Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

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

1. Yellow Pages.
    
   This is a complete waste of your advertising budget and the paper it is written on. There are millions of Yellow Pages sitting in homes, in a drawer or closet, which will never be looked at and will end their days in landfills. The Yellow Pages are however an excellent resource for my grandmother, she likes to sit tall in her dining room chair.
   
2. Hire an outside professional to Facebook/Twitter and blog for your spa.
    
   There are too many social media experts out there hoping to convince small businesses that your spa needs them. In reality, it is the spa community and the relationships your business develops using these tools that matter so hiring an outsider makes no sense for a small to medium spa.

   Jonathan Zadok, co-owner of the Coffee Groundz LLC in Houston, in a recent Wall Street Journal article, says he wouldn't pay another firm to blog on behalf of the four-year-old café.

   The idea with Twitter is that you get close to an immediate response," he says. With an in-house person handling it, "there's no middle man that has to go check with the company," he says. Wall Street Journal, Sarah E. Needleman
3. Paid Directories.
    
   Why would a business pay to be on a directory when many free online directories offer so much more to businesses and consumers? It is always critical to know the online businesses you are working with and paying a directory with vague business practices to list your website could have SEO ramifications down the road. Check out Joy of Spa, it is a free directory for all SpaBoom spa clients. You are much better off proactively managing the links and content of your website to improve your search rankings.
4. SEO professionals who promise to improve your search ranking in record time.
    
   SEO professionals are out there seeking your business every day. They like to use complex words and phrases like 'perform SEO Analysis', 'utilize complex algorithms', 'SEO site architecture' and promise to 'achieve optimal ranking' for your website. Paralyzed Yet? Crikey these snake oil promises are truly a detour in your efforts to improve your spa website’s ranking. Do some research and check out Google's take on SEO, and getlisted.org to see how your business currently ranks.
5. Postage.
    
   This includes bulk mail, mailing gift cards, birthday/anniversary offers, promotional offers and invitations to spa events etc. Every year millions of trees are destroyed unnecessarily for large and small direct mail campaigns. That is just the beginning of bulk mail’s environmental impact to the planet. Mailing marketing material is also very expensive. In addition to postage, there are paper and printing costs involved. It is not necessary to cut out direct mail completely, just use it sparingly and when it is a uniquely appropriate vehicle for your marketing message.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Marketing, General • 5 Comments »

1. It is going to be an aggressive holiday season this year so make sure your spa has high impact spa promotions that are ready to go. Check out our BOGO and % off Instant Gift Certificate features.
2. Remember that during the holidays consumers are buying for other people, family, friends and co-workers so position your promotions with that in mind. Let the gift seekers know your spa has the perfect gift they can give to just about anyone.
3. Use email marketing to promote your spa and Instant Gift Certificates. Click the link, to access a recent blog post that outlines how to avoid email spam filters.
4. Make it extremely easy for existing clients and gift givers to make a purchase from your spa, especially your website. Any action, including booking and Instant Gift Certificates, that can be conducted through your spa website increases efficiency and most importantly adds convenience for your customer.
5. Engage, Engage, Engage. Every aspect of your spa should be concentrating on the clients who are currently in your spa. They are your very best prospects today, tomorrow and next year. Make it possible for them to rebook, purchase retail products and find the gifts they want in your spa. Get their email address when they book and you will have an amazing list in no time.
6. Learn from last year. Be ready in your spa and on the website. Make sure all messaging is up to date and that your spa retail area is ready for clients.
7. There will be a promotional intensity to this holiday season. Consumers will be hit with a plethora of options all designed to have them “ACT NOW.” Make sure your customers choose gifts from your spa by being prepared to act while they are in the spa and afterward.
8. Advertise where your customers are right now, they are surfing social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
9. Consumers are going to pinching pennies this year so get in early and get the advantage before anyone else. Remember, “Limited time offer” is a classic call to action.
10. It is important to consider that your spa competes with any business that has a gift idea targeted to your demographic and a majority of businesses will be offering perks like free shipping, reduced prices and special promotions. Make your spa packages special, packed with value and stress reducing treatments.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media, Spa Marketing, General, Spa Website Design, Spa Gift Certificates • 2 Comments »

A skin specialist + Dynamic website = SEO Dynamite

 
Very often life teaches us that conquering the big mountain does not define progress but rather it is the well thought out individual steps that ultimately garner success.

