How to get more clients as a hairdresser

In many hair salons, chairs remain empty while people search online for “hairdresser in [location]” – a clear indication of how customer behaviour has changed. The number of walk-in customers decreases, but competition grows and the occupancy rate fluctuates from week to week. 

If you want to become a successful hairstylist today, with plenty of clientele, you must be visible online. A professional website, easy online appointment booking, and targeted marketing help you reach potential customers and inspire them to book at your salon. 

In this article, you will learn how to stand out from the crowd with smart digital solutions and a clear concept, which can turn your salon into a magnet for bookings. How does this work without any programming knowledge? We will be happy to show you! 

Digital solutions for hair salons  

In an industry that thrives on trust and personal contact, digitalisation can actually be key to build trust and efficiently making contact. Many hair salons struggle with declining numbers of walk-in customers, but don’t tap into all the digital opportunities available to them.  

Digital solutions offer enormous opportunities to win new customers and retain regular customers. Now is the moment to make your hair salon fit for the digital future, quickly, professionally and precisely tailored to your needs.  

Your hair salon site as a booking booster  

If you are not visible on the Internet, it is more difficult to find new customers offline. Having your own hairdressing website creates trust, while also taking you and your hair salon to the top of Google and other search engines. That alone can literally double the number of your appointments!  

Think of a modern website as your online showroom. The first impression is decisive, since customers form a judgment in seconds. An attractive design, appealing images, and clear information strengthen trust, especially with visitors who might become new customers. 

What your hair salon’s website should include 

First, the homepage with a friendly greeting is almost mandatory! Show appealing images of your salon and navigate website visitors to an overview of your offers (e.g. haircut, colour, styling), including transparent prices.  

Introduce your team to make it more personal. Photos and short descriptions create trust and show personality. You should also clearly show your opening hours and location, preferably with embedded Google Maps.  

You should also think of several contact options. Offer a contact form for individual inquiries or queries and show your telephone number and e-mail address. It’s easiest for your customers if both are clickable directly on mobile devices.  

Tip: Be sure to pay attention to the mobile optimisation of your website (keyword: “responsive website”). Most people search via their smartphone, and all content should be clearly displayed on both desktop and mobile.  

A website for your hair salon can be implemented quickly and easily with a website builder, without any coding knowledge. You’re welcome to test the one.com website builder free of charge and without obligation:  

A very important feature for your hairdressing salon will be the appointment booking for your customers directly on your website, which we’ll cover next.  

Make scheduling easier and increase appointments with online booking 

There’s no need for phone calls when things can be done faster digitally. By making it easy to book an appointment online, you provide convenience for your customers and save yourself valuable time. 

With a digital booking system, scheduling appointments runs by itself at all times of the day, with calendar integration and a reminder function. The advantages are clear: 

• Your customers can book appointments around the clock conveniently, quickly, and independent of your opening hours. 
• As a hairdresser, you save valuable time through automated processes. Plus, you don’t have to interrupt your work to take constant phone calls.  
• Thanks to automatic reminders by e-mail, fewer or hopefully no customers will forget their appointments, resulting in fewer no-shows. 
• Easy management via calendar integration. 

Extra feature: You can integrate the appointment booking function in one.com’s website builder directly into your website without any coding!  

You can also read our article on how to set up a hair salon booking system. 

Improve your hair salon’s visibility with online marketing  

Your work is fantastic, and it should be seen! With search engine optimisation (SEO), Google Ads or social media, you can noticeably increase your reach. 

Use search engine optimisation (SEO) in a targeted manner

Integrate relevant keywords such as, for example, “hairdresser in Norwich”, in website texts and image descriptions. We have 25 excellent SEO tips for this.  

If you don’t dare to do it yourself, you can let our SEO experts help you! More information about the SEO service.  

Keep your Google Maps and Google business profile up to date  

Make sure your opening hours are correct, that photos of the salon and team are visible, and that you are actively requesting and responding to customer reviews. You can also embed quotes or reviews, including those from Google, directly on your website. This way, potential customers can see why you are the best hair salon in your town.  

Tip: Ask satisfied customers for a review right after the appointment. This helps ensure they’ll leave a review when their experience is fresh in their mind. 

Advertise online with Google Ads (SEA) 

Digital marketing campaigns that target people in your area.  

With an SEA service, you can achieve a big impact even on a small budget and don’t have to worry about it yourself. 

Online store  

You can sell care products or coupons in an online store. You can also implement this easily and quickly with the Website Builder from one.com. 

Newsletter 

At regular intervals, you can inform subscribers about your campaigns, new dyeing techniques or new team members with a newsletter. This contributes significantly to customer loyalty and thus to long-term customers of your hair salon.  

