"I am assuming that most Beauty Salons target markets age is going to be 16-34"
Well- thats a very VERY dangerous assumption that would be the end of most salons business. In fact, probably 50% of the people who visit our salon are over that age- and they're the people with the disposible income.
Slap on wrist taken on board and I will change my figure's, 95.15% of the UK population aged between 16-54 have used the internet in Q1 of 2012, im sure that will cover MOST salons Target, but if you wanted 16-64 then its 92.59% of the UK population have gone online in the first 3mths of the year, if people want to ignore those sort of figures then that is their prerogative.
Ruth mentioned flyers, so looking at the figures of how many people aged 16-54 take any notice of flyers, law of averages says that 98.5% will ignore or throw them away, being really generous then 96% would throw or ignore them.
Which will bring me back to a point I am making, if there is a 95% chance that my target will see me online in some way, shape, form or a 97.25% chance they will throw away my hard earned cash then my thoughts would be "Errrrmmmm which way do I go to try and drum up business whilst I am sat here bored, do I, open photoshop/corel and design a new flyer or do I open up google and attack all the places that 95% of the UK population go"
Without wanting to sound terribly patronising (and this is genuine advice from a designer and salon owner- so I can see the needs of this industry from both angles)- would be it be best if you did a survey of people in this industry (as you want to specialise in it) and find out the very particular needs and wants in it? As well as exploring the demographics as well? I think it'll help you in the long run. Maybe visit a few salons, as it seems to be that you're viewing it from a very acute techie "by the book" corporate angle.
Whatever industry I decide to do web design in then I would be fully clued up on "My" target market, so yes a little patronised.
As a designer then it is up to me to know how to target a clients market not what their target is, nobody knows their business more than them, and who am I to say any different, as a designer all I can do is advise.
Whatever industry, I would find out their target by the design brief, research their market and then once happy build to attract them, by the book, yep, the same book that has been proven on many scales, and probably why professors teach from that book.
And I will state before you jump on my back, by no means am I saying do everything online, I am saying do things that will attract your target, online or offline.(Flyers were an example)
You can be just as pro active online as you can offline, and the worm is slowly turning into which one is getting to be more effective, hence the downfall in High Street Retail sales, the introduction of 4g, the amount of printers going bust etc etc etc etc The internet is a revolution in itself.
You may not like my opinions but sorry to say none of us can argue against fact.
