and you will hear "Your website needs a blog!" But we're not fans of one-size-fits-all solutions. Sure, a blog might work great for some salons. And others? Not so much.

What you need to ask yourself is this:

• Why do you think you need a blog? What are you hoping it will accomplish? To help attract people who are currently searching for salon services in your area? To help current clients by providing helpful info they care about? Something else? Is a blog the best way to accomplish these goals?
• Do you have the staff to manage blogging regularly? Blogging takes work. And to be effective, it needs to be consistent. Having an outdated blog isn't a good look.
• Would your topics better be served through words, visuals, or both? For some topics, writing out steps or explaining things in a blog post makes sense. But for other topics, videos might be more effective than words.

Bottom line: Don't blog simply because some marketing person said you needed to. If you blog, do it for the right reasons.

Advanced tips for beauty salon websites – taking it to the next level

Google My Business Listing

The only reason we're putting this in the advanced section and not the "basics" section is because your Google My Business listing is separate from your website. Still, we'd argue it's just as important as your website. Why? Simple. If someone googles your salon's name or "salons near me," Google My Business listings tend to be featured prominently in search results.

The listing itself is less of a listing and more of a mini website (complete with highly visible reviews). You can include pictures, services, directions, and the like—and you should take the time to make it as complete and accurate as possible. The listing also links to your website, so it serves as an excellent entrance.

Search Engine Optimization

If you've done any research about marketing your salon, you've probably come across the term "search engine optimization" or SEO. Simply put, you optimize your website so it can be easily found when someone searches for something relevant in Google and other search engines. (For example, "hair salons in Boston.")

SEO involves all the tactics you implement to help your site "do well" in search. It includes everything from "on page" elements, such as the words you use, and off-page elements, such as how fast your site loads and how cumbersome the backend code is.

SEO is its own industry complete with SEO experts. We're only scratching the surface here. But suffice to say if you want your site to bring in lots of targeted web traffic, you'll need to think about how to optimize your site for search (and possibly consult a professional to assist).

In the meantime, if you're interested in learning more about this topic, we recommend HubSpot's Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Optimization.

Website Analytics

The best salon websites should make you money in your sleep, meaning you're getting people booking appointments and buying from your online store (if you have one) at 2 AM, Sunday afternoons, or when you and your staff are already busy serving existing clients.

The only way to know if it's successfully doing these things is by paying attention to the results and the analytics. Most websites have some sort of analytics baked into the backend. For example, you should be able to see how many people come to your site or how many people have viewed a particular page.

The more robust the analytics, however, the deeper the insights. With powerful analytics, you might discover that the awesome video you did on creating updos leads to an excellent number of people converting into appointments. That's great intel, right? Because maybe you'll promote that video more and/or do more videos with similar themes.

The good news is that a powerful (and free!) analytics solution already exists: Google Analytics. Just like SEO, website analytics is also its own industry, and plenty of analytics gurus exist (and become certified by Google). Still, if you want to start learning some basics on your own, here's a great beginner's guide.

Remember, a website is always a work in progress.

The best salon websites evolve. They're not a static thing that you do once, and you're done. Like a hairstyle, it needs tending to and refreshing, especially as new trends come about. You'll want to keep photo galleries updated with current images. Team pages and testimonials, too.

That said, you don't need to do everything at once to be successful. Start small with a handful of stellar pages, build from there, and let these beauty salon website ideas inspire your own.