10 steps to online marketing success

Salon Guru managing director Phil Evans offers the 10 Tips  that every salon owner or marketing manager should follow to achieve online marketing success. 1 Find the best salon websites in the world and learn from them Just as your team take inspiration from leading stylists, you, as a business owner should take inspiration from other salons' websites and marketing campaigns.  Follow the leaders in the industry, follow your competitors, and be prepared to adapt your strategy accordingly. 2 Know your website traffic Include in your monthly marketing report your website traffic.  Your current website provider should automatically send you this report. Alternatively you can easily access this information yourself.  Your web traffic is a VITAL performance indicator. 3 Know your salon's position in Google (Google Rank) Search for your city plus "Hair Cut" or "Hair Colour" (and lots more).  You need to be in the top three and ideally number one to get lots of website traffic and potential clients.  Think Location, Location, Location (on Google).  You need to be seen to be heard! 4 Updating your website EVERY month is a must You should be adding new offers, product news and hair stories to your website every month as it gives you higher Google rank and generates more visitors. 5 Offer hooks and enticements when people land on your site After visitors land on your website you need to make an immediate statement to ensure that they go on to book an appointment.  An instant "voucher" will give clients the incentive to call the salon and book in straight away. 6 Use Social Media to entice clients to your website and build your brand The number of social media platforms available is increasing all the time.  Know the platforms that work best for you and focus your time on them as free marketing platforms.  Facebook, Google +, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram are great ways to do this.  Make the most of the recent explosion in video marketing with YouTube and Vine offering new opportunities for salon marketing. 7 Write great articles Write website articles that get amazing Google rank and generate massive web traffic.  The right article can bring masses of web traffic and you can also raise your profile as a hairdressing expert. 8 Manage your online reputation through reviews and comments Client feedback online can be powerful and dangerous, you must consistently stay in control of your online reputation.  The internet is so transparent and it is absolutely essential that you have a review system that you have full control of. 9 Consider a late deals tool to ensure that empty appointments are filled Be aware of the pros and cons of 'Late Deal' companies.  Never give any company access to your email database and ensure no salon competitors are promoted on your page.  Be aware of the commission that some salon deal companies deduct and opt for a system that you are in full control of from your website. 10 Never underestimate the power of the internet for your salon business Your website and social media sites are your shop window and represent your brand in every way.  They should be regularly monitored, compared to your competition and the key focus in your on-going salon marketing strategy.   Salon Guru Managing Director Phil Evans and his team of industry experts in online marketing support over 100 leading salon websites worldwide, creating marketing strategies that result in increased salon profit. Visit their website www.salonguru.net or www.facebook.com/salonguru for more information