Spa Gift Certificates

Selling gift cards under the new Federal CARD Act includes a very interesting carve out: paper gift certificates that are only sold at retail are exempt from the new law.

If I was running a small spa in a state with less restrictive expiration date requirements than the new federal law, I'd have to seriously think about it. If it would reduce sales because of longer transaction times, I wouldn't do it. Otherwise, those little plastic cards would a find a new home in the trash can.

Here's a quick summary of the National Conference of State Legislatures information on state-by-state expiration date requirements:

If you're not ready to go back to paper, there's another interesting carve out for gift certificates that are for services. Once again, federal law no longer applies. SpaBoom now features additional expiration date settings in order to take advantage of this exemption for your Instant Gift Certificates.

You could also promote gift cards at retail for a service instead of a dollar amount. The exemption only applies when there is no dollar value on the gift card, so you need different gift cards created for different services.

Or, you can use SpaBoom to create Instant Gift Certificates for services, and print them out. There is no commission charged on Instant Gift Certificates sold at retail.

Posted in Spa Gift Certificates • 2 Comments »

How the New Gift Law Affects Your Spa

The new Credit CARD Act took effect on August 22nd, 2010, changing the rules (radically, in some states) for gift card and certificate sales in the United States. Despite what you may have heard, it has a profound effect on small businesses who sell gift cards or gift certificates. We'll show you how to navigate the new law and what you can do to protect your business.

Join Seth Gardenswartz at SpaBoom and Amy L. Pierce at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP as they demystify the new rules.

Reserve your Webinar Seat NOW!

This webinar is Free. Space is limited.

Title: How the New Gift Law Affects Your Spa
Date: Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM EDT

What is Your Marketing Campaign Doing for You?

Marketing campaigns are all over the place these days. Everyone is searching for the magic message to create business in this economy. Do you have a plan to effectively market your spa/salon for the upcoming holiday season?

Join Janell on September 8th as she explores ways to maximize the relationships you have built with your existing clients and reach new potential clients by developing your most successful online marketing campaign for the holiday season now.

Reserve your Webinar Seat NOW!

This webinar is Free. Space is limited.

Title: What is Your Marketing Campaign Doing for You?
Date: Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM EDT

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Holiday Promotion Brief, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom Webinars • 2 Comments »

UPDATE: For you Social Media enthusiasts, we FINALLY have our Social Media Revealed Webinar available for viewing!

Thank you so much for attending our webinar yesterday. If you would like to revisit anything we covered, feel free to view the video below or download the  presentation.

If you did NOT attend, you will find great information about preparing online for this holiday season and how it can help you win the revenue game. You'll see actionable tools to maximize holiday sales, and prepare for the holiday rush so you can be in the best position to help your business.

Download and follow along with our presentation [PDF]

Don't miss this opportunity to take advantage of SpaBoom's Online Marketing Suite at special pricing. Use or mention the referral code "yglab." The offers expire 8/27/10 so call or email us today!

Presenters are Seth Gardenswartz, VP Business Development, SpaBoom and Brigette Lemos-Norman, Social Media Manager and Program Developer, YG Laboratories.

Posted in Holiday Promotion Brief, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom Webinars • Comment »

How the new rules for gift card sales affect you

The new Credit CARD Act took effect on August 22nd, 2010, changing the rules (radically, in some states) for gift card and certificate sales in the United States.  Despite what you may have heard it will have a profound effect on most small businesses who sell gift cards or gift certificates. Therefore, there are things you need to know and to to comply with the applicable law.

We have taken much of the guesswork out by modifying the default expiration dates of new Instant Gift Certificate sales in your SpaBoom account.  The new Federal minimum for dollar amount expiry is 5 years, unless your state's law specifies a longer period.  Discounted and promotional GCs follow some different rules, so we have taken that into consideration as well.

Here's how your settings have changed (you can check these in your GC Types list in Setup):

• Dollar amount GCs default to either 5 years or your state's minimum if it is more than 5 years
• Named Service GCs, Free GCs, and Discounted GCs default to 12 months.
• An additional setting, called Funds for Service GCs, is also defaulted to 12 months.What this means is that you can sell a gift certificate for a facial worth $30 today, but that price could go up in the future.  You can leave your Named Service GC expiration at one year, but set Funds for Service GCs to 3 years, allowing the recipient to redeem the GC for the facial for the first year, or for $30 worth of services for two more years after that.  Pretty neat — you have much less chance of losing a potential client, nor do you have to take a loss on the value of a service.

