The New York IECSC in April provided me an opportunity to visit a childhood friend, Joel Spolsky, at the world headquarters of Fog Creek Software.  While Joel struggled to color inside the lines in kindergarten, he has since become quite the technology blogosphere rock-star.  Joel is the host of the wildly popular Joel on Software blog, read by millions of programmers and software mavens across the globe, the cofounder of Fog Creek and one of Inc. Magazine's most popular columnists.

After a tour of the super cool Fog Creek Office, we chatted about our respective businesses.  Joel was interested in how spa and salon clients approached their business websites.  I explained that the spa industry is comprised of thousands of small to medium sized local businesses and are led by owners who are highly tuned to esthetics and wellness.  I also added that many spa businesses fall into a trap, thinking their website must be "over-the-top" to represent their brand.  Consequently, there are many pretty spa and salon websites out there that few people spend much time on.

Joel laughed at this and then pointed out that many web developers build websites to appeal to the ego of the business owner, rather than the needs of their customers.  Completed websites are often presented to clients in darkened and soundproofed rooms where a graphics-laden home page dramatically loads and "meaningful" music plays for effect.  After such indulgence, the client forks over the final installment of the design fee to the website developer.

Joel's comments illuminate one of the biggest challenges for small and medium sized businesses as they build their sites; consumers go to a website for information, to make a purchase, or to participate in a discussion.  They are long on expectations and short on time.  However, website developers often get paid by the complexity of the project. They are often more motivated to build a fancy website instead of an effective one.  Rather than giving visitors what they need, over-the-top graphics, music and "creative" navigation make getting information difficult and purchases a hassle.

Joel and I imagined a spa client looking for a spas phone number on their iPhone from the back of a New York City cab in traffic to tell the front desk that they will be late for an appointment.  The faster they get the information the more positive the experience for the user.  Imagine that same client looking for a nearby spa that does facials. The site that delivers the menu in the most user friendly way "wins."

Developing a consumer-centric website is one of the most important first steps in building a successful consumer brand name.  It is critical that your spa website deliver ease and convenience for existing and future clients and provide the information they need in a timely manner.

If you want to learn more about good web design, or argue with me about why music is critical to setting your brand image, join me for a SpaBoom webinar on July 8^th, entitled  "Get the Most out of Your Website." We will review the key features of a well-trafficked spa website and provide insights into spa consumers' online behaviors and needs.  To join, just click here.

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