Spa Website Design

There's nothing worse than an out-of-date website. Be sure yours is always current and makes it easy for your visitors to get the right impression every time they visit!

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

Responsive Design – The Future Is Here

We already talked about what responsive design and development was in our other blog post: Websites In a World of Instant Gratification, and the same concept follows suit with emails. More and more customers are viewing your emails on their tablets and smartphones. Since we like to keep up with current technologies, we are now making it easier for your customers to get the right layout the right way now matter what device they are using.

Once you choose one of our newer email designs, feel free to Send a Test email to yourself and view it on your phone. You’ll see how the different elements in the email and our custom websites shrink to fit.

Plus, we have complimentary Instant Gift Certificate designs to match! Log-in to check out our new Wedding, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day marketing materials that you can use today!

Posted in General, Gift Certificate Designs, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, Spa Technology, Spa Website Design • 2 Comments »

Congratulations Kris with Curative Therapies for winning an iPad4 in the SpaBoom Sweepstakes! Thank you for participating, and stand by for our January reveal of our new look!

Team SpaBoom

Posted in General, Social Media, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom New Features • Comment »

It's almost time to wrap up this re-image campaign, and we need your help!

We're down to the Final 4 designs, and we need you to vote to tell us which one you like best!!

Final votes will be cast on November 30th, so express your opinion before the turkey roasts!

Posted in General, Media Coverage, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom New Features • Comment »

Mobile capability has never been more crucial for spas. Your clients are spending increasing amounts of time on their mobile devices, and you need to meet them where they're hanging out!

Watch Bill and Seth discuss the importance of mobile, and the absolute musts for your spa or salon marketing.

Posted in Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Marketing, Spa Technology, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Podcasts • 2 Comments »

Last year,over 1 billion smartphones were sold. With such a dramatic rise in the advancement of smartphone technology, millions of people are doing more than just talking on their mobile phones. These days, people are using their smartphones to listen to music, watch videos and play games, as well as, and more importantly, to connect with their friends through emailing, texting and the active use of social networks like Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Not only are people using smartphones to connect with their friends and families, but as consumers, they’re also using them to connect with their favorite spas, restaurants and other local businesses. In fact, according to a study by the NAA foundation, today’s college students said they used their phones to check their social networks for local information when planning their nights out, weekends and other social activities. Now that so many people access the World Wide Web no matter where they are located, the ability for spas to adapt to the mobile trend will be a critical component to engage, retain and foster new clients.

By 2015, it is expected that over a billion people will have smart phone technology at their fingertips. With so many people connecting to the Internet via smartphones, it’s inevitable that we’ll see more potential clients access spa websites from their phones. In January 2012, Google released research showing that more people in the US, UK, Germany, France and Japan are accessing the Internet through their mobile phones than their PC or laptop. When people try to access a site that’s not mobile-friendly, they often become annoyed and whether conscious of it or not, they end up with the impression that the small business managing said website doesn’t care about its user’s experience. Moreover, if customers can’t visit the site on their mobile device, it’s very unlikely they’ll find a desktop PC or laptop to gain access. As a matter of fact, if people can’t access your website through their mobile phones, it’s more than likely they’ll visit a competitor’s site that does facilitate mobile browsing causing you to lose market share and customer loyalty.

Most companies that offer "mobile websites" make a copy of your website’s content, duplicating it in a second location for mobile devices. Unless done correctly, you've just created duplicate content issues for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In addition, when a client emails your website from their smartphone to a friend that views it on their desktop, they see the wrong version of your website. Plus, you now have to update your content twice.

We've taken a different approach at SpaBoom using responsive web design that automatically renders the web page for whatever device you're using. On a smartphone, you get a mobile-friendly version; on a desktop, the full-sized site.

In a world of instant gratification, the success of your spa or salon depends on your ability to keep your business at your clients’ fingertips and to adapt to the on-going digital trends. Creating a mobile version of your website or Instant Gift Certificates page will not only help you reach a wider audience of potential clients, but a mobile website helps your spa standout in a positive way as it captivates your visitors' attention in a new and innovative way, preventing them from visiting your competitors’ websites, and driving revenue for you in the process!

Posted in Creating Customers, Spa Marketing, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Technology, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Dynamic Websites, SpaBoom New Features • 8 Comments »

Valerie Walton is the owner of Urban Escape, Massage & Bodywork in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Valerie became a SpaBoomer in August of 2009 when she purchased a Dynamic Website with Instant Gift Certificate built-in.