Questions?  We've studied and analyzed this for you (and have wrote a complete explanation of how the CARD Act affects gift card sales) but keep in mind we cannot serve as your lawyer.  Give us a call if you have questions.

Posted in Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Tutorials • 2 Comments »

Spas and salons that are most prepared online this holiday will win the revenue game.

Join us for a webinar on Monday, August 23rd that is designed to give you actionable tools to maximize holiday sales. Online synergy and success demands that your website, social media and email marketing work smarter 24/7. Learn to streamline online traffic and prepare for the holiday rush so you can be in the best position to help your business.

Presenters are Seth Gardenswartz, VP Business Development, SpaBoom and Brigette Lemos-Norman, Social Media Manager and Program Developer, YG Laboratories.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar Seat NOW!

This webinar is Free. Space is limited so reserve your seat today!

Title: Get Ready for a Billion Dollar Online Day — Free Webinar
Date: Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM EDT

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, Spa Product Sales • 2 Comments »

GiGi’s Elite Spa is a serene and tranquil retreat in Chicago, Illinois. The spa has launched their new website packed with SpaBoom’s fully integrated online marketing capability including easy management of their website content and graphics, online booking, email marketing, social media, SEO, online menus, branded Instant Gift Certificates, and special events, all within a single login.

There is a warmth to Gi Gi's Elite Spa; it serves as a place to reconnect mind, body and spirit. Clients come to relax, meditate, find peace and receive nothing shy of pure pampering. There is a focus on tailoring each client’s treatments to meet their specific needs, to revitalize their mind using the best natural products from GiGi’s own Creations product line.

Owner Gloria Gholston has her own product line made exclusively for her day spa clients. Gloria knows her customers. “Today customers are on a quest to have healthier and softer skin, so I created products equipped with the finest natural ingredients like Emu Oil, Aloe Butter, Olive Oil, Grape Seed, Shea Butter and Vitamin E. It nourishes the skin and the chamomile, sandalwood and lavender scents provide aromatherapy for the soul,” says Gloria.

Because the spa website is now fully integrated, it has streamlined the entire marketing process, which means Gloria can put even more focus and attention on clients, developing her product line and running her business.

Gloria’s serene day spa offers a cozy, comfortable and holistic environment with three elegant treatment rooms, one meditation area and a party room for special occasions. Her staff of trained estheticians and therapists prides themselves on providing the ultimate spa experience for each client. The spa offers a wide range of services including facials, massage therapy, body treatments, waxing, manicures and pedicures and a variety of special packages.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Technology, SpaBoom Online Booking • Comment »

Earlier this summer we mentioned a new feature we've been working on to let your clients get a little nudge when they have recently bought an Instant Gift Certificate or used SpaBoom to request an appointment and haven't yet left a review.

We call it "Review Reminders" and it works like this:

• If your client has not submitted a review in the last year, and they've requested an appointment OR redeemed a gift certificate in the last 3 days, we will send them a quick little email to see if they'd like to submit a review.
• We will NOT send them a "Request Review" email if they've received one in the last three months.

The setting is in the Marketing Tab, under Marketing Settings, and we'll be turning it on August 9th — no need to do anything to enable the reminders.

Posted in Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom New Features • Comment »

Estrellas Moroccan Spa is a luxury day spa in the heart of historic downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. The beautiful high desert landscape goes hand in hand with this elegant spa, a true oasis of luxury and harmony. The spa has mastered the art of detail; every element is considered, setting a high standard for each individual spa experience from start to finish. Estrellas Moroccan Spa’s fabulous atmosphere is exotic and peaceful, setting the tone for magical spa treatments.

Estrellas Moroccan Spa challenged SpaBoom with building a website that would help their business generate more traffic and deliver more sales. The spa’s old website was difficult to find online, a challenge to navigate and was not generating the traffic the spa intuitively knew they should be getting.

The new Estrellas Moroccan Spa website establishes a heightened presence and it’s online marketing capability will continue to generate more traffic and revenue over time. The spa’s new website includes easy management of their website content and graphics, online booking, email marketing, social media, SEO, online menus, branded Instant Gift Certificates, and special events, all within a single login.

