Creating Customers

Oceans Massage and Spa is a family owned business with two spa locations in Lubbock, Texas. They have launched their new website packed with SpaBoom’s fully integrated online marketing capability including easy management of their website content and graphics, email marketing, Social Media, SEO, online menus, Online Booking, branded Instant Gift Certificates, and special events, all within a single login.

Oceans Massage and Spa offers their clientele a tranquil atmosphere, exceptional service and the highest quality of spa amenities. “We believe massage therapy is an integral part of health care and wellness. Our goal is to provide clients the highest quality service, by offering them some of the best trained therapists with a variety of specializations.” says Oceans owner Bev Byers. Additionally, Oceans Massage and spa has an extensive menu of services including massage therapies, facials, body treatments, pedicures and manicures.

In addition to the Oceans Massage and Spa business the Byer’s family also run the highly regarded Oceans Massage Therapy School and Oceans Travel. “They really needed a series of websites (3) that could connect and grow together and we were happy to accommodate their request. They are a tremendous family with a passionate focus on massage therapy and spa.” says Kelly Stone, a SpaBoom Implementation Specialist. The family visits New Mexico often, so it was also a treat to occasionally have them in the SpaBoom office to discuss their online business plans.

The new website takes the Oceans Massage and Spa, Oceans Massage Therapy School and Oceans Travel website to a new level and extends their relationship with customers online. Clients can follow Oceans Massage on Facebook and Twitter where the staff will share valuable spa information, post upcoming events and limited-time promotions. Because these websites are now fully integrated, it has streamlined their entire marketing process, which means they can put even more focus and attention on their clients and running their businesses.

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Business Management, Spa Marketing, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Dynamic Websites • 1 Comment »

Don't get us wrong, Instant Gift Certificates (IGC's) are a key component in an online marketing strategy, a revenue-driving, consumer-friendly, essential element. We've facilitated over $85M in online transactions for our clients since we brought SpaBoom to the market, so we get how powerful the revenue piece is to any strategy.

But there is so much more to the game than just IGC's. And we're going to show you what that looks like. Over the next few months we will be conducting a series of webinars in which we will outline and define what true online marketing looks like, and how you can conduct effective brand building and drive revenue in the virtual universe.

We'll cover all of the following topics, and probably a lot more, as we tend to get excited about this stuff — it's what we do, and we love to share that with you!

A great website and social media

A comprehensive, effective online marketing strategy should include having an awesome, SEO friendly, up-to-date website. Your website should garner online attention, meet the needs of your customers, and drive revenue in the process.

Special events should be easy to create, and when those events post they should update the website as well as create a social media post. Facebook and Twitter are no longer fringe elements in a marketing mix, they're now part of any well-balanced online strategy.

Menu of services

Your menu of services should always be up-to-date as well, and printable at your convenience. There is no reason, ever, to have an outdated menu of services on your website.

Email campaigns

You should be able to easily create and send emails to your clients. To different lists. For different reasons. Easily, quickly, and if you wish, with no creative effort at all of your own. SpaBoom includes default email campaigns that you may tailor to your needs or simply use as is. Your branding is everywhere, as you've come to expect, and emblazons every single email that goes out on your behalf.

Online Booking

Your clients should be able to book online with you. Doing so respects their desire for easy access to you, and streamlines managing your book.

National Exposure via Joy of Spa and Spa Emergency!

SpaBoom drives business to your spa via our online directories and with our Joy of Spa Gift Certificate. Not only will we help you strengthen your local brand, we'll send traffic your way with our ongoing national marketing!

Convenience for you

Time is of the essence. Imagine the ability to conduct all of your online marketing in one place -– your SpaBoom account. Imagine one login, one point of entry, for all of these functions. Then, get ready to embrace The New SpaBoom.

Keep watch for more on how easy it can and should be for you to be the boss of your online marketing, and still have time to do what it is that you love — manage your spa, salon or massage therapy practice!

As always, if you have questions, please give us a call at 800.940.0458 or send us an .

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Joy of Spa Gift Certificates, SpaBoom New Features • 1 Comment »

Instant Gift Certificates alone are not enough anymore. Your full online marketing suite must comprise a perpetually up-to-date website, revenue generation, social media, email marketing and online booking.