Janice Brownell defines herself as a skin educator, a specialist who sought out education and skill over time to build her knowledge of skin. That wasn’t always easy or simple to achieve when you live in the beautiful but remote area of Southern New Mexico.

It is worth it for her clients who benefit from her skin solutions focus. The goal is to enhance the skin of each individual client and keep it healthy over the long term. When life brings change the true entrepreneur will take advantage of it and that is just what Janice did for herself. A move to Albuquerque presented an opportunity to work at a high-end spa and it also allowed her to learn more about the local community. After about a year she decided it was time to go out on her own.

Janice needed a Dynamic spa website that accurately reflected her new venture, clarified her position in the marketplace and clearly communicated her specialties, skin rejuvenation, acne and waxing. When Janice called SpaBoom she made it clear that she wanted a website that communicated who she was and what she could do for her clients. At SpaBoom the team learned that Janice’s skin solutions focus was integral to her brand and her spa website had to reflect that sentiment.

Janice kept the website soothing, with great photos and simple navigation that allows clients and potential customers to find what they need quickly. Because Janice has a number of specialties she is presented with a great opportunity to utilize SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to help drive traffic to her website. In addition, she understands the importance of building online traffic and increasing her revenue with SpaBoom Instant Gift Certificates.

SpaBoom will continue to work with Janice to ensure she fully utilizes SpaBoom’s full arsenal of marketing tools including email marketing and Joy of Spa. From our perspective, each client represents a long-term relationship and we are committed to working with clients to help them realize their full potential.

The best part about writing these stories is the opportunity to meet members of the SpaBoom community like Janice, whose soothing personality and can-do attitude inspire us all to do our jobs better every day.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Marketing, General, Spa Website Design, Spa Gift Certificates • Comment »

Powerful Online Positioning.

Great spas communicate a very clear understanding of their position in the marketplace and their website design mirrors that positioning.

Customer-Centered Content.

A great spa website will develop content that is clear, concise and valuable. What you say is very important so make sure your online content provides constructive information that is to the point and concise.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Make sure clients can find you by consistently adding content and use effective spa keywords that potential customers would use to find your spa online.

Ease of purchase.

The most effective spa websites make it very easy for customers to purchase gift certificates. They can click to the gift certificates from the home page and it is clearly visible to customers at all times.

Easy to Update/Add Content.

Dynamic Websites allow spas to easily customize, update and refine website information on a daily basis. SpaBoom Dynamic Websites are specifically designed for quick and easy updates and new content. It gives spas the independence they need to build their online business.

Creative Spa Packages.

Spa packages that offer extra value are an effective way to increase online sales. It facilitates the customers buying experience because you have eliminated the step of having to choose for them. They just choose a package and make the purchase.

Effectively Use Directories.

Directories are a fantastic way to ensure that target customers see your spa online. Participating on the Joy of Spa and Spa Emergency directory exposes your spa to customers around the country. Many customers may be looking to buy a gift certificate in your city for friends and family. They may never enter your spa or city but can still be a great customer if they can find your spa website online. Directories are a great tool to increase the online visibility of your business.

Offer Value.

Communicate value to your customers by creating spa treatments that are affordable. Online customers spend approximately $75 per gift certificate so make sure you have treatment options that fit that price range.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Marketing, General, Spa Website Design • 1 Comment »

Customers expect to have a great experience when they visit your spa’s website. They anticipate its speed, relevant information and ease of navigation because it is what they experience from other websites. Customers won’t wait for unwieldy transactions; they must be quick, easy and on their way instantly. They want to "get the gist" of what makes your spa special before they pass its threshold.

Your spa's first impression, particularly for new spa customers, begins with your business website. Just as customers are greeted at the spa door with a smile, extraordinary service and a lush white robe, your online audience expects tools that make their experience easy and satisfying. Put the control in their hands and you will find that your spa runs more efficiently and revenues see a positive gain as a result.