Valerie, both a massage therapist and business owner, explained that her time is limited regarding creating marketing for her business. Therefore, in March of 2012 she decided to upgrade to the SpaBoom Custom Marketing System.

The number of campaigns that are included the Custom Marketing System also makes Valerie happy.

Valerie said she really thought that having marketing materials tailored to her business was especially helpful.

One of Valerie’s first, and favorite, Custom Marketing Campaigns she did through SpaBoom was a sweepstakes.

With SpaBoom’s help, Valerie’s business has grown.

Valerie added that the tools and features available through the SpaBoom system are everything she needs for her business to be successful.

Posted in Creating Customers, General, Social Media, Spa Business Management, Spa Gift Certificates, Spa Technology, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Custom Marketing System, SpaBoom Dynamic Websites, SpaBoom New Features, SpaBoom Webinars • 1 Comment »

Your website literally has a millisecond (thousandth of a second) before losing a visitor to your competitor. If you want any advantage online, your clients better nickname your website “speedy.”

Consumer expectations have changed dramatically in the past few years, we feel deprived if we don’t get it fast enough.

Our computers and mobile devices have become an extension of our brain to the point that delays feel jarring and reduce our thought flow. It’s an amazing contrast to the 1990’s when we'd click our mouse and then have time to bake a pie, rake the yard or knit a sweater before anything would come up on the screen.

We have forgotten the decades-old trauma, the insufferable buzz sound accompanying a dial-up, 300-baud modem on a Commodore 64 computer. It was that interminable wait, eclipsed only by the time devoured bringing up CompuServe or AOL content, that ultimately brought us to our knees in submission.

Tech-hungry smart phone and tablet users are downloading videos, news updates and maps to your spa or directions to that just-opened restaurant at an exponential rate, creating a virtual traffic jam. It's very important for you to understand that a slow website diminishes the user-experience and directly correlates to a less engaged visitor who rarely digs into your website, leaves quickly and will not book an appointment, purchase an Instant Gift Certificate or read your spa blog.

Optimizing your website for speedy delivery is expected, and not paying attention will cost you dearly. Ironically, consumers have a completely different set of expectations for load times on mobile devices, but that is also changing quickly.

The state of mobile load-time today according to econsultancy.com:

• 74% of users will abandon after waiting five seconds for a mobile site to load.
• 57% have experienced problems when accessing a mobile site.
• 46% would not return to a poor performing site.

Tips from SpaBoom Website Design Experts:

• Every element of your dynamic website must rank high for speed.
• Never overlook end-user load times when designing your website, its their experience you must satisfy.
• If you are infatuated by the idea of flashy visuals on your website, if you demand unnecessary clutter resulting in an overly complex website then you will diminish the load speed of your website.
• Less is more. Keep your website design clean and avoid flash at all costs.
• Reduce image file sizes to make pages load faster.
• Avoid music and unnecessary distractions on the homepage.
• Avoid all auto play including ads, music or video.
• Don’t put too much content or unnecessary media on your website.
• Most website visitors are using a decrepit, 5-10 year-old computer so the load-times must optimized for those delicate machines. It will minimize crashes caused by too much data.

Posted in General, Spa Website Design • 2 Comments »

Pure Salon & Spa is on a mission to soothe the senses, renew their clients vitality and restore the body and mind to a more beautiful state. Their knowledgeable staff specializes in a variety of relaxing beauty and body treatments including: manicures and pedicures, therapeutic massages, facials, body scrubs and body wraps, and hair services. They truly want to pamper clients and create an unforgettable salon and spa experience every time.

Pure Salon & Spa wanted an updated, modern and fresh website that incorporated crisp lines and sharp, bright colors. They also have a large spa and salon product inventory so they wanted to make it more accessible to online customers. Pure specializes in weddings and needed a section of the website dedicated to bridal and wedding services as well as an image gallery that would give potential clients a sense of their expertise.

The solution was to create simple navigation that carried through the modern theme and resulted in a decidedly crisp and beautiful aesthetic for their website. Our graphic design team used sub-menus for more complex pages, which made the website extremely easy-to-use for online visitors and also added an accordion menu for their wedding and bridal gallery. This new design also streamlined the project development process and kept the implementation running smoothly, yielding a faster result.