Join us for a Webinar on Wednesday, July 7th, as Janell demonstrates the tools you need to be effective in the highly competitive modern marketing environment.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar Seat Now!

Title: The New SpaBoom — Your Online Marketing Edge
Date: Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Time: 1:00 pm — 2:00 pm EDT

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom New Features, SpaBoom Webinars • 4 Comments »

We all think differently. One person can gain great insight through visual experiences while another thrives using a systematic process. With that in mind, I have included a video How to Create a Facebook Business Page from Hubspot. In 7 minutes Lily Zhu of Hubspot demonstrates the ends and outs of setting up your own business page.

I have created this written overview, 6 Steps to Set Up a Facebook Business Page. The process should not take too long but make sure you set aside a chunk of time so you don’t feel pressured to finish quickly.

Step 1: Make sure you have a personal profile in Facebook before you create a business page.

A personal Facebook account is called a “profile” and and business identity is called a “page.” Even if you don't plan on using your personal Facebook account now, in most cases you should set up a profile before you set up your business page.

Go to Facebook and fill out the form to set up your personal profile.

• The personal profile setup requires that you include your name, email address and date of birth.
• If you are worried about entering your personal email you can set up a separate Gmail account specifically for your social media.
• Facebook will require that you confirm your email. You will need to log into your email, retrieve the verification email from Facebook and click on the link in order to proceed and fill out the entire profile.

Now that you have a personal profile on Facebook you can proceed and set up a business page for your spa.

Step 2: Register your spa business page on Facebook.

• Choose your business category, local or brand (product).
• Most spas should choose local business. The difference between local and brand will be apparent later when you fill out the spa information in the page layout.
• The name of your business should be the exact name of your spa; the name people use to search for it online. Stay away from abbreviations and nicknames.
• Category and Name can’t be changed once they are completed. If you need to edit this information you must delete it and start over.

Step 3: Upload your logo and fill out the page tabs.

• Once you have registered your spa in Facebook you will be encouraged to upload your profile picture. This will most likely be your spa logo and it will appear in the upper left corner of your business page.

Step 4: Fill out the page tabs: Wall, Info, Photos, Discussion and Video.

• Click on the Info tab and fill out information about your spa. Don’t forget to hit save before you move on to the next tab.
• You can upload photos in the photo tab but keep it professional. Showing consumers professional pictures of your spa could give them the incentive to take action and book an appointment.
• The discussion tab allows you to have discussions and communicate with your fans.
• Add video if you have created a webinar or have spoken professionally on behalf of your spa.

Step 5: Publish your Page so others can see it!

Step 6: Next time you log into Facebook…

• Log into your personal account.
• In the search bar, upper right side of your personal page, type the name of your business and select your spa. It will take you directly to your business page.
• If you created your personal profile, become the first fan of your new business page!

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Marketing, Spa Technology • Comment »

Facebook is the new Google. Use social media to draw clients to your spa — join us to learn how easy it is!

June 23rd, 1:00 pm — 2:00 pm EDT

Click here to register for the free webinar.

Social Media Revealed is the latest webinar in our online marketing for spas, salons and massage therapists series. Gather tips and tricks to strengthen your social media strategy while you learn the key role social media should play in any modern marketing mix, and how driving revenue should be an expectation, not a pleasant surprise.

This webinar is FREE so be sure to join in and learn.

Title: Social Media Revealed
Date: Wednesday, June 23rd
Time: 1:00 pm -– 2:00 pm EDT

Don't miss this webinar! Space is Limited. Reserve your seat now!

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom Webinars • 1 Comment »

Spas understand how important customer service is to their business, a priority for every employee. It can differentiate your spa from the competition and gives customers a reason to choose your spa over a large spa concept.

Leverage your social media, like Facebook and Twitter, and extend customer service by using it for customer inquiry and a means to respond to client service issues. It will give your spa that extra service edge that larger companies just can’t deliver.

Think about how clients and potential customers currently contact your spa, they use SpaBoom online booking, email or call to speak to someone in person. Facebook and Twitter are an additional contact source but it is also a place to build a dialog and develop a community of avid online spa clients.