SpaBoom’s events feature allows Estrellas to consistently add new, rich web content that can instantly post to Facebook and Twitter. Each new event the spa regularly adds to the homepage is relevant information for visitors, optimized for search to enhance their search rank and increases the spa’s visibility and sales online. SpaBoom’s booking with confirmations has increased the spa’s appointments and the increased traffic has substantially increased instant gift certificate sales since going live in March.

Because this website is now integrated, it has streamlined the spas entire marketing process, which means they can put even more energy and focus on creating a unique spa experience for their clients. Their passion for the healing work of massage and their tailored approach make them a special destination spa.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Technology, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Online Booking • Comment »

Artesia Day Spa and Salon, a luxurious and relaxing retreat in the heart of San Diego’s historic Gas Lamp District, offers clients the perfect setting to unwind and relax in a beautiful spa environment. “The long-term connection we have with our clients and community are critical to Artesia's success. Our goal is to provide clients with the highest quality service and we accomplish that by having a staff that strives to be their best each day. We want clients to have a great spa experience and keep coming back,” says spa director Brittany Brown.

What is amazing about Artesia Day Spa and Salon is the deep loyalty clients feel for the salon, spa and the staff. Reviews consistently focus on their exceptional service, beautiful location, the quality of the cut and style, and the fact that their devoted clients look forward to their appointment as an opportunity to unwind and enjoy their salon and spa experiences.

Artesia Day Spa and Salon has launched their new website using SpaBooms integrated online marketing platform, it is packed with online marketing capability that generates revenue instantly. The salon and spa’s new website includes easy management of their website content and graphics, online booking, email marketing, social media, SEO, online menus, branded Instant Gift Certificates, and special events, all within a single login.

Because this website is now integrated, it has streamlined their entire marketing process, which means they can put more focus and attention on their clients and running the spa and salon. The new website also empowers online visitors with valuable, relevant information about the spa and previews the exceptional experience Artesia Day Spa and Salon offers to clients. Artesia Day Spa and Salon has an extensive menu of services including hair styling, color, airbrush tanning, massage therapies, facials, body treatments, pedicures and manicures.

Artesia supports many local community events and uses Spaboom’s automatic social media integration to encourage their clients to participate via Facebook and Twitter. “It is their consistent commitment to the local community that make these events a win-win for all, downtown San Diego and their growing set of loyal clients,” says Kelly Stone, Strategic Implementation Specialist at SpaBoom. The new website takes the Artesia Day Spa and Salon to a new level and extends their relationship with customers online.

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

When Bob Maconi approached SpaBoom to build and launch a new website we were all a little excited. Bob is a creative force at HARMS Software and also happens to own the cutting edge and well established Elysium Salon and Spa in New Jersey. We respect Bob’s innate business sense and appreciate that he has always been a loyal champion of SpaBoom.

Elysium’s previous website was beautiful and Flash intensive which made it difficult to update and a challenge from an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) perspective. With Elysium’s salon and spa businesses growing they needed an online marketing suite that could handle their significant and real-time needs and live up to their sophisticated brand presence.

Elysium’s new, integrated website streamlines online traffic generation, shares their brand message locally, nationally and virally, sells instantly and online, builds repeat clientele, and captures more bookings via Harms Software integration.

SpaBoom built Elysium’s online marketing suite to include easy management of the salon and spa’s website content and graphics, email marketing, social media, SEO, online spa menus, branded Instant Gift Certificates, and special events, all within a single login.

With one entry Elysium’s spa menu is updated, website content is added, special events are activated, email campaigns are created, Facebook and Twitter messages are generated. It can handle all of Elysium’s important online marketing functions simply, saving considerable time and effort for their business.

Now Elysium Salon and Spa is using their new website’s integrated capability to leverage their traditional marketing efforts to drive revenue, connect with clients and facilitate Instant Gift Certificate sales 24/7.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Technology • Comment »

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, General, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Technology, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Online Booking • 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 »

I confess, I almost always forget to leave reviews for purchases from individual sellers on Amazon, for hotel stays, even *gasp* spa visits. Usually I'm a little rushed when I complete my purchase or am on my way out of the business, so I figure I will take care of it later.

Sound familiar?