Blog  

Write blog posts about hair care, trends or promotions in your salon. You can give teasers and link to the blog posts in your newsletter.  

FAQ section 

Add an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section and provide answers to questions you often get about booking appointments, which products you use, or what services your salon offers. Adding this information reduces telephone inquiries.  

Use social media wisely 

Instagram, Facebook, and other social media channels are more than just digital photo albums. They can be stages for your products and customer magnets, especially when you use creative formats such as reels and promotions.  

Integrate social media in a meaningful way: Show your work on Instagram and Facebook. For example, you can add before-and-after pictures of hairstyles or insights into everyday salon life. This allows customers to see what you and your team can do.  

At the same time, you can use the photos from your hair salon to convey the atmosphere and your style.   

Reels and stories: Give styling tips, quick insights or funny moments from everyday salon life. This will create closeness and trust. 

Competitions and promotions: Increase your reach with formats such as “Share this post and win a free haircut”. 

Tip: Stay authentic! Real stories are better received than glossy advertising. However, always remember the consent of your customers if they can be seen in the photos.  

Referrals and customer retention  

Regular customers are worth their weight in gold, as you’ve probably known for a long time. With small incentives, you can retain your regular customers even better! Referrals, loyalty programmes, and real customer feedback make your service a topic of conversation. 

Referral program: “Bring a friend and both of you get a 10% discount” motivates referrals and rewards both customers. 

Customer loyalty programmes: Provide regular customers with little extras during regular visits, such as a free product or an added service.  

Actively collect feedback: Ask specifically for wishes, criticism or ideas and then show that you are listening. This massively strengthens customer loyalty. 

Tip: A short online form is often sufficient. 

Cooperation and local networking 

Together you are more visible! Whether it’s a fashion boutique, beauty salon or fitness centre, clever collaborations can expand your reach and show local strength.  

Collaborate with others

Bundle your strengths and raise awareness together with related businesses through cooperations. For example, you could partner up with beauty salons, fashion boutiques, fitness centres, wedding planners or nail salons.  

Flyer exchange and joint campaigns

Display your flyers at other service providers in the beauty industry. You can also organise joint events such as a beauty day together. 

Presence at local events

Markets, festivals or city runs are an opportunity for you to present yourself as part of the community with your hair salon. 

Tip: Local networks such as trade associations or city marketing initiatives are also good places to start.  

Positioning and specialisation 

The first impression counts, and the last one remains. Make every visit to your hair salon a highlight and create an atmosphere that makes clients want to come back.  

Not every salon has to be able to do everything, but there’s likely something they’re particularly good at. With a clear profile, you address exactly those people who fit what you offer. 

Occupy niches: Whether you’re a balayage specialist, curly hair expert or barbershop, those who communicate their strengths attract targeted customers. 

Address specific target groups: There are general patterns for different target audiences. For example, young people usually look for trends, while seniors may value comfort. If you know your target group, you can design your offer in a targeted manner. 

Tip: Make your specialisation visually recognisable on the website and social media. 

Salon experience and atmosphere 

For many people, a visit to the hairdressing salon is more than a necessary appointment. It’s a chance for self-care and a break from everyday life.  

This is your chance to stand out from the crowd. When people feel welcome, seen and pampered, real bonds are created, and your customers come back to you almost by themselves. 

Increase the feel-good factor: Rely on an atmosphere that invites you to linger. Stylish furnishings, relaxed music, pleasant scents and a small beverage service (e.g. coffee, tea, water) show that this is about more than hair – this is about people. 

Reception and waiting area: Welcome your guests personally, with a smile and a friendly word. Keep the waiting area clean and comfortable. Short waiting times and small touches such as magazines round off the experience. 

Customer service with personality: Training in the field of communication, active listening and type-appropriate advice make the difference. Every customer should have the feeling that they’re in the best hands. 

Extras with effect: Small gestures, such as a warm towel, a head or neck massage, or a styling tip for home, will be remembered for a long time and give the visit a special value. 

How to turn your hairdressing salon online into a booking magnet  

Today, the modern hair salon must be more than a place for well-groomed hair: it should also shine digitally.  

If you are looking for a professional hairdressing website, simple online appointment booking and clever online marketing lay the foundation for long-term success. Social media, customer loyalty and clear positioning round off the overall digital concept, and make your salon a visible magnet for old and new customers. 

Best of all, many of these measures can be implemented with just a few clicks. The website builder from one.com offers you all the tools you need, from website creation to appointment booking and integrated marketing. 

Now is the perfect moment to boost your online visibility. The better your salon looks online, the fuller your schedule will be offline. Good luck!