Empower your employees to respond to inquiries via social media the same way they would using email. It simply requires that you set attainable expectations and that employees overseeing customer contact monitor social media activity throughout the day.

Great customer service starts with listening to and responding to the needs of your clients consistently. Every opportunity to engage with clients and solve their problems is an investment in your spa and its brand. Using social media to build relationships with your customers is a logical extension of quality service.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Marketing • 2 Comments »

I must say upfront that I like Tony Hsieh of Zappos, his business philosophy and I regularly enjoy his Twitter posts. He is just the right amount of geek innovator who brings great ideas into the marketplace, disrupts, breaks through the pack and wins just when competitors start to notice.

I recently read his new book, Delivering Happiness, A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose, mostly because they offered an advanced copy to bloggers and I thought it was an innovative way to get the word out and wanted to be part of it.

It is an inspiring read for business owners, students, mothers and anyone looking to do more, be more and put a positive and happy spin on their life’s purpose. Happiness requires that we find and pursue our passions; it is the cornerstone of a fulfilled life. This book is filled with insight and interesting Zappos history, told by Tony and his employees and is applicable to small businesses, like spas, because customer service is in prime focus throughout the book.

Zappos Top 10 Ways to Instill Customer Service into Your Company.

1. Make Customer Service a priority for the whole company, not just a department. A customer service attitude needs to come from the top.
2. Make WOW a verb that is part of your company’s everyday vocabulary.
3. Empower and trust your customer service reps. Trust that they want to provide great service… because they actually do. Escalations to a supervisor should be rare.
4. Realize that it’s okay to fire customers who are insatiable or abuse your employees.
5. Don’t measure call times, don’t force employees to upsell, and don’t use scripts.
6. Don’t hide your 1-800 number. It’s a message not just to your customers, but to your employees as well.
7. View each call as an investment in building a customer service brand, not as an expense you’re seeking to minimize.
8. Have the entire company celebrate great service. Tell stories of WOW experiences to everyone in the company.
9. Find and hire people who are already passionate about customer service.
10. Give great service to everyone: customers, employees, and vendors.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Spa Business Management, Spa Marketing • 2 Comments »

Find that warm drink of insight as you scan Fast Company’s list of the top 100 creative people. The list ranges from Bob Dylan’s son, who is creating short films that inspire adventure and discovery, to Marjora Carter, a visionary who took a dumping ground in her South Bronx neighborhood and transformed it into a beautiful park. There is so much to learn from these imaginative people including how they transform lives and unlocked the potential of fellow creators.

What attributes are most apparent in these fantastically creative people? It is amazing how consistently diverse their strengths are and how they use them in wildly unique ways to produce unmatched results. One may use their creative power to rebelliously take on a cause while another quietly distinguishes himself as he moves up through the ranks of Apple. I came away with a list of "creative" traits that are expressed in many of these visionaries and some that I see everyday among my fellow employees here at SpaBoom. Enjoy.

My list of creative attributes: Determined, Disruptive, Savvy Communicator, Advocate, Insightful, Use Expertise and Wisdom to See What Others Do Not, Hands On, Empathetic, Atypical, Visionary, Transformative, Sensitive, Able to Unlock Human Potential.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Strategies, Uncategorized • Comment »

Unless you have a process for managing leads and aligning them with your advertising, relationship marketing and customer service efforts you are most certainly letting some get away. It has never been more important to address every lead available to increase your customer base and reach revenue goals.

Often, relationships with customers start online, long before they enter your spa. Giving online visitors control, speed and multiple routes of communication with your spa will result in more leads and opportunities to make them clients.

Create a structure, template, for handling leads with a goal to make them long-term clients. Capture as much SpaBoom Instant Gift Certificate and online booking statistics about your customers from the beginning. Your contact list is gold, critical to the success of your spa.

SpaBoom’s free online booking allows clients to book when it is convenient for them, 24/7. It records important client information and presents an opportunity for your spa to follow up with them regarding their appointment. Online booking can be an important lead generator for your spa but you must set up employee training and protocol to maximize results.

Instant Gift Certificates are an important solution for gift givers who may never enter your spa, ever. That said, they are extremely important and should be engaged and nurtured as valuable customers.