Information is Power:

Relevant information is critical to keep customers on your website. The content you create should be clear and help differentiate your spa, ultimately guiding them toward a purchase. Keep information concise and helpful, no flowery content necessary. Here is a list of important information that should be very easy to find on your website.

• Map and directions to your spa.
• Spa treatment menu.
• Pictures of the spa that differentiate it from the competition.
• Reviews. If you don’t want to link to online reviews, ask your clients to give you reviews and post them online.

Transaction Is Power:

You are making your customers' lives easier by making gift certificates available 24/7 and without the need to leave the comfort of their homes.

Joy of Spa Universal Gift Certificates make it possible to send spa gifts to relatives in Denver or Chicago. I love that my favorite local spa benefits from my out-of-town spa gift purchases. The Joy of Spa badge on your spa website means incremental revenue and it is a great benefit for customers.

Booking Is Power:

Customers book so much online these days, most wouldn’t dream of calling to make plane, car or hotel reservations. It puts the power in the hands of the customers and that makes for the beginning of a great relationship. With online spa booking customers don’t need to call; they can book an appointment when they are ready, 24/7.

It is a free SpaBoom service that makes it easy for clients to book a spa appointment.

Communication Is Power:

Any relationship is two-way; it requires a give and take. Creating an open, engaging dialog with your clients gives them powerful information that they can use or pass on to friends and family. Utilizing these tools, making them available to customers, is great for your spa business because it helps build your spa community one loyal customer at a time.

• Email Campaigns
• Joy of Spa News
• SpaBoom Blog
• Facebook
• Twitter

Posted in Joy of Spa News, Social Media, Joy of Spa Gift Certificates, Joy of Spa, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Business Management, Spa Marketing, General • 1 Comment »

Existing and potential spa customers are online using “search” to find information on your spa. Understanding and implementing a successful SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy for your spa website is absolutely critical given today’s competitive and challenging business environment.

Many day spas and salons are also beginning to see the advantage of adding social media including blogs, Facebook and Twitter, to their marketing and online efforts. Early adoption to social media can enhance a spa website’s SEO by providing new, rich content and links to your website. Search engines are recognizing social content and rewarding businesses with increased visibility, which ultimately drives more traffic and revenue to these websites. Social media also gives your spa customers new ways to learn more about your spa business.

Read the article.

It is very important to be aware that you can maximize social media’s SEO value for your spa by ensuring that you incorporate keywords into your blogs, Facebook page and Twitter feeds. Add specific keywords to your blog titles, descriptions and anchor text. It is a simple way of reinforcing who you are, what differentiates you from other spas and builds visibility at the same time.

Read the article.

How you are using social media in your spa business?

SpaBoom would like to highlight your success stories and will do our best to answer any business questions you might have regarding SEO and Social media.

Posted in Social Media, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), General • 3 Comments »

Don’t give the competition the advantage, make sure your website is up, filled with relevant and helpful content and clear directions to your spa. Increasingly, spa customers are checking out your spa website before they ever pick up the phone. If they don’t like what they see they may move on to the next spa in their area.

A Dynamic website puts the spa business owner in control by allowing them to update and enhance their website on a moment's notice. A Dynamic website gives advantage to small and wily businesses, allowing them to do what large companies can’t - change and adapt quickly. More on Dynamic websites.

Email marketing saves money, time, the environment, and is truly a liberating tool for spa business owners. SpaBoom’s free Blissful Email Marketing can bring customer loyalty and revenue to the next level. Just make sure you are only talking to customers who want to hear from you. For help in bringing your spa’s email marketing campaigns to life, call SpaBoom at 800.940.0458 today.

Book-it at SpaBoom for Free. We love to say 'Free' and our new and ever-improving booking system will help you organize your client schedule and give customers what they want - a way to book their appointment online. SpaBoom will never stop evolving, and will continue to develop cutting-edge marketing tools to make your business better and spa clients happier. More on SpaBoom's online booking.

SEO. Search Engine Optimization is important for your website. It may feel like you’ve carefully planted a garden and must wait for the results. Trust us, it is worthwhile taking time to consistently optimize your website to see your search ranking improve over time. More on SEO. More on Google search.

