We all know websites are important…but just how important are they?
Here’s a scary stat: It takes about 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to decide whether or not they like your site and, super important, whether they’ll stay or leave.
And an estimated 87% of consumers will research a business online before booking a service or buying something.
Mind blown, right? That means you need to make a good impact not only quickly, but across every part of your website.
Consumers are fully living in the digital age. If you aren’t there will them, you’ll be left behind. So creating a phenomenal website is no longer an option…and there are a few big mistakes that stylists are still making on theirs that’s making clients click away.
Let’s dig into the top 10 website mistakes today!
You have an uncustomized domain
If your website has an extension – think “.wordpress.com,” “.wix.com,” – I’ve got bad news for you: you look unprofessional.
Using a web domain with an extension is like a professional bicyclist using training wheels. It doesn’t do anything for you and it looks pretty weird.
Having your own customized domain builds up credibility, not only with your clients, but with search engines. Google will start to recognize your business’s name with all the other places you are online (Instagram, Facebook, Yelp), which will help your SEO rankings.
You use a generic website template
There’s so much to do when you start up a website that it’s super easy to just use the generic template it came with. Totally get it.
But here’s the deal: branding is SO personal that it will be really difficult to fully bring yours to life if you’re using a basic template.
Basic templates also don’t resonate well with website visitors and, in our industry, impressions are everything. Is it really worth it?
That doesn’t mean you need to shell out thousands for a customized website. Start playing with the templates and adding in things you see and like as you go. You can always make changes and updates, like:
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Changing up the fonts
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Adding in your brand colors
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Switching out stock photos for ones of you, your team, and your salon
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Changing the homepage layout so it feels more on-brand
Your images are grainy
Images are fully worth a thousand words and if yours aren’t speaking to your target market, you’ve got problems.
Grainy images make you look – you guessed it – unprofessional, even scammy. They can take away the value of your beautiful work because who wants to look like the fuzzy, grainy girl in a photo?
Instead, use quality images that reflect your brand, your aesthetic, and your business. If you have images from professional model shoots – especially of you and your team – definitely feature them on your website!
You don’t have an About page
You wouldn’t just walk up to someone, hand them your card, and say, “I can totally do your hair, come see me,” right?
It would be super uncomfortable and chances are it wouldn’t even work anyway.
If you don’t have an about page on your website, you’re essentially doing the same thing.
An about page is the perfect spot to not only introduce yourself and your team to your clients, but why you fell in love with this amazing industry. And it’s a phenomenal way to build up your personal brand.
You don’t have basic SEO
SEO (aka search engine optimization) is basically how people find you online. By optimizing certain keywords, search engines know to list you in the results. But without SEO, no one even knows you exist.
A lot of people are super intimidated by SEO, but you can keep it simple: pick 5 – 10 keywords for what you want to be known for. Think about your target market, specialty, location.
For example, if you’re a balayage stylist in San Francisco, your keywords might be “San Francisco balayage stylist,” “Bay Area balayage stylist,” “balayage expert,” “San Francisco stylist.”
Once you’ve picked your keywords, add them to your website carefully. Resist the urge to stuff your website full of your keywords. Google, not to mention many other search engines and social media sites, will rank you low in their algorithms if there isn’t a basic readability.
Your website has too many fonts and colors
It’s got to be said: if you have tons of colors and fonts on your site, you look scattered. And who wants a scattered stylist doing their hair?
Take an honest, unbiased look at your website. Do you have different shades of pink, blue and yellow? Is there one font on the homepage and a totally different one on the contact page?
It doesn’t look cute. It looks confused.
To make your brand more recognizable, narrow it down to two font types, title and body font. Narrow down your colors to the ones that represent your brand most and use them across your website, printed materials, and social media to make a huge impact on clients when they find you online.
You aren’t taking advantage of the free email with your website
Let’s be real: would you be comfortable emailing [email protected] to ask about her extension pricing?
Yeah, not really, right?
You need to list a method of contact on your website besides your online booking link or contact form in case one or both don’t work. A professional email address is a much better option than your phone number (and there’s no annoying text messages in the middle of the night).
Using the email that comes with your website is a super easy way to present a professional face to clients. Plus, since most websites come with it now, it’s simple to set up.
You don’t consider having a blog
Most of us struggle with writing captions, right? The idea of a blog…? No thanks.
While not having a blog isn’t a make or break for your website, it has major benefits, including increased SEO – you’re writing about your favorite topic more often, which ranks higher in the system – meaning more exposure and become a trusted brand for your audience.
Once your clients trust you, the world is your oyster. You can up your retail sales, showcase your expertise, suggest new styles they’ll actually want to try because they trust you know what you’re doing.
If writing a blog totally intimidates you, start small with one post a month. Write a how-to post on a topic close to your specialty; maybe how to take care of balayage hair, shampoo recommendations for colored hair, or how to wash your hair (you’d be surprised at how many clients don’t know how to!).
You aren’t focusing on your target market
Your website is one of the main pieces of the awareness level of your hair stylist marketing funnel because it helps people become aware of you, right? But if you aren’t specifically calling out to your target market when they land on your homepage, they’re going to click away.
Get to know your target market, their pain points, and what attracts them. Then take a deep dive on your website: if your TM landed on your page at this moment, would they know you are the stylist for them?
If not, you’ve got changes to make.
Having a phenomenal website that consistently brings in new clients and retains current clientele doesn’t have to be complicated. Dig deep into your site and make sure you aren’t making any of these major mistakes to build the business of your dreams!