Make sure you are managing the gift-givers online experience with your spa. Consistently create holiday specials, like BOGO, and promotions that might lead to additional gift purchases. These customers will benefit from email communications, last minute gift ideas and will respond to package offers.

Customers are increasingly using social media, Facebook and Twitter, as vehicles for technical support, search and spa information. These customers use technology to make their lives easier and demand information the way they want it, online.

It is important to use social media to build and manage client interactions. SpaBoom has streamlined the process with automated event posting from your SpaBoom account to both Twitter and Facebook.

Customer interactions with your spa are critical and provide information that can customize their spa experiences, make your spa more responsive and improve your spa’s overall performance.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, SpaBoom Online Booking • 1 Comment »

My husband’s family has been in sporting goods retail for over 70 years. His grandfather started off in 1939 with one of those downtown gun, tackle and camera shops that evolved over the years into a top 100 specialty outdoor, ski and bike retailer.

I have witnessed brazen, unrelenting, and impressive competitive intelligence carried out by my beloved family members over many years. I witnessed moments of poised incredulity from them when a sales person found one of them “lost” in the back room. Their zealous observation, consistent monitoring and extensive relationships within sporting goods set them apart from many competitors. Their respect for the industry and passion for outdoor sports drove their success.

There is an art to competitive intelligence, finesse to uncovering valuable information that can be used to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Countless changes and improvements were made in the family business based on the competitive intelligence they uncovered. It improved every aspect of the business including marketing efforts, product assortments and customer service.

Keeping tabs on your competition has never been more important and I am happy to say that SpaBoom clients are very aware of their rivals. In a recent, SpaBoom Blog post about Massage Envy’s (ME) foray into facials, I was impressed with the level of intelligence and sharing that went on among those who left a comment.

Many SpaBoom clients see these large spa concepts setting up shop in their neighborhoods and they are taking action. These local spa owners are making appointments at ME, experiencing the facials themselves, and comparing it with the treatment experience at their spa. They are monitoring their competitor's marketing efforts, analyzing their overhead and using that information to develop more specialized spa services.

In addition, these day spas are reevaluating their product relationships and requiring support from specialized vendors that have no intention of selling their products in Sephora or ME. They are creating unique services and re-instituting strong employee training programs that will distinguish their spa from the competition.

At SpaBoom, we have seen an increase in the use of our marketing tools, the online booking application and our spas are adding the Joy of Spa Badge to their website at a record pace. This all flows into the spas efforts to differentiate themselves, take part in the Joy of Spa Directory and find unique ways to reach their target spa customers.

Given all the changes in the marketplace, an influx of national spa concepts invading cities all over the country, local day spas need to get savvy about monitoring their neighbors around town. Ultimately, competitive intelligence is useless unless the information is used to take action and create an advantage for your spa business.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Joy of Spa, Spa Business Management, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom Online Booking • Comment »

Nadine is a classic entrepreneur. When I met her at IECSC in New York she was so enthusiastic, she is the driven owner of C.B.N.’s Mobile Day Spa. I only spoke with her briefly, but it took very little time to see that she was insightful, decisive and really good at running her spa business.

Nadine takes advantage of every possible SpaBoom marketing tool to make her business more successful. As a result, her business is thriving. She is always willing to try, to see how a tool will improve her business processes and help increase her revenue. She is just not wired to sit back, so there is no hesitation, she brims with confidence about her spa business because she runs it so effectively and intuitively.

Nadine was an early adopter of Facebook and Twitter; she has regularly posted events, specials and inspiring information to benefit her online clients. SpaBoom’s new automated Twitter and Facebook tool allows Nadine to automatically post events quickly and efficiently, it is a huge timesaver because it streamlines the whole social media process for the spa.

C.B.N.’s Mobile Day Spa is a Joy of Spa Member, she is listed in the directory and her Mother’s Day specials are easily accessible because she knows how it can help her business. She has added the Joy of Spa badge to her website so each time a client clicks on it to purchase an Instant Gift Certificate she benefits, even if it is not to her spa!

Nadine inspires immediate trust, an obvious cornerstone for running a successful business but rare to be so apparent in a young entrepreneur. She experiences true satisfaction from being part of her spa clients' lives. To her, it is an opportunity to share in her clients' happiest moments and she derives immense satisfaction from it.