Relevant and informative content on your spa website is vital. It doesn’t have to happen in one day it can evolve over time. Make sure you include your spa menu on your website, potential customers love it and it will improve your search ranking opportunities. More on website content.

Think about what makes your spa distinctive, unique and make sure you communicate that to clients online. Potential spa clients are online right now, looking for the perfect spa experience. The goal is to make each client’s spa experience special and it starts with your spa website.

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Marketing, Spa Website Design • 2 Comments »

Your spa website is your business. If it is not optimized it puts your business at a disadvantage and leaves plenty of room for spa competitors to race past your website to the highest rankings. The goal is to increase traffic to your spa website by improving its ranking on search results. To improve your spa website’s search result ranking you must regularly optimize it.

If you are new to the world of optimization go immediately to the Google SEO Starter Guide. It provides businesses with the basic information they need optimize their websites for increased traffic.

Content and keywords are like peas and carrots.

The content (copy) on your spa website is extremely important. What you write, the words you use and where you use them is one factor that dictates your search ranking. When Google looks at your website it crawls the content with an eye for the words used. Website content that is well written with rich spa language that continues to develop and improve will see a positive change in rank over time. SpaBoom Dynamic Websites are designed specifically for easy content updates. If you can use Word you can update a SpaBoom website and add pages, it's that easy.

Linking.

It is very important for websites to link to your spa website. A relevant link (industry specific) tells Google that you are important, which can improve a website’s ranking over time. For more information on linking, check out this linking 101 article.

The power of social networking.

It is impossible for businesses to effectively manage their website ranking if they don’t address the new online social mediums. There are many outlets from which to choose, each with their own set of advantages. Perhaps the best approach is to look at the different options and find one that fits your business best. Once you have tackled one, there will be opportunities to branch out.

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube Search Engine Optimization

The time invested optimizing your website is valuable and it will pay off but not immediately. Don’t expect quick results, instead think long-term and the keep in mind the tangible pay-off it will provide your business.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), General, Spa Website Design • 1 Comment »

Spelling errors on websites shine like a beacon to my eyes — its almost like a curse or a superpower — they just jump out at me and I take notice.  Some slip by, but even if my eyes were perfect I would love to find an easy way to check the websites that I use frequently or even the ones to which I contribute.  Good spelling can even help your SEO — if your spa is in Albuquerque and you always end up with "Alburqueque," that could hurt your search results.

After a thorough web search, I found just one company that performed shockingly well after a few tests with some sample websites.  Spellr is out of Australia but it doesn't seem to affect their success.  They offer a free account for small websites (5 scans monthly) or premium subscriptions if you manage more content or would like to automate your reports, etc.

I'm not even at the best part, yet — all of their services, including full detailed reports and the whole enchilada, is FREE until 2/25.

Sign up for an account (you only need an email and a name — no billing info), scan your own website, and be amazed at the little errors it finds.  Their interface is so simple I'm still amazed — click on the misspelled word image and it will whip you directly into a screenshot of your website with that word highlighted.  How to best use this with your website?  Just login to your website editing tool in one browser window and open Spellr in another window, then fix as you go.  Or, download your website's report for later use.

Ok,  if I gush any more you'll think I work for them.  It is just a delight to find excellent services out there, and I hope you agree.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Website Design • 2 Comments »


Social networking online seems to be exploding: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Digg, and so on. But are these sites useful for acquiring more business for your Salon or Spa? The answer is — Yes! When used properly, it is something that can gain your business some attention.

For the most part, these social networking sites should be viewed as complementary to your website. By taking advantage of these tools you can assert your company's presence online and reach more potential customers, business partners and employees.

Here are some benefits salons & spas stand to gain by using social networking sites:

• Effective communication with existing clients
• Business promotion before a large audience
• Employee recruitment
• Cost effective marketing and
• Last, but definitely not least, is the value of social networking sites to search engine optimization. The more sites that include your name and link back to your web site or blog, the higher your profile rises in search engines, where more and more of your customers are likely to find you.

So, you may be asking how does this all work? There are a several ways you can use social networking websites. Here is one: Websites like LinkedIn allow you to update your contacts and services that your business offers. By posting regular updates about your business you can generate more leads and clients. You can also promote any event and notify your audiences about recent happenings within your company.