Pure Salon & Spa came into the website design process prepared with professional images from one of their partners, Great Lengths. Superior images often inspire a compelling website design, a synergy likely to produce a beautiful and effective website. In this instance, we used these fantastic images and then incorporated movement to draw the eye in and encourage visitors to linger. Pure Salon & Spa was extremely organized throughout the website design process, providing all the critical information in a timely manner and that made for a wonderfully effective partnership.

Posted in General, Spa Website Design • Comment »

Fusion Aveda Salon and Spa is located in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. They have created a beautiful setting for their full-service spa, with a spa lounge and their quiet and tranquil treatment rooms.

Fusion's spa menu is rich with signature treatments including skin resurfacing facial treatments, exotic body scrubs, chakra balancing massages and exhilarating facials. The staff at Fusion Aveda Salon and Spa is extremely knowledgeable about new Aveda products and their spa services.

Fusion's new website takes their business to the next level with a homepage that is uncluttered, easy to navigate and sophisticated to meet the needs of their customers. The new website makes it simple for clients to purchase Instant Gift Certificates, book appointments online and follow their business on Facebook and Twitter.

Fusion has added a short video to their homepage, an important source of information for potential customers and a valuable marketing and SEO tool for all local spas and salons. Businesses are using video to educate and provide service demonstrations, which can increase conversions and take relevance to the next level with information that written content can't convey.

Fusion's new website raises the bar for other spas and salons in their geographical area and it will help Fusion generate more traffic online. Now it's so easy for visitors to see the menu and choose from their great selection of spa and salon services.

This is a beautiful and elegant website that will help Fusion Aveda Salon and Spa build online traffic and increase revenue for their business. They can easily make changes to the website and consistently keep content fresh to improve their SEO rank.

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

Chirugy Massage has created a relaxing spa environment, focused on health and whole body wellness. Their facility promises a private and quiet spa experience for clients seeking a much-needed reconnection to mind and body. They specialize in therapeutic pain management, holistic treatments and stress relief.

A new spa or salon website elevates your local brand, so building one that creates a strong association with your physical business and that attracts more visitors by standing out amongst competitor's websites is critical.

Spas like Chirugy, that embrace holistic health and wellness can effectively and subtlety communicate their unique brand and build a website that fits their business perfectly.

One philosophical tenant of Chirugy Massage is creating a practice that embraces whole body wellness, allowing the body to heal itself naturally and addressing the body as a whole unit that works toward the single purpose of life. It makes sense that their website should work pretty much the same way.

Color branding guru, Susan Gunelius, says this about using Yellow as a major color in a website:

After SpaBoom's initial website launch call with Chirugy Massage on January 1st, our implementation team was able to build and take their website live on January 25th. Chirugy Massage had a beautiful new website and integrated online marketing platform in less than a month.

Chirugy Massage is also taking advantage of SpaBoom's online marketing platform by using our built-in, customizable email campaigns that integrate Chirugy's current specials and events within the email. They repurposed the email content and posted it on Facebook. They used social media to extend that campaign to remind fans about their current treatment specials and in-spa events.

Posted in General, Spa Website Design • 1 Comment »

This is a great explanation of why we do what we do when we build a Dynamic Spa Website. Then, when you build new pages on your website, keeping the "search engine recipe" in mind will help you build better content that attracts more visitors from natural search traffic.

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

KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is all you need to know about designing a great website. The rest is commentary. It turns out consumers don't care much for animated page flipping or a fade-to-pink musical ode to pampering. If this describes your site, 1995 is on the phone and wants its web design back.

Actually, customers care more about your spa and the services offered than some "cutting-edge" experience that a designer wants to charge $5,000 to build. Most visitors (76%) simply want a website that makes it easy to find the stuff they are looking for like a spa's hours of operation, accurate contact information and valuable features like the ability to purchase Instant Gift Certificates online.

Unfortunately, like a puppy fixated on a squirrel, many businesses are hyper-focused on the visual aesthetics of their website design and spend weeks (months) perseverating on the kerning, background and images on a splash page while the usability gets shoved to the side.

I know what you are going to say; "but spa and salon are visual industries" you cry! "We must feel good about how we look," you plead. Fear not! Below are new spa and salon websites that deliver both, clean navigation with a purpose and beautiful and modern designs that catch the end-users eye and beg for a closer look.