Nadine’s success has evolved from a lifetime of hard work and dedication to a dream, to own her own business. Starting in her early 20s, has owned a series of small businesses, each evolving into something bigger and ultimately it led to opening C.B.N’s Mobile Day Spa.

Nadine’s Business Strategies:

• Use every possible tool to your business’s advantage.
• Always be on the lookout for new opportunities for your spa business. Once you see an opportunity, seize it and let it grow.
• Nadine’s businesses grew by word of mouth. Be willing to get out there and promote your business, one client at a time.
• Use all your resources. SpaBoom Instant Gift Certificates have been a major part of Nadine’s business; it is useful because clients can send a gift when it is convenient for them.
• SpaBoom online booking offers a personal touch, it gives clients the control they want to book online. It is easy and fast for them and streamlines the booking process.

Nadine’s advice: Be creative; do not rest on your laurels. Once your day spa is self-sustaining you must keep going, improving and not become stale. Always be willing to take your business to the next level. Try something new or add something to the business that will differentiate your spa from the competition.

Posted in Blogroll, Creating Customers, General, Joy of Spa, Joy of Spa Gift Certificates, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom Online Booking • Comment »

SpaBoom has just unleashed another tool that will increase your visibility to the world, one IGC at a time:  Facebooking at the time of IGC pickup.

This is a client-driven feature, and specifically, a recipient-driven activity:

Read all about how it works from your clients' perspective in our help topic, and begin to spread the love!

Posted in Creating Customers, Social Media, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), SpaBoom New Features • 3 Comments »

Our Celebrate Moms edition of Joy of Spa News is ready for you to make it yours! The Celebrate Moms edition honors motherhood and the inspirational and encouraging roles that mothers play in a child's life, offers up gift ideas, rituals to soothe, and shares some personal stories in a retrospective article.

If you're signed up for the Joy of Spa News, it will launch to your clients on April 26th.

Remember, the Joy of Spa News is branded with your spa's logo and when your client clicks to read more, the website is branded with your logo, too! While the Joy of Spa News is complete as is, we recommend your taking a look at it and tailoring the special introduction area to your exact preferences. Be sure to send yourself a test email after making any edits, and remember that Events that encompass the April 26th date will be included in the email as well.

Not yet signed up to send a beautiful, branded newsletter to your clients on a regular basis? Now is your time to get onboard! Go to Setup, Basics to put Joy of Spa to work for your spa!

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Joy of Spa, Joy of Spa News, Spa Marketing • 2 Comments »

Implement social media to enhance your position in the marketplace!

Spa consumers actively participate in social media, using Facebook and Twitter to navigate their active lives. Social media empowers consumers by giving them new venues to find information, make decisions and purchase products and services.

Learn how to leverage social media to enhance your spa brand using relevant and targeted content to drive more revenue to your spa.

Join Janell as she exposes the power and revenue potential of social media for your spa business. Her insight will help you connect with consumers and increase your spa’s online presence.

This webinar is FREE so be sure to join in and learn.

Titled: Social Media Exposed
Date: Tuesday, April 13th
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Space is Limited. Reserve your webinar seat now!

FREE offer for existing and new clients that sign up for a Dynamic Website or Instant Gift Certificates!

We'll help you build your first social media campaigns for Mother's Day, Father's Day and Wedding season. Offer good through 4/27/10.

Don't miss this webinar!

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom Webinars • Comment »

Think 80/20 then scale down.

The slice of valuable spa customers using social media may be small but they pack a powerful punch. Think of Malcolm Gladwell’s descriptions of influencers in the book The Tipping Point. It is that serving of spa clients currently using social media and functioning within diverse social worlds that can make a big difference to your spa revenue.

There is tremendous potential in loyal spa clients, who are on your website and engaging in social media. Seek them out, connect and reward them for disseminating your spa content and offers to their community.

Your socially gifted clients are much more likely to deliver new customers to your website via social media. Even better, this new flow of clients is more likely to translate into purchases or booked appointments. It is a delicately valuable consumer traffic chain that can transmit increased revenue and new loyal clients.

The golden (social media) scenario.

