Want to grow your salon and attract new clients? Start by nailing your digital client journey

When it comes to new bookings, how often do clients pick up the phone to check your availability? We’ll hazard a guess that most prospective clients are introduced to your business while sitting on the couch, pyjamas on and wine in hand.

Thanks to digital marketing, first impressions are usually made on social media, where clients can easily scope out your business, check your availability and book an appointment at a time that suits – all without leaving Instagram.

“Gone are the days where customers pick up the phone, they want to sort appointments themselves without having to speak to someone, as antisocial as that seems.”

Daniel Leeson, Director of Beauty and Bubbles in Manchester.

Not only can business management software, such as Timely, help create a seamless client journey, it can also make life easier for salon owners by automating as much of the process as possible (because who has time for admin?). 

Here is a five-step plan for a perfect digital client journey:

Step 1.

Your client books online via Instagram, Facebook or your website. Stop clients in their social media scroll by making it easy for them to discover your business and book 24/7. Timely even has a Facebook messenger booking bot (sounds scary, actually pretty handy) that can book in clients while you’re away from the computer. “We have an area on our website for clients to login so they can view their appointments, make new bookings and amend bookings,” Daniel says.

Step 2.

Your client receives a confirmation email. “Our customer’s full journey is managed automatically via Timely,” Daniel says.

Step 3.

A reminder is sent out to clients 24-48 hours before their appointment. At Beauty and Bubbles, “The day before their appointment, clients are sent an SMS message and asked to reply to confirm they are still attending.”

Timely-powered salons can send personalised reminders by SMS or email that automatically change the appointment from pencilled-in to confirmed when your client replies ‘Y.’ Too easy!

Step 4.

And now for the most important part: the service. The client walks through the door and you wow them with your off-the-charts treatments, obviously. Timely allows you to add notes about your clients’ service preferences on their profile. These personalised touches encourage brand advocacy.

Step 5.

Stay in touch with your client after they have walked out the doors. Do they need aftercare information? What about product recommendations for the maintenance phase? Or appointment reminders? Send automatic appointment confirmation messages to check in with your clients.

“When clients leave, they are offered a copy of some aftercare information and for some treatments, we also have automated aftercare information sent by SMS via Timely,” Daniel explains. “We also automatically send customers an offer if they haven’t rebooked with us after a certain amount of time.”

Bonus:

It’s the little things that count when building relationships with clients, Daniel shares: “At Beauty and Bubbles, we take care to remember our conversations with clients, such as their holiday plans and what they do for a living. We use the alerts section of Timely to record if they have allergies or product preferences.”