Clear and Simple Navigation

The Cheveux Salon website delivers beautiful images that complement its simple and clean navigation. When a design team manages to mesh all the important components of a business into a website, providing valuable online tools and easy to read content, the end-user tends to linger, peruse and purchase. Salon Cheveux is a great example of a clean, modern design that allows the website to do its job.

Images and White Space

ESSA Salon and Spa's website is an amazing example of eye-catching images and strategic use of white space to make important features shine through. The photo slides catch the eye and draw you into all the amazing hairstyles. The use of white space on the homepage naturally focuses attention on all the important components of the website that should be clearly emphasized. This website is packed with information that the end-user can immediately tap into with a single click. ESSA's Facebook integration is cutting edge and adds an up-to-date social component to the website.

Typography and Background Patterns

The Rommetta Salon website shows how strong typography and background patterns can work in concert to achieve a rich texture design that also manages to effortlessly take the end-user where they need to go. The navigation bar is so easy to see and read but also serves to ground the website design. Rommetta's website is content rich but the large photos manage to create balance without overpowering valuable information about the salon.

A Clearly Defined Brand

The beauty of the VIP Salon and spa website design is how perfectly it expresses VIP's brand identity. This is an award winning, innovative salon and spa that strives to give clients the most amazing experience possible. I wrote a blog post about VIP a while back and was taken then with their desire to make every client feel special. The new website perfectly reflects the sophistication and urban feel that VIP strives to maintain. The limo service featured on the website is the perfect way to start a spa experience at VIP Salon and Spa.

Leverage a Strong Local Presence

Athena Jean Salon and Spa is a successful businesses that has amassed incredible value to their logo, it is a highly identified local business. The goal was to bring balance to their overall website design and also give the spa website clear navigation that makes it simple for consumers to find what they want. Our graphic designer accomplished this brilliantly by pairing balance to the logo with clean navigation, still allowing their strong local brand presence to shine through.

Posted in General, Spa Website Design • Comment »

There is no excuse for bad website design so don't let your salon website become a visual train wreck.

You might have missed your chance to take in the LIVE personality and sparkle of our webinar on Monday with Seth and Janell, but you can still learn the top 5 salon website design disasters and then how to avoid them with attractive and sophisticated designs that are useful to customers — just view and download our webinar files and catch up on your own schedule.

Janell and Seth reveal the latest website design trends that engage clients and seamlessly tie into content leaving a lasting impression.

Watch the Video: Top 5 Salon Website Disasters

Download and follow along with our presentation [PDF]

Posted in Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Dynamic Websites, SpaBoom Webinars • Comment »

There is no excuse for bad website design so don't let your salon website become a visual train wreck.

Join us as we reveal the top 5 salon website design disasters and then show you how to avoid them with attractive and sophisticated designs that are useful to customers.

Learn about the latest website design trends that engage clients and seamlessly tie into content leaving a lasting impression.

Don't miss out. This is a free webinar so sign up right away!

Reserve your Webinar Seat Now!

Title: Top 5 Salon Website Design Disasters — Free Webinar
Date: Monday, May 16th , 2011
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Posted in General, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Webinars • Comment »

Essentials Salon in Santa Rosa, California, has an inspiring goal to pamper their clients from head-to-toe and to bring out their individual, natural beauty. They accomplish this by using the most advanced organic and natural products available today. The salon has an experienced and talented staff that is among the most qualified in the industry, with over 85 years combined experience.

The salon's new website is designed to create a strong first impression, highlighting their commitment to natural products and cutting-edge hair treatments. Essential's website incorporates many of the latest website design trends like streamlined navigation, so online traffic can find what they need quickly and efficiently, and cutting edge use of spacing for a modern and streamlined look.

Website designers are trending toward simple, easy to navigate websites that don't throw everything at the end-user all at once. Essentials Salon's professional photography is bold, creating a strong first impression that is appealing to the eye. The salon's website conveys their environmental focus and attention to natural beauty by delivering such a clean aesthetic.

Essentials salon is committed to helping clients get what they need, whether it's a new hairstyle or a trim to manage a style they already love. They also offer Shellac manicures and Keratin smoothing treatments. The salon offers organic hair color along with their specialized techniques to bring out the natural beauty of their clients. Essentials Salon also specializes in express blowout, formal hair, facial waxing, manicures and pedicures for adults and children.

Posted in General, Spa Website Design • Comment »

BLU WATER Medi-Spa Salon is a luxurious medi-spa and salon set in a relaxed atmosphere. They have created a tranquil environment and are focused on delivering individualized care to their clients and exceptional customer service. Blu Water has developed a skilled, professional team that continuously strives to exemplify high standards in quality and performance.