Now, a word of caution, while attempting to establish a good online relationship you need to be pretty careful about your manners. People do not really like to be bombarded with sales pitches. Rather they prefer to be engaged in a relevant conversation that holds some value for them. Just like with other forms of marketing the trick to being effective is to never let people know you are marketing!


With almost 10 years experience in new business start-ups and transformations, Ana Loiselle-Donahue is a specialist in finding new sources of revenue and growth for companies of all sizes. She founded theSECRET in 2004 to help businesses flourish through creative — and powerful — new solutions; including brand development, strategic financial planning and employee training. Mrs. Loiselle-Donahue can be reached at 866-288-7353 or at www.TheSecretConsultant.com
Check out her blog.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Marketing, General • 11 Comments »

This summer, SEO blogs turned their attention to the news of the moment:  Googlebot is now indexing .swf (Flash) files.

Does this mean that now, finally, using Flash on your website is OK?

In a nutshell, no.  Here's why — its about designing your site to be friendly to your audience, first and foremost.  What do your visitors want?  According to on-the-ground studies, they want to know:

1. How to find you.
2. How to contact you.
3. Your hours.
4. Your prices.  (Maybe)
5. Everything else, including:  events, specials, your story, photos, testimonials, newsletters, ambiance, and a "spa experience".

Do I sound harsh?  I don't mean to be.  A well-designed site can be elegant and still convey all of the most important information that your customers want.  But, if it is a lovely site with Flash elements and a preponderance of images that take a long time to load — especially on a mobile device — a potential customer like me isn't going to come in.  Why not?  If I cannot go to the website and immediately find an address, a phone number, and business hours, the website is almost useless.

Once I have that information, I'll likely stick around and read about the business, investigate my options, spend more time.  But first I need the basics, and it is all to easy to overlook those when designing with an eye towards graphics and motion as the first priority.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Website Design • Comment »

You've built a Dynamic Website for your spa. It is live and you want spa goers to find your website and buy lots of gift certificates for your spa. What's next? Optimize your site baby–it's called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The big engine is Google and they pretty much rule when it comes to searches. The good news is that even a small spa can win in this game, but you've got to play smart.

Ask yourself, are you in this to win? All right then, take a healthy shot of ego and jump in…

Keywords are well, key to the search.

What will a person logically enter when they are looking out there for your spa? (Let's just toss out of the equation the 5% of the population that is positively nuts when it comes to formulating logical searches.) Imagine a customer at home or work, sitting down at their computer. They plan to search the web for the perfect spa experience. Let's say they live in Austin and want to try something new. What do you think they are going to enter as their search in the Google search box? Austin, day spa.

To help improve the ranking for a spa in Austin, a website will want to have "Austin" and "day spa" written naturally in the content on the home page. Maybe something like, "Rejuvenation day spa in Austin is located in the heart of…" You get the point. Don't go overboard, Google is sensitive and it doesn't want you to throw keywords in its search engine face so 2-3 times should suffice. Make it natural!

Now take your keyword strategy a step further. If you have a specialty or focus at your spa add those as keywords to make sure target customers find you. You might not be able to rank at the top of the list for "Austin day spa" but perhaps for "Austin Reiki" or "Austin Reflexology." Someone interested in a specific treatment or bodywork may be adding those specific terms to his or her search.

Tag you're it.

Each website page has a title tag, which is where the text in the top line of the Web browser comes from. The title tag for this page is "Online marketing for spas, salons and massage therapists — SpaBoom Blog — …" The title tag is also used by many search engines as the title of search listings, and it is what a customer sees when they look at the search results for your spa. Make sure the title (and and description tags) include your city or geographic identifier and are clear, logical and describe your spa.

Popularity counts so get linked.

Super popular spas know they want to be on the first page of search results for their specific keywords, because most searchers consider the top search results most relevant. It bites not to be popular enough for the first page so make sure your SEO campaign focuses on establishing relevant website links to your website.

