In the age of the internet we’re all about looking up things in advance, which means the importance of passing trade for businesses has faded away somewhat over the years. However, there are still some businesses which rely heavily on passing trade, and one of these is salons. While your salon may take appointments in advance or even have a website where customers can book online, passing trade and good marketing is still the backbone of running a successful salon.

However, marketing a salon well is often easier said than done, so here are some top tips to help you make sure you’re hitting the market right where you need to!

Your Shop Front is Key

While you might take a lot of your bookings online, it’s much more likely that your customers are going to find you by walking past rather than pulling you up through a search engine. If you Google ‘hairdressers’ you will get some idea of the competitiveness of the web for salons, and as such your shop front needs to look absolutely immaculate at all times.

A clever trick used by coffee shops is to ensure that people sit near the windows by providing a nice view and some comfy places to sit. This is a perfect tip for salons too, as even if you’re quiet it means passers-by will still notice that there are customers in your salon, and when you’re busy it will really show off your roaring trade!

Think Hard About Your Branding

It’s pretty traditional for salons to have snappy (or should that be ‘snippy’) titles and names, but you need to think hard about whether that clever pun really encapsulates your brand. Sure, it’s going to bring curious customers in initially, but if you’re marketing a more luxurious business and products it just might not be appropriate.

A well branded salon should be recognisable immediately from its web pages or shop front, and you should make sure they all tie in perfectly together. Keep the colour schemes and furniture clean and simple, and make sure that any additional contents such as comfy leather sofas or artwork are covered on your salon insurance. It’s also worth aligning your brand with any social media channels, particularly if you frequently offer student deals or special offers.

Display Your Price List

Hairdressing or beauty treatments can be expensive, and it’s common knowledge that a good cut and dye will set you back in excess of £50. However, the difference between £50 and £100 can be quite a lot for some customers, and if your salon looks expensive (as it should) but doesn’t display a price list, customers may just presume the worst and walk right on by.

Of course, there are different ways to display your pricing, and these days many salons prefer a discreet downloadable file which customers can access via their websites. This can look more professional than a sign outside, but it’s still possible that it will deter some passing trade. On the other hand, a sign stating that customers can ‘drop in for a free consultation’ can be very persuasive. Whatever your prices are, just be open about it and be confident that you can justify it with quality.

Introduce Your Stylists

Most customers aren’t really interested in a salon per se; they’re usually after a stylist who becomes their go-to hairdresser over a period of time. Therefore, it may be a good idea to create online profiles for each of your stylists so that potential customers can get to know them before visiting your salon. When they do arrive it’s also a good idea to always greet your customers by name – it helps to build a relationship and, hopefully, ensure repeat custom.

It’s also worthwhile letting your customers know which day their favourite stylists work: this can be as simple as adding a little icon to your webpage. Figuring out which day to make an appointment can be confusing for customers, particularly if your stylists all charge different prices, so make things nice and clear on your website.

A professional marketing company could do wonders for your branding, so it’s definitely worth enquiring and seeing what someone might be able to do for you. If, however, your budget is a little tight, with a few clever hours spent on the web and a bit of initiative you can very quickly have a fantastically branded salon that draws in customers and keeps them coming back every six weeks.