Hairdressers websites not cut out for mobile customers

Hairdressers' websites are not cut out for mobile customers, according to new research from hibu (previously known as yell.com). Only one in five hairdressers websites (22%) are mobile friendly - meaning the majority of salon sites are difficult to use and don't look good on a smartphone or tablet. This is bad news for the hairdressing industry given that 62% of UK adults own and use a smartphone and 83% of those people regularly browse the internet on their phone. Tablet ownership has also more than doubled in the last year and the proportion of webpage views from desktop and laptop computers is declining. Further research revealed that 87% of UK smartphone users use their phone to search for information about local business and services - suggesting that salons are missing out on a huge amount of business and simply cannot afford not to make their website mobile-friendly. Richard Hanscott, chief executive Officer of hibu UK, said:

Anyone who has visited a website that isn’t mobile-friendly knows how frustrating – or even impossible – it is to browse and navigate it on their mobile device. With consumers increasingly searching local businesses on their smartphones and tablets, it’s crucial that firms have websites that are mobile-friendly so that they continue to attract customers and do not fall behind their competitors. Business owners may feel daunted by mobile technology but in reality they do not need any technical skills to ensure that their site works well and looks great on any device, or even optimised specifically for smartphone or tablet.”