This is a great review from a very happy customer, right from their Facebook page!

Creating this new website for Blue Water is a first step in being successful online. It creates the opportunity to build online traffic to their website and turn visitors into new clients. In addition, consumers can book appointments, purchase spa instant gift certificates and check out Blu Water's Twitter and Facebook page. It is critical that Blu Water Medi Spa now has a homepage that is easy to navigate, tells visitors exactly what the spa does and what is important to know about their business. The services menu is easy to find and outlines the full array of massage, skincare, waxing, chiropractic, nail and hair services they offer to their clients.

Blu Water is an Aveda concept salon which means the spa meets the strict quality standards of the beauty brand. They have also differentiated themselves in their community by hosting the Premier Bridal Expo in Monroe Michigan. There were a variety of wedding services and vendors on hand at the Expo to give brides-to-be access to all the local businesses while promoting Blu Water's expertise in bridal hair and spa services.

Posted in General, Spa Website Design • Comment »

What impression is your website giving right now?

If you couldn't join us as we discussed the latest website design trends on Wednesday, fear not. All of the critical components to effective website design are still available for you as our slideshow download, and to get the full experience, watch our video of the webinar as it happened live. The presentation is always engaging by the duo of Seth and Janell and you'll leave feeling empowered and ready to revamp your site and your social media strategy for the spring holidays.

You won't hear the Q & A at the end, but feel free to call us and one of our folks can handle your questions from the nuts and bolts to "I am not a client yet but want to be". We love those calls! (It is 800-940-0458, if you've forgotten.)

Watch the Video: Secrets of Successful Websites

Download and follow along with our presentation [PDF]

Posted in Social Media, Spa Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Webinars • 4 Comments »

Dermage Spa in Wilton, Ct is known for it's warm and professional staff, all are fully licensed, certified and highly trained to provide their clients with a special spa experience. They offer a wide range of wellness, skin care, relaxation, stress reduction and personalized services including cosmetic medical treatments.

The spa's new website gives online consumers full access to client reviews right from the home page. Reviews are valuable to those wanting to know more about the Dermage spa experience before they book an appointment. In addition, SpaBoom assisted Dermage in adding video to their website, providing an added benefit to consumers preferring to get information through video.

It’s great to see a spa that has claimed their Google Places listing and sits at the top of search results! It is because they are doing so many things right and taking advantage of the online tools available, like reviews and blogging, to improve their rank in search results.

Advantages of using video to promote your spa:

According to Forrester Research, online videos were 53 times more likely than traditional web pages to receive an organic first-page ranking in search results.

According to TechCrunch:

To ensure you drive traffic to your website, make sure you submit a video sitemap to Google. It gives them the information they need to add your information in search.

Advantages of claiming your Google Places listing:

• Once you have verified your Google Places listing and optimized it, your spa will show up at the top of search results on the map. This is a great way to expand your exposure to more Google users for spa searches in your city.
• It is free so take advantage of it.
• Google Places allows you to enhance your spa listing and provide rich details about your spa. You can add hours of operation, photos, product and service descriptions, even video to your verified listing.
• Potential clients who are looking for your business using a smart phone will see all the relevant data on your spa’s Google Places listing. It provides easy access to your business’s address and phone number.
• As your spa adds online reviews, they are collected on your listing and it can help improve your search rank over time. Your online reviews are valuable so make sure you manage them effectively.

Posted in General, Spa Marketing, Spa Website Design • Comment »

Informative, experiential, optimized, engaging, soothing, and energized.

Very likely, these adjectives describe some aspect of the treatments, services and environment of your spa or salon. They should also describe your website. Today, your website is often the very first impression a consumer has of your business.

What impression is your website giving right now?

Join us as we discuss the latest website design trends and reveal the secrets to a successful website makeover. There are critical components to effective website design and when incorporated will intuitively align your website's first impression with the truest version of your spa or salon brand.

Learn how to leverage the power of group buying to build your client base, increase revenue all while enhancing your spa's services and increasing your social media reach.

Space is limited.

Reserve your Webinar Seat NOW!

Title: Secrets of Successful Websites — Free Webinar
Date: Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
Time: 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM EST

Posted in General, Spa Marketing, Spa Website Design, SpaBoom Webinars • Comment »