What a hair salon's website needs so new clients book with you

All three give a phone number, an address and a way to book. All three name their services, and the better ones do it in the client's words: balayage, a full head of foils, bridal, braids, brows.

That's the line between a salon and a good salon site. "Hair services" tells the client nothing. "Balayage, toners and gloss" tells the person who typed "balayage Vernon" that they've found it.

Name the services you want to be asked for. If you do men's cuts or kids' braids, say so: one of the three does, and it's a different person searching.

Bridal is the same. One of the three offers on-site bridal hair, and it's high-value work. If you do it, give it a line of its own.

People book a person, not a salon. All three show each stylist by name, with a bio. One gives each artist a page of their own and says "over 21 years of experience" on one of them. All three link to Instagram for photos of the work.

Two things make this stronger:

• Photos on the pageAll three send you to Instagram for the work, so the client leaves your site to see it. Put six good photos of your own work on the page, under each stylist, and the client sees them before they decide.
• Reviews on the pageNone of the three shows reviews on the site. All three link out to Google. A client reading your page is deciding right now, so put two or three real reviews next to the Book button.

This is the question every client has, and none of the three answers it.

None of the three shows a service price. One shows what its retail products cost, "from $12.00", so a client can find out what a shampoo costs but not a haircut.

You can't price hair exactly, because it depends on length and the work. A "from" price is enough, with one line about why it varies:

Cut and finish from $__. Colour from $__. The price depends on your length and the time it takes, and we'll tell you at your consultation, before we start.

A client who sees a price can say yes. A client who doesn't phones to ask, or books somewhere that does tell them. Of everything on this list, a price puts you ahead for the least effort.

The most disputed moment in a salon is a no-show. One of the three states a policy with numbers: it needs 24 hours' notice, or a 50 percent service fee is charged. It has a separate Policies page.

The other two say nothing, which is how a client who cancelled the same morning ends up arguing about a fee they never read.

Write yours in two sentences and put it on the booking page and at the foot of every confirmation: how much notice, and what happens if they give less.

Two more things clients look for, and nobody carries:

• Gift cardsNone of the three mentions them. A gift card is a purchase that someone else makes for a person who might not know you yet.
• Parking and accessNone of the three says where to park or whether the door is step-free.

1. A price, even a "from" one.
2. Reviews on the page, rather than a link to Google.
3. A gift card, with a button to buy one.

A site with all three beats the three I read on every question a new client has. Each is a few minutes of your time.

Your phone number, the Book button, your hours and a "from" price all belong at the top of the home page. The stylists, the photos and the reviews come next.

Want it done? Text me your business name at 778 808 5385. I'll look at your site and tell you what I'd change, and the rebuild is free. Here's a salon site I made up, so you can see what it looks like.