Is a website essential?

[craigkeane]

With vista print can't several people have the same template as yours?

 

[smooth]

You do need a website and I would go for something high end seeing as what you want to market and who you user will be. You can tell who has gone to a free web design place and those who have spent time, money and effort on it. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for in the end x

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Emma this is so true! It annoys the hell out of me but I just send them the link again lol

So it's not just me! Every time i've answered the phone today it's been someone phoning after seeing my website and then asking questions that are answered on there. Maybe they just want to speak to someone to get a feel for the business.
In answer to the OP, I wouldn't be without my website. It's basic, I did it myself (and nearly tore my hair out in the process) but I am getting more and more clients through it. I also get lots of people buying gift vouchers through it. I probably get a few clients/gift vouchers a week from it and, to be honest, as I work alone that's about all I could manage so I think a professional site would probably be too much for me.

I am really glad, I am not alone on this one too.
I, like most of you have spent a long time making sure everything is on the website even down to bus numbers to get from each nearby station. I remember reading on here (by Carl I think) that only a small percentage of information on websites is actually read, which sadly is clearly true x

You do need a website and I would go for something high end seeing as what you want to market and who you user will be. You can tell who has gone to a free web design place and those who have spent time, money and effort on it. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for in the end x

Completly agree x

 

[gilly123]

Since mine has been running,I've had more calls and bookings.It's not even finished yet and I did it all myself but already I'm getting more enquiries.I think you definitely need one!!

- Home

 

[Jack1102]

With vista print can't several people have the same template as yours?

yea, unfortunately you do CK, and with VP its even more limited (especially on the lesser package) than using a pre-purchased template.

That said, some people don't know HTML, PHP etc etc so wouldn't have a clue where to start, whereas VP is a basic, point, press, type and insert process.

Templates can be lovely, and although your site won't be "a one off" design, your layout etc, can attract potential clients to your salon/home/service

Again as people have said, its better to have a "good website" than a bad one, but its also better to go without, if the site you are creating isn't attractive to the eye.

A website needs to attract your client, and its been send before, but you have a very small time (7 seconds iirc), to ensure your client WANTS to view the site. By this I mean, try and keep away from flash. I know one website (non beauty), that takes 12 seconds (on MY laptop, and its new!) to load up the flash intro and it just does your head in - I view every now and again, hoping and praying the intro page has been changed, but tend to click straight off.

 

[taggyboy]

As all comments so far have said yes, I simply have to agree.

We started out with a basic site (someone I vaguely knew, who had just passed her exams). Although I was initially pleased, I soon found out that it wasn't built using the most up to date technology and she was a nightmare getting changes done promptly. Please don't ask me to explain as it's all computer jargon to me.

We then decided to try elsewhere and I have to say we are now very pleased and get lots of good feedback. We are often told that's how people find us, or word of mouth.

I'm not a tech geek so putting our site in the hands of a professional was the best method for us. They also advised about things such as:

• How people perceive websites
• Not overloading to site, usually 4 pages will do unless you are selling products
• Phone number showing on every page
• Plus lots of other tips and suggestions that I probably would have been unaware of

I am about to do some tweaking and update a few more things. I have also debated about price lists being on there as feel we should be open about these things. However, just adding the starting price works well at the moment. Our price list is exhaustive and I don't want to bog down the site with too much.

I think it's professionally done but others may think differently.

www.enticehairandbeauty.co.uk

 

[VHunter]

An online presence is absolutely ESSENTIAL.

Since most folks use their mobile/laptop/desktop to look up contact info for business's and other info; it's a GREAT way to reach those that may not know you exist.

Example: if someone googles "uv gel" in my town, my salon-page pops up because I've 'tagged' my pages with certain words. I'd say about 60% of my clientel has found me either A) through my website B)through Facebook.

My original site was a freebie on Tripod that I did myself. Not the greatest BUT it did it's job establishing an online presence.
At present, building a new one without popups and with a registered domain name.

Facebook is a BRILLIANT tool! Particularly if you can upload pictures of your work and tag your client's in them, and that way you market yourself to all of THEIR friend's when they see the picture.


hth's

 

[TigerNails]

My website has been essential for bringing new custom. Probably 70% of my appointment book is through website enquiries & 25% is through referrals from existing web based clients.

Id stay away from the free sites or very cheap monthly payment plans as they offer very little in terms of SEO (whats the point having a site if noone finds it?)

