How often have you bought something based on the recommendation from a friend or family member? You might have tried a new gym, lipstick, recipe or restaurant based on the good word of a friend. This is called referral marketing and it’s something you need to use inside your salon or for your independent stylist services.
The Internet marketing version of this is online reviews. New or prospective stylist clients will go online and look to see what past clients have to say about you and your business. If they see too many bad reviews, then you’re in trouble. However, if you’ve been successful with cultivating positive reviews, then you’re sure to see a surge in foot traffic.
Getting good at securing more reviews also does the following for your salon:
- Builds a quality reputation
- Strengthens your brand
- Makes your salon look trustworthy and professional
- Boosts your local search engine optimization results
Here are solid tips to help get your salon services reviewed online.
Give a Positive Experience
You can’t get positive reviews unless you provide a positive experience inside your salon. This should be a given but don’t discount it. No one is going to review your business positively if your salon services and customer service isn’t up to par.
Simply Ask
The first step is to ask your clients for the review! Create a standard operating procedure inside your salon so all stylists ask happy clients to review on Google or Yelp, for example. You can’t get a review if you don’t ask for one.
Make it Easy for Clients
Don’t forget to email each client after their appointment with a thank you for coming in and a request to review your salon online. Make it easy for them to follow through with the review by providing them a link from the email over to your Facebook page, Google business page or your Hair To Chair Profile page. Another way to make it easy for them is to give them a comment/review card when they pay and ask them to drop it in a box before they leave.
Provide Incentives to Your Clients
You might try a contest to get clients more excited to leave an online review. Set up a drawing and give away a free product or service. Each time a client leaves a review, enter them into the contest.
Implement a Referral Program
This is just a bit different but the goal is the same. Start up a referral program where clients earn points each time they refer someone. Give them a free service or product when they reach enough points. This directly helps generate more online reviews when you get their referrals into your review process.
What Happens if You Get a Negative Salon Review?
There’s no way to avoid negative reviews. Some people are simply hard to please and will find something wrong with the process no matter what you do. Don’t worry about this too much. Ask yourself if their account of what happened is truly what happened. Be honest here. If their story is true, then learn from it and put steps in place to make sure that type of situation never happens again.
Next, directly address the bad review online. Always respond once you’re in a good mood and can write something positive. Never attack a client or appear angry. Thank the person for bringing it to your attention and offer them something for free in your attempt to make it right. Future prospects reading it will see clearly that your stylist services or your salon is one they want to use or visit.
Implement a system for getting reviews. The result will be more consistent business for your salon.