But later on, I get that tiny nudge in the form of an email, and usually at that point I can find the time to do the review.  I know my input can be helpful for other consumers, and it gives the business good feedback.  But I need the reminder — most times.

Now, SpaBoom can remind your clients, too.  If you use reviews as a means to track how you're doing, this is a perfect chance to gather more from your clients.

Because your IGC purchasers are already asked, when they complete their transaction, if they'd like to review the experience, we're taking that hint just one step further.  Here's what will happen (only if you have email marketing turned on):  if your client has not submitted a review in the last year, and they've requested an appointment OR redeemed a gift certificate in the last 3 days, we will send them a quick little email to see if they'd like to submit a review.

So that they'll not feel bombarded, we will NOT send them a "Request Review" email if they've received one in the last three months — you won't catch Amazon being that unobtrusive!

To simplify:  has your client interacted with you in the last 3 days via gift certificate or appointment?  If yes, have we emailed them in the last 3 months?  If no, have they submitted a review in the last year?  If no, we send them that review reminder.  Simple, easy.

The setting is in the Marketing Tab, under Marketing Settings, if you need to disable it in the future.

Posted in Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom New Features, SpaBoom Online Booking • 2 Comments »

Reviews influence client purchases and provide potential customers with a yardstick to measure quality and customer satisfaction.

Each time a client writes a review from the Instant Gift Certificate page of your website, they collect and show up in your SpaBoom account on the “today page” and you can see them when you log into SpaBoom.  Additionally, the SpaBoom reviews report will allow you to monitor reviews over time and provide you with analysis and information for your business.

You can easily add these reviews to your dynamic website, they will be displayed in the events column in order, beginning with highlighted reviews, followed by highest rated reviews with the most recent first.  Adding reviews to your website is easy, for step-by-step instructions go to SpaBoom Help.  If you have more questions, call us at and we would be happy to walk you through it.

You can also hide all reviews at once by disabling the Reviews check box in your website Settings.  When you do this, both the Events sidebar reviews will go away, as well as the Navigation button. This does not delete your reviews, you can always see them in Reports, Reviews, and your clients can continue to leave them when they purchase an Instant Gift Certificate.

Posted in General, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing • 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 »

Mother's Day is a great weekend not only because I love my mom and wife, but I get to see all the love being expressed via spa gift certificates across the country. As usual, the last minute flurry of Instant Gift Certificate sales was intense. Everyone still waits until the last minute with the big peak in Instant Gift Certificates on Saturday.

SpaBoomers sold $4.35M for Mother's Day. Our average day spa increased online sales 12% over last year, with just under $2,500 in sales. Our top 10 sellers averaged over $37,000. Go to the Reports tab in SpaBoom and look at the GC Sales graph to see how you did in comparison to your peers.

The love didn't stop there: hundreds of moms shared their gift certificates on Facebook, showing their friends how lucky they are and to which spa they're going.

Good work SpaBoomers!

P.S. Want your sales to go higher? We've worked closely with our top sellers, and know exactly what you should do. Call us at 800/940-0458!

Posted in Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing • 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 »

My analytical mindset always gets excited when we expand the capabilities of our built-in Reports.

As you build up your momentum for the spring holidays, you can ponder your previous sales peaks and valleys and manage your online bookings with ease.  Here's a roundup of our changes:

1. All reports now have "remember" ability – the last view you had of any report is the view you'll come back to.  I like to group my IGCs by Month for the current year, so that's how I will always first see that report.  Perfect!
2. IGC Analysis report – take a quick peek at your trends and client behavior – how many GCs are mailed, which are existing clients . . . all kinds of great information.  This is a detailed version of the snapshot you see in your Dashboard.
3. Booking With Confirmation – this brand new report shows you tons of statistics on your success in booking clients for appointments, from existing client percentages to the dollar amounts represented.   Below is a screenshot of our new Booking report.

Let us know if you have any questions, and happy analyzing!

Posted in Spa Gift Certificates, SpaBoom New Features, SpaBoom Online Booking • Comment »

Create a special Mother’s Day package.

A spa package solves a problem for the gift-giver. It encourages a sale because your spa has created an instant solution that is easier, faster and more streamlined than traditional gifts. In addition, spa packages have a 15% higher average transaction than non-package sellers.

Automatically Post Mother’s Day events to your spa’s Facebook and Twitter page.

