Actually, you have probably wondered about it for some time, only the whole Internet thing seems so complicated and overwhelming, and you are after all a cosmetologist, not a computer scientist.
The answer is an unequivocal, YES! Not because your site is going to make you a fortune, (it probably isn't), but because the Internet has become an everyday communications tool much like the salon telephone. Not only is the Internet an essential tool for business in the year 2000, it is becoming a customer expectation. If that were not reason enough, (and it should be), there is also the fact that next to 'word of mouth', the Internet is the cheapest form of advertising available and when used properly, will help generate more business for your salon.
Whether you decide to design and maintain the site yourself, or to hire a professional to do it for you, do it you must if you want to be taken serious in today's business. Worse, if you don't have a web site yet, one or more of your competitors probably do.
One of the most fundamental rules of business is that you must embrace 'change.' Whether you understand it or not, or like it or not, change is inevitable and essential. Revlon, the cosmetics giant, thought they could ignore change and as a result they are almost two billion dollars in debt and had to sell off their professional lines such as American Crew and Creative Nails. In part because of 'the Internet.'
You can of course dig in your heels and ignore change too, after all, it is your salon and you can run it any way you darn well please. That is your right and you have the power to enforce it. On the other hand you are also making the decision for your employees, and they have the right to quit and go to work somewhere else, and many will.
For those of you who would like to embrace change but don't know where or how to begin, good news. This is only the first article in a series of articles on how to create and maintain your own web site, and best of all, its free.
In case you still doubt your ability to do it yourself, consider this: Hair-news.com is owned by a small salon without a single computer scientist on staff and is now the largest and most popular 'hair' web site on the planet, that began with an initial budget of $22.50. If we can do it, you can do it. (Although probably not for $22.50 anymore.) If that doesn't sell you on the idea to own a web site, try this: Although we have no intention of selling the web site at this point, the highest offer that we have had to date is for just over five million dollars!
For those of you who cannot wait for the rest of the series and want to hire a professional to do it for you now, by all means do so. There are certain rules to designing a successful site that must be adhered to. Make sure that your web designer follows them to the letter or you will have wasted your time and money.
1. The site must be 'content rich.'
2. The site must load fast. (No cute and clever animated design).
3. The site must be esthetically pleasing to the eye. (Lots of 'white space').
4. The site must navigate easily.
5. The site must be easy to find.
We will discuss these rules item by item in the next article and give you some cost effective tips and resources to begin designing your own site.
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