Clients posting or emailing your spa’s promotional offers, newsletters or event announcements to their social network have a transformative effect; it enhances your spa brand. Why? You can’t buy the positive impact of having clients send out your message to their community. These social media mavens are linking your spa brand to a wider public, with their personal stamp of approval, and extending their positive energy in support of your business.

SpaBoom allows spas to develop promotional offers that link directly to their website. In addition, each spa offer can be set up to automatically post to the spa’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. It is easy to set up and get started delivering targeted offers to spa clients.

Our office regularly shares insightful articles and spa offers to co-workers using instant messaging and email. We are collectively much more likely to read and act on offers from those we respect in our network. Online tools are a great way to extend your spa message beyond your existing client base and increase revenue.

Valuable, relevant content is key to success.

It is critical to deliver content that communicates value, to get a positive response from targeted consumers. The Joy of Spa newsletter, available to all SpaBoom clients, can be sent out to your customer-base each quarter. Your clients are much more likely to forward it and share fresh, relevant spa content.

Gauge your social media success by the value of the content you put out to the universe. It is a deal breaker, so make sure your offers, events and newsletters provide consumers with direct and instant value.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Joy of Spa, Joy of Spa News, Social Media, Spa Marketing • Comment »

Every day, spas are faced with the momentous challenge to deliver value and find effective means to build relationships with spa clients. Spas strive faithfully to build credibility and establish themselves as a reliable and trusted source for all that is spa regardless of individual client preferences.

The Joy of Spa Newsletter is a valuable communications tool for SpaBoom spa customers.

Joy of Spa Newsletter Benefits:

Build stronger spa client relationships. Research has shown that subscribed email consumers react more emotionally to newsletters. Use the newsletter to develop deeper relationships with your spa clients.

Build your spa business. Your spa clients can sign up for the newsletter and forward them to friends and family. It is a perfect way to gather referrals and build brand awareness for your spa.

Relevant spa content is designed for your spa clients. This newsletter enhances the customer experience by providing relevant spa content and keeps your spa top of mind with consistent, targeted spa information.

Increase loyalty and response rates. Clients are much more likely to forward a newsletter and will choose your spa over the competitors.

It is easy for spas to send the newsletter. Simply log into your SpaBoom administrative account, go to the Basics page and select Joy of Spa newsletter. Say "yes" to the Joy of Spa newsletters, under the email marketing section. Click and save at the bottom of the page. Just watch for updates to know when the next Joy of Spa newsletter is available. Your spa can customize the newsletter with a written introduction to your spa clients. It is a great way to let clients know what is happening at your spa.

Clients are a spa's most valuable asset. Use this newsletter to build relationships with your clients and provide them with information that will keep your spa top of mind.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Joy of Spa, Joy of Spa News, Spa Business Management, Spa Marketing • Comment »

Consumers crave local. They seek valuable information that drives purchases and will track down websites that deliver on their promises. If you make it easy to conduct business, consumers will come in droves and return often.

Joy of Spa was created to drive growth and expand your spa's customer base. The website features rich, fresh content that inspires wellness and focuses on providing consumers with insight on incorporating spa into their lives.

Participation in the Joy of Spa directory ensures that your spa will be seen by targeted online traffic. It highlights your spa, allows consumers to see reviews and they can click directly to your spa website to make purchases or book appointments. Joy of Spa is a specialized conduit to drive growth to your spa.

Benefits of Joy of Spa:

Drives traffic to your website. Joy of Spa is designed specifically for spa consumers so you won’t see a catchall directory that will clump local spas in with plumbers and dry cleaners. It will send more specialized and targeted consumers with spa on their minds.

The Joy of Spa directory is Free to SpaBoom spa clients. The directory is straightforward, accessible and designed to highlight your local spa the way consumers like to see it.

• Google maps displays your location within a given city. Consumers can get directions to your spa right from the directory.
• Your spa website link is clearly displayed and can be accessed right from the directory.
• Consumers can see our spa instant gift purchase reviews to help them make informed decisions.

Delivers fresh and relevant spa articles. Joy of Spa offers consumers intelligent and relevant spa articles. It provides consumers with information they can use to make appropriate spa treatment choices. It promotes the spa industry and delivers fresh, relevant content consistently.