SpaBoom has eliminated the hassle of posting all your events to Facebook and Twitter by automating the process. Now, when you set up events in SpaBoom you will have a new option, to send it to social media. To learn more,
read this blog post.

Add the Joy of Spa badge to your website and get additional revenue for the spa.

Your online clients can now purchase instant gift certificates for distant friends and family right from your website. Add the Joy of Spa badge to your website, when a client clicks on it to find a gift for someone across the country, you receive cash if they purchase a Joy of Spa gift certificate. It is an easy way to increase revenue during Mother’s Day. To learn more, read this blog post.

Create a Mother’s Day event, show it prominently on your website.

Keep all Mother’s Day events, promotions, instant gift certificates accessible and upfront on your spa website. Make it easy to see and give customers the direct means to take action and make a purchase.

Promote online instant gifts on the spa door and reception area.

In-spa point of purchase should direct customers to your spa website to purchase instant spa gifts for friends and family.

Post the Joy of Spa sticker on your door and add the badge to your website. It is free and adds your spa to its national spa directory. It is designed to send online traffic your way. For more information, see this blog post.

Update your spa’s voice mail.

Update your voice mail and tell callers about the spa’s online gift capacity in the first sentence before they hang up.

Free up your staff with Free online booking.

A ringing phone pulls the staff’s attention away from current clients to speak to potentials clients. An ideal solution is to completely move appointments away from the front desk. SpaBoom’s free online booking, substantially reduces the need for the front desk to address reservations requests on the phone. Instead they can focus on re-booking clients, enticing them with Mother’s Day specials, instant gift certificates and promotions designed to get them coming back.

Use Free email marketing.

SpaBoom email marketing is free, incredibly effective and a great tool for communicating with clients about great promotions and events. If you have a client email list you should be using it to communicate with clients for Mothers Day. SpaBoom has Mother’s Day campaigns set-up and ready for spas to use immediately. Click for more information on SpaBoom email and getting started.

Try the Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGO) feature.

The SpaBoom BOGO feature allows your spa to offer a free gift certificate (G.C.) when your online customer purchases a gift certificate. This means that the free G.C. goes to the purchaser, encouraging another spa client visit and more revenue for your spa. For more information, check out this blog post.

Use percentage discount tool for instant gift certificates.

Want to give consumers a little push to choose your spa gift over another this Mothers Day? Try the super-easy to run percentage discount specials for your Instant Gift Certificates. To set it up go to this blog post.

Make sure customers know your spa offers fantastic gift options for mothers by promoting online instant gift solutions, highlight spa service packages and specials designed for their buying convenience. Align your spa with simple, easy and last minute gift solutions for Mothers Day and customers will be back for the next holiday.

Posted in General, Joy of Spa, Joy of Spa Gift Certificates, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom Online Booking • 3 Comments »

We love disruptive technology that helps businesses do their job better, faster and more efficiently. A new service, currently available only with iPads, demonstrates just such a technology. It's new, so there's no established track record as of yet; time will tell, as with all cool, new technology!

Square, a cash register application for the new iPad will do just that, by allowing spa clients to pay and tip all while seamlessly calculating tax, tracking sales and making transaction fees more transparent for small businesses. Square allows a massage therapist, mobile spa or small business take credit card payments with the iPad (and the iPhone in about a month).

• It takes a finger signature on screen.
• Generates email or SMS receipts that can be accessed securely.
• Tipping is a breeze with their intuitive tip calculator.
• Square will tell you how many times a customer has used your services so reward them, by all means!
• Computes sales tax and provides online dashboard to track sales.
• Transaction fees are transparent for business owners.

The result is a movable, portable cash register mechanism, ideal for individual massage therapists, day spas and salons that want streamlined solution or mobile device. Spas will see this application get better and better over time but without the hardware switch-off that many small businesses regularly endure.

It is cool to think how beautiful and extremely portable the iPad makes SpaBoom too. A massage therapists can manage instant gift certificates, rebook clients and keep track of email campaigns while on the go.

Even better news! Register to WIN an iPad in Las Vegas!

Come by the SpaBoom booth (#2418) at the IECSC show in Las Vegas and play with our new toy, the iPad. While you are there, register to win! Drawing will take place at the end of the show.

Posted in General, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, SpaBoom Online Booking • Comment »