If you run a beauty business, you stand a better chance of flourishing if you adopt the latest salon technology. There are many salon software tools that you can utilize for better client and employee management, as well as beauty mobile apps that help you customize your services. By using flexible appointment scheduling systems, you can automate your booking process, provide top-notch customer experiences, and build strong customer relationships. Modern salon tech innovations will help you improve efficiency and functionality in your salon, upscale your marketing, manage your inventory better, and consequently grow your revenue. To give you an idea of what technology can do for your beauty business, this article explores 7 tech trends that are reinventing the hair & beauty industry:
Appointment and client management systems
A hair salon software is your game changer! It is the last and most important part of your digital marketing puzzle. For instance, once you convince a social media user to check out your services, or if an online searcher stumbles upon your website on Google, how do you ensure that they convert? Remember you have a very slim window for convincing them to schedule an appointment with you. If they can’t book an appointment at the very first contact they have with your business, there is a good chance that you will lose them forever. And knowing how unpopular phone calls are in this digital age, you can bet that most of your potential clients won’t be too comfortable speaking to you personally. That is why an online booking system is necessary.
Your booking system tells your online traffic where you are located, the hours you are open, and the date & time you’re free. They then can book an appointment at their convenience and make payments if necessary, all in a few quick clicks. That improves your online conversions and revenue. On top of that, your system will help you keep track of online clients’ contacts and other personal details. If there is anything you need to know about a client before you meet them in person, you can ask on the booking page. That includes their hair type, beauty interests, hair color or makeup preferences, and what their expectations are. Having this information on hand allows you to customize your services and make successful follow-ups (and appointment reminders) when necessary. That is good for customer retention.
Virtual imaging
Gone are the days of trial and error in the beauty industry. Clients now don’t have to invest in a hair or cosmetic makeover and then cross their fingers hoping that the “after look” is exactly what they had in mind. Augmented Reality (AR) technology has made virtual imaging a possibility. Virtual imaging allows clients to try out different makeups and hairstyles for a sneak peek of their most probable “after look” style before they commit to a makeover. It gives you a better shot at customer satisfaction.
Mobile applications
There are a ton of salon solution apps that you can leverage to grow your beauty practice. Apps for salon managers and stylists include Salon Iris, Beautylish, Milano Connect, and TapStyle, among many others. They are one-stop solutions for most of your salon and customer management challenges. You can, for example, access a community of salon owners and stylists through these apps. That makes it easier for you to find and hire top talents, network with your peers, and find answers/solutions related to salon products and equipment. Some apps, e.g. TapStyle, will even help you manage schedules and booking.
Personalized skin care
Good examples of this hot trend are L’Occitane en Provence and Perso by L’Oréal. It is one of the hottest trends in beauty tech, for many good reasons. This smart tech will help you assess clients’ skins through AI if you want to customize the perfect skincare regimen for them. The tech can also analyze local weather conditions (e.g. UV saturation and pollution) to determine how an individual’s skin is affected by their surroundings.
Loyalty program software
This tech trend allows you to create and manage loyalty programs for your online audiences. You can use your software to award points, give rewards, and offer tiered membership options to loyal clients. Consequently, the software helps you drive customer engagement, incentivize quality clients to come back, and give clients a reason to spend more in your salon. You can customize your loyalty program around one of these 3 systems:
- Points-based system: Every time a customer orders a product from your online store or pays for a service through your online booking system, the loyalty program software awards them points automatically. When the points accumulate to your chosen amount, clients can redeem them for exclusive discounts or vouchers.
- Tiered memberships: This reward system works by categorizing clients based on how loyal they are to your business. You can, for example, offer a platinum-tier level for new clients and a gold level for your most loyal clients, with silver and bronze membership levels in between. Rewards go to clients who work hard to climb up the ladder.
- Referral system: A customer can also earn points upon referring a paying customer, posting a positive review online, or doing any other online activity that you deem beneficial to your online marketing.
QR codes
QR codes provide detailed information about an item or a service when scanned. You can use this technology in your salon to provide clients with as much information as they want regarding your hair & beauty products. Instead of telling clients that your products are organic, for example, you can provide them with a QR code that links to unlimited resources (YouTube videos, research articles, or even case studies) about the product. You just need to put up customized codes on products’ packages and encourage clients to dig in for more info.
Contactless payments
Contactless payment is a hot trend for businesses especially due to the lessons learned during the pandemic. Salons must now leverage mobile payment systems such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Conclusion
Any smart hair and beauty salon owner or manager knows how important technology is to business growth. It gives salons a competitive edge by allowing them to reach bigger audiences and serve clients better. We only discussed a few examples of the trends you need to keep pace with. Now keep your eyes open for any hot trends that may disrupt the hair and beauty industry in the foreseeable future.
About The Author
Freya is a Math teacher, Yoga enthusiast, and a beloved mother of three lovely daughters. She is always looking for ways to grow and help others around her thrive through self-learning, meditation, and physical fitness. When she is not teaching or spending time with her family, Freya regularly writes on topics related to self-improvement and women empowerment.