Share the Joy…..
November 26th, 2007 • Posted by Stephany Toman • Permalink
Joy of Spa, that is!
We are creating a new directory of spas that offer Instant Gift Certificates. We're planning to launch the site after the holidays, and are working hard to put the pieces in place to make that happen. Yes, we know we already have Spa Emergency … but if you've looked at it closely you've probably noticed how male-focused it is.
After all, Spa Emergency was conceived to be a destination/solution for the last-minute and long-distance gift buyers in the world. As it turns out, a LOT of those folks are male. Many women have also enjoyed the convenience of Spa Emergency, though, and we thought, "Why not have a directory focused on the female audience?" Why indeed!
Because women LOVE to shop online… and if it's for something as cool as spa services, even better!
But we'd like your help with this. We'd like to know what you've discovered about your clients… what they would like to see in a directory like this. What would YOU like to see in it? It's going to provide all the functionality that Spa Emergency provides, but in a design more likely to make women want to stay awhile and browse… to relax and look around while they choose just the right gift for their best friend Leah in Chicago, or decide where to go for a special treatment while on their next business trip to L.A..
Tell us what you'd like to see. We want to hear it.
As ever, SpaBoomers, thank you for sharing. We want to create a beautiful, effective site that will ultimately send more traffic to you — and boost your bottom line to boot!
November 26th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I'd like to see a more spa friendly rate than Spa Emergency.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
I too would like to see a more affordable rate for Spa Emergency, especially for a very small spa. Thanks for your consideration.
November 28th, 2007 at 12:06 am
Yeah, I doubt that will happen.
What I don't like is my website competing with Spa Emergency in the search engines. Now there will be another website owned by SpaBoom competing with my website in the search engines??? It is getting a little sickening. SpaBoom gets money if someone clicks on the link from my website, but they get more money if they can get people to go to Spa Emergency or the new site first.
If I google the name of my city with the word massage, my site comes up first and the Spa Emergency site is in third place. I have only sold a handful of Spa Emergency gift certificates, so I can't complain much. But, I wonder how many of those certificates still would have sold through my site without the competition of Spa Emergency? Why stop at two sites selling the same certificates? The more there are the better the chances of people clicking on a SpaBoom website and selling a certificate at a higher rate than if they had clicked through from my website.
There was a time when I was considering not being listed on SpaBoom, but now there is another massage office in town selling gift certs through SpaBoom and she is listed on Spa Emergency too. I was first though, so I get listed at the top of the page. It is pretty easy to list information and specials which beef up my Spa Emergency listing and push hers down. I still get sales from Spa Emergency even though I am not the only one on it in my city. It is good to be on top.
Spa Emergency is pulling in a lot of money for SpaBoom. I doubt if it is pulling in as much as SpaBoom… but I know SpaBoom is not regretting breathing life into Spa Emergency. I am sure their new site geared towards women will also be a hit. It is getting a little sickening though, isn't it? When will it end? When they have 4 different spa sites? 5? 6? They have partnered with SpaFinder too don't forget.
SpaBoom offers a great service and they know it. Will I leave SpaBoom for another company offering the same service that they do? I doubt it. But at the same time I don't want to feel I have been taken advantage of every time I accept one of those pretty piece of paper.
November 28th, 2007 at 6:22 am
I have to agree, a more affordable rate would be a plus.
November 28th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Thank you for your feedback!
Your points are intrinsically entwined, which is interesting. First, when it comes to rates, it's important to understand what Joy of Spa and Spa Emergency represent. They are directories of SpaBoomers who have chosen to participate, and who wish to garner web attention on a directory in addition to their own spa's website.
The marketing and advertising and PR efforts required to drive traffic to the directories are considerable, and when we're successful you get seen by gift certificate buyers who might not otherwise have found your website.
Those of you who work to generate traffic to your websites understand the value of the visitors who find your site, particularly those who convert to gift certificate buyers.
As far as competition goes, we are all at the mercy of the search engines' ranking systems. Our goal is certainly not to compete with you, but rather to do our best to generate traffic to the directories of SpaBoom spas as well as to help you market your own websites online as effectively as possible. That's what many of our blog postings are focused upon — helping you make your websites more visible on the 'Net.
It all comes down to wanting to generate as much traffic as possible so you sell more gift certificates, period. If that's from Spa Emergency, Joy of Spa, or you've generated your own traffic using clever web marketing tools, you're ultimately becoming more visible to online buyers, which is what we're all about.
Thank you again for your comments, and keep 'em coming!
November 28th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
We were so glad to find SpaBoom. It was just what we were looking for. It made us stand out from our competitors. It gave us the exposure and the service to our guests.
We are located near a Costco where discounted Spa Finder GC's are sold. We receive numerous amounts of SpaFinder gift cards on a regular basis. It has gotten to the point with companies such as SpaFinder & SpaWish that we no longer offer discounted services with their Gift Certificates/Cards. The 18%-20% discount can be significant combined with a discounted service. Spa Emergency is almost there with their discount.
We do understand that this is the cost of doing business, and that the use of Spa Emergency is an option. The discount makes us think twice…
There is nothing on the "Spa Emergency" gift certificate that states that it is from "Spa Emergency." — Maybe this could be changed??
FYI: We have received several fraudulent purchases through Spa Emergency with CC being used from overseas. Watch for those purchasing in the $1000 range. This has not happened with our SpaBoom account.
November 29th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
What would invite people to linger on the Joy of Spa site?
Since social media with user generated content increasingly affects loyalty and retention… how about some of the following:
November 30th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Hi Christine,
Thank you for a great list! We're already addressing some of the items (the map and Spa 101 info, for examples), and will keep you posted on other features as we get closer to launch.
Again, thanks!
December 7th, 2007 at 9:03 am
I agree with the majority that a more spa friendly rate would be great. I also agree that the gift certificates should have as part of their or name on certificate that states they are coming from Spa Emergency, Joy of Spa or any additional site you choose to open so that we know where they are coming from. This will help us all know if it is worth the cost or not. I belong to 3 different bartering companies in Phoenix, AZ and when I sell gift certificates they always have the Initials of the company and a number so I know it is on barter for which I give no discounts on. If I did not put a different coding I would not know they were bartered since they are gift certificates. This is very important for my bottom line.
December 16th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Has no one sold a Spa Emergency certificate? When you scroll through all the certificates sold on SpaBoom, the ones through Spa Emergency have a small Spa Emergency icon in a column. I imagine the Joy of Spa certificates would have their own icon. There is no difference in the way the certificates look to the client, but there is a record online of how well Spa Emergency is performing for those of us who utilize it.
December 18th, 2007 at 7:26 am
When will the joy of spa site be up and active?