Imagine that a spa owner sends out a press release to the Austin Chamber of Commerce about their business, Rejuvenation spa. The Chamber of Commerce takes the information, adds Rejuvenation spa to their official website and then creates a link to the spa's website. Score, Rejuvenation Spa has just added an inbound link and it is relevant. To Google, that is important because it says that your site is important and relevant enough for another site to reference it. So get out there and make friends. It might be time to bake some cookies and initiate a campaign to get noticed online.

Blog on and on and on…

Make Mom proud and blog about your spa. Make sure it is relevant; you don't want customers to feel like they know you too well when they read your blog so keep it spa/business specific. If your spa is committed to a non-profit cause, talk about it on your blog. If you are bringing in a new piece of equipment that will take 10 years off a client's face, talk about it.

Building a reputation as a spa knowledge leader in your community will bring financial rewards to your spa and give Mom naches.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), General • 5 Comments »

Why do customers come to your spa; what is it about your spa experience or what you offer that makes your spa unique?

The question requires thought because it is the very thing you need to be focusing on. Granted, it can be a moving target especially for trendy spas that cater to those who want the newest and most cutting edge procedures. But even trendsetters need more than the next big thing to keep customers coming back again and again.

Find that thing that makes your spa special and stick to it like glue. It may be your personal stamp, spawned directly from what makes you tick or it could be born of the community of customers that surround you over time. Once you know you can use that knowledge to strengthen your website and SEO strategy and help customers find you online.

What makes your spa distinctive?

Do you offer unique treatments that are difficult to replicate without a huge outlay of cash, a trip to the Himalayas for a unique youth enhancing herb or a national talent search for specific expertise? SEO works for spas that have unique identifiers that become keywords on your website. By using those keywords on your site you leave a trail for customers find you.

Are you an integral part of your community building awareness, social responsibility and a loyal following of like-minded spa souls? Create a dialog with your customers by using the SpaBoom email marketing tool that allow you to send out the latest happenings and news from your spa.

Do you have location, a cross roads between work, fashion, bliss and an hour, half day or a full day of spa nirvana? Keeping your website updated can inspire a customer to pick up the phone and take advantage of your spas close proximity.

Are "new" and "now" an integral part of your vocabulary? Are you in constant search of the next big treatment for your cutting edge clients? Use the SpaBoom email marketing tool to reach your best customers and give them the scoop when there is something new and fabulous on your spa menu.

Does your meticulous nature infuriate less than perfect employees but also establish the groundwork for your customers' over the top spa experiences? A Dynamic website's ability to be updated and changed to satisfy your thoroughness can keep customers happy and build loyalty long-term.

Whatever that "thing" is that makes your spa sing is what will differentiate you from your competitors on the web.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Marketing, General • 2 Comments »

After Larry's post, I wanted to add a link to a complementary article on SEOmoz about an analysis of social networking and how it is in many ways more trusted than email marketing for contacting potential partners or clients. In that analysis, one sentence in particular jumped out at me:

Wow.  With that in mind, consider how your pride and joy (and blood sweat & tears) — your business — appears to the internet at large.  By all means, first work on your basic website functionality, referring to our great starter guide for tips:

But after that, consider secondary online presences like a MySpace or Facebook page.  At the very least, do you personally have a LinkedIn profile? Consider adding these to your constantly growing toolkit for developing your business and branding.

The work of promotion and growing your unique brand never stops - not in a good economy, not in a down market, not ever.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Marketing, Spa Website Design • Comment »

SEO (Search Engine Optimization):

No one can buy from your site if they can't find it. If you want to understand how people do or don't find your website, watch a friend or customer use Google to try to find a spa in our neighborhood. Try this test:

Have your friend search for your spa/salon, then have them search for several spa or services that you offer like a facial, massage or Reiki therapy. If you do not show up on the first page of results, a little SEO effort is in order. SEO is the dark art of making your website visible to the folks who should be looking for it. If you have never heard this term, and want that $4,000 month of online sales, this is a must do. It's a really big subject and the industry is full of scam artists, cheats and liars, so it's best to learn a little about it yourself.