My site is here ..... Mobile Beauty Therapist in Wakefield

My hubby did the designing so I got a bargain! lol

 

[BotoxBoy]

Just wanted to say thanks everyone!

I'm almost there with my site now so I will post the link as soon as it's up and running! I'm so excited about it!

The best thing is going to be the consultation and consent bits as we've designed a form to create and capture this electronically as I am aiming to be as paper free as possible using my iPad2 for as much as I can including integrated payment system and even a face mapping section to record all the muscle groups treated!

Can't wait........


Adam

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Just wanted to say thanks everyone!

I'm almost there with my site now so I will post the link as soon as it's up and running! I'm so excited about it!

The best thing is going to be the consultation and consent bits as we've designed a form to create and capture this electronically as I am aiming to be as paper free as possible using my iPad2 for as much as I can including integrated payment system and even a face mapping section to record all the muscle groups treated!

Can't wait........


Adam

Look forward to seeing it, sounds very impressive & uber modern system you have

 

[jemma890]

i think its important to have a website
My boyfriends a professional graphic designer, he does logos/flyers/websites etc. He did my site:
www.puregorgeousbeauty.co.uk

If you would like any more information you can send me a message or he has his own website.
www.russfussuk.com

 

[salonium]

Hi All,

Just wondering people's views on websites... Are they essential?

Also>>>

<skip>

Adam

Hi Adam,

Please take a look at Salonium - mini web-site is included (and it's free). Just visit http://www.salonium.co.uk/features.html and look for Mini Website feature. You can have that type of website in half an hour with online booking enabled!

All the best!
Martin

 

[BotoxBoy]

Hi guys,

Thanks again for the suggestions, mine is nearly done now from a mate who is doing it for free to develop his portfolio, we're just tweaking the content so I will love your critique (constructive!) when I launch it!!!

Adam

 

[salonium]

Go for mini website with Appointment management software for beauty salons, SPAs, private medical practices. Salon software. Salonium - you can be easily found online and allow your customers book appointment in the environment their familiar with.

You can add mobile features too, easy!

 

[BotoxBoy]

Ok website is now live!

Check it out!

Some feedback would be fab x

www.awaesthetics.com

Adam

 

[Lynne Baker]

tick VG, Adam.

 

[BotoxBoy]

Thanks Lynne x

 

[Ruth Mills]

Looks good to me. I especially like the Facebook and Twitter panels on the home page. I like the row of icons on the contact panel at the bottom of each page too.

 

[BotoxBoy]

Thanks Ruth... I think it does need a bit streamlining/tidying up but we'll get there!

Adam

 

[Ruth Mills]

Thanks Ruth... I think it does need a bit streamlining/tidying up but we'll get there!

Adam

If it's still in "draft" state then it's definitely looking good!

If it helps, one of the things I'd recommend your web guy looks into is using something like Cufon - cufón - fonts for the people - for generating the text in the "posh" font - e.g. like on the "About Us" page where there are the words "SAFE PERSONAL EFFECTIVE" just under the "About Us" title - rather than using an image. This will make it a lot easier to update the text in the "posh" font should you ever need to change it - as well as being better for search engines. Incidentally, I've noticed that he's set the "alt" text for the "SAFE PERSONAL EFFECTIVE" image to "about-us_adams-info-buzzwords3" (which is the same as the name of the image) rather than the text "SAFE PERSONAL EFFECTIVE" (unless this is just what Joomla does by default)... but in terms of search engine optimisation and accesibility, it would be better to set the "alt" text for the image to "SAFE PERSONAL EFFECTIVE" as that is what the text in the image reads. But replacing the image with some text using Cufon would be even better. All you need to use Cufon is to upload the "posh" font you want to use to that Cufon page in the link above that I've posted to it - which will generate a Javascript file which can then be included on the page (along with the main Cufon Javascript file) - your web guy should be able to work that out though. Although you need to be quite careful about which fonts you can use with Cufon in terms of copyright - a lot of the fonts on dafont.com are OK, for example - but some don't allow commercial use - so it's a question of checking the terms of the licence for each font.

Hope that helps a bit anyway; I've noticed that there's quite a bit of text in the "posh" font on the site, so if that could be done using Cufon rather than images, then it will probably help both with SEO/accessibility - and the ease of updating the text itself should you ever need to.