Local and cross-country gift givers can purchase Instant Gift Certificates. Joy of Spa makes it so easy for interested spa consumers to send gifts around the country.

Joy of Spa is designed to drive growth for local spas by driving consumer traffic to the Joy of Spa website. The spa audience is online, driving growth and is looking for "their spa" or they're seeking a gift for someone special. Call and set up your Joy of Spa account today, it is easy, quick and will get that traffic moving in your direction.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Joy of Spa, Joy of Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Business Management, Spa Marketing • 12 Comments »

UPDATE: Missed the webinar? No problem — download the notes or view the video here.

Maximize your online visibility using smart SEO tactics!

Your website reflects the essence of your business to the online community. The biggest hurdle you must face is being seen online, consistently and easily. Search engine optimization, design functionality and activating revenue potential are a few of the key components to maximizing your online presence.

Join Janell as she outlines the top five secrets to website success! Increase visibility for your spa/salon and generate revenue while you do it!

This webinar is FREE so be sure to join in and learn!

SpaBoom Special Offer: Sign up for a Full Service Dynamic Website and we'll include our Smart SEO Service at no extra charge! A $499 value! Offer valid through March 31, 2010.

Title: 5 Secrets of SEO
Date: Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now!

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Spa Marketing, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Webinars • Comment »

We'll be at the upcoming IECSC event at Javits Center, so come by, catch up with our team and let us show you our newest features!

Show hours:

• Sunday, March 7th: 9:30 am — 6:00 pm
• Monday, March 8th: 9:30 am — 6:00 pm
• Tuesday, March 9th: 9:30 am — 5:00 pm

We hope to see you there! And yes, there will be chocolate. Blissful, yummy chocolate!

For info on the show, visit IECSC or call 800.498.6984.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Spa Business Management • Comment »

An email autoresponder, simply put, is a message that is sent back automatically to anyone who sends you an email message. Here's an example of a real email we receive from one of our spas:

Thank you [name] [email address] for contacting [spa]. We will be contacting you regarding your request very soon. Due to the volume of online requests, it may take up to 48 hours for us to respond. If you wish to contact us sooner, you can reach us directly at (123) 123‑1234.

Email autoresponders are used heavily throughout the business world — a quick Google search will turn up far more results for how to use them than results on why they are bad, bad, and possibly even dangerous.

Yet everyone seems to use them — are they really such a bad thing?  Let's think about it by taking yourself out of your business and into your personal life for a moment with this scenario:

You will be hosting a dinner party.  You invite lots of people, both those you know and those you do not — future friends, future networking contacts, family, anyone.  You arrange for the catering or do lots of advance cooking to make sure your guests will be fed well.  You buy great wine to serve with the food.

The magic day arrives and someone knocks on the door, but you are probably busy.  So, how do you handle the situation?  Easy — your high-tech front door is programmed to automatically open and then play a message to say, "Hi!" and welcome the guest through the doors, letting them know that you'll be with them in as soon as you're able. 

Here are the potential effects of your very special automated door:

• Does the door know whether or not this is an invited guest?  No — it opens and plays the message for any knock.
• If it is a guest, how do they feel?  Like you are placing an artificial barrier between their interaction with you, and supplying information that is not helpful. (Of course you'll be with them soon — after all, you invited them to a party!)
• Further, if it is a guest that you have not yet met, you are now giving them a rather impersonal first impression of your hospitality.
• If it is not a guest, what then? They know you're hosting a dinner party, that's for sure.  But they also know the inside of your house, the fact that you're a cook, what your social practices are, et cetera.

This is what you do every day with your autoresponder.  You supply a temporary and unnecessary barrier to your real and valued clients, a virtual brush-off to potential clients, and a opening to your business email address to marketers and spammers.

Once you've disabled your autoresponder, what should you do?  Easy.  Set aside two short windows of time each day (or more if you are not busy all day long) to genuinely respond to each email that you receive.  Give it the attention it deserves, whether it is a personal response or a quick trip to the trash bin in your email client.

Your business will be more focused, your customers will appreciate the personal touch, and you'll receive less spam.  Can you beat that?

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Business Management, Spa Marketing • 3 Comments »