I recommend starting with your "content." Good content is really the key to a successful SEO effort. Content is the stuff you say about your business on your website. It should have lots of the terms you think people are using to look for a spa or your business. Generally, make sure you describe who, what and where you are. You must include your city and geographic prominently in your home page (ideally in the the title tag). There are millions of sites about spas and massage, but only a few in your area. It also matters how your content is put up on your site. Use lots of text in your content. That website with swimming Koi, falling Lotus flowers or whining music are invisible to search engines. No one looks for a spa website for entertainment (except for us if its really really bad).

You should also check out your site's Page Rank. Google ranks website on a scale of 1 to 10. If you are at the bottom of that scale, your site (no matter how pretty) is unlikely to show up on that first page of results unless your content matches the search better then sites that are better ranked.

As I cautioned above, this is a massive area but you can do some good just by paying attention and editing your site. If your website is hard (or expensive) to edit this may be a key problem we can help you solve with a Dynamic Website.

If you would like to chat about these tips, join me by phone tomorrow.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), General, Spa Website Design • 2 Comments »

A TeleSeminar is worth 1000 blog posts.

If you are enjoying our top ten e-commerce tips series, Chris Brazey of SpaBoard is hosting a free TeleSeminar on Thursday, March 6th at 10:00am PT, 1:00pm ET. I will be his "guest" and will be covering 10 Tips to Improve Your Online Marketing. I will discuss all the tips we are presenting in the blog series as well as taking general questions on the subject.

Chris can accommodate the first 100 people who sign up for the seminar.

There is one catch to be aware of; when you sign up, you are also signing up for Chris's weekly profit tip newsletter. Chris assured me that he has an easy unsubscribe program if you later decide that you do not want his tips.

Sign up at DaySpaOwner.com before it fills up.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Marketing, Spa Business Management, General, Spa Website Design • Comment »

Tip #2a

"One of These Things is Not Like the Others…"

Remember that sing-song game that had you as a little kid searching for items in a group that were different from the rest?

Your eye is drawn to differences — it's how our brains are wired.

Like the human eye, which eagerly jumps to things that are new and shiny, so, too, do the search engines. If you change the content of your website on a regular basis, those search engines see the difference on their next go-around and re-index your site. The key to your increased visibility, however, is that once the search engine sees new content, it will re-index your site more frequently.

Say you're on a one-month "schedule" with Google. Change your site every other week and you might now get indexed every 14 days. Or every 7. Obviously I can't speak to their exact strategies, but it has been confirmed that the more you change, the more they will notice.

Read about this in more detail in this great article on the interesting website design blog, AHFX.

Use that knowledge to add some new content to your existing site, change a description of what you do, or jump right into your SpaBoom Dynamic Website and add some new feature information that really talks to your clients. Our Dynamic Websites are already search engine friendly, but regularly changing your own content is just another way to get a leg up on the local and national searches that your potential customers are doing right this very moment. As a bonus, Dynamic Websites automatically tell Google every time you change your site, including things like new specials in Events, encouraging Google to index your site more often.

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Tip #2

Have a great website: No, I'm not repeating, or trying to make just 9 points so I can go home early (I am sort of home for those who care).

A website is not something you build and forget about. Just like your store, you have to keep it current or visitors get bored and have no reason to return. Add interesting content regularly; update your menu and specials and packages.

The SpaBoom Dynamic Website application will do this for you, and most of our top sellers use those tools. If you would like to make better use of them, call us! If you don't have a website you can easily edit, you should consider an alternative from us or a good web designer, like our partner Televox.

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Tip #1

Build a great website: OK this sounds obvious, but it is harder than it sounds. A great website does not have to be fancy, flashy (excuse my pun) or expensive. The problem starts with the design or direction to the web designers. Lots of bad websites result from a designer building what the client asks for. The trick is to ask for the right thing(s).

A website should load quickly, be easy to navigate and have an intuitive lay out. In geek speak we call that usability.

Think about what someone might want to look for on your website. Information like hours, phone number, treatments, location(s) and transaction links (like gift certificates, shopping carts or reservations) are what most web users are looking for on a business website. They should be able to get to any one of those from your home page with a single click.

Avoid "click to enter" landing pages, music and anything that causes a progress bar (often with the text "loading") to appear. These things look impressive when the designer shows them to you but no one wants to sit through them-twice. You want your clients to return often.

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), General, Spa Website Design • 3 Comments »