Do you need one?
Does a hairdresser need a website?
Hairdressers keep regulars for years, so it is a fair question. But new clients research your work online and want to book there. Here is the honest answer.
From £297, live in 7 days, on your own domain.
Do you need a website?
The honest answer
Does a hairdresser need a website? If a full book of loyal regulars keeps you as busy as you want, and you have no wish to grow or replace natural turnover, then you could manage with an active social and Google presence. I am not going to pretend an elaborate website is compulsory for every hairdresser. But if you want new clients, win colour and specialist work, or offset regulars moving on, then yes, and the reason is bound up in how new clients now choose a hairdresser. The real question is not “website yes or no”. It is “when someone is choosing a hairdresser on their work, especially for colour, and wants to book online, can they see your transformations and book you easily”, because that is how a large share of new clients now decide.
New clients research the work and book online
The defining feature of winning new hairdressing clients, for this question, is that they research and book online. Someone choosing a hairdresser, especially for colour or a big change, browses hairdressers’ work extensively before booking, comparing galleries and choosing on the transformations they love. And they increasingly want to book online, at any hour, conveniently. That research and booking happens online, and it is where new clients are won.
If you have no website, you are absent from it. The new client browsing for a hairdresser finds salons whose work they can see and book with, chooses one whose transformations they love, and books, never seeing your work. You are not losing on skill, you may be the better colourist, you are losing because your transformations were unseen and your booking unavailable when the client was choosing. That is the quiet cost of having no website: not fewer regulars, but missing the new clients, including the valuable colour ones, who choose on the work they see and the ease of booking.
Regulars move on, so a salon needs new clients
The common reply is “I have plenty of regulars”. They are the backbone of a salon, and wonderful. But regulars move away, change their hair, or drift over time, so a salon needs a steady flow of new clients simply to replace natural turnover, let alone grow. And new clients research online, so without a site showing your work, you cannot win them, which means the natural loss of regulars is not being replaced.
So a website is not a replacement for your regulars, it is protection against their inevitable turnover and the route to growth. It wins the new clients who choose on the work they see, and even offers your existing regulars easy online rebooking, which many now prefer. Relying on regulars alone means slowly shrinking as they move on, while the new clients who could replace and grow your book choose salons they could research and book with online.
When you can skip it, and why the individual gains most
To be fair, if a full book of loyal regulars keeps you busy and you have no wish to grow or replace turnover, a website is less urgent, though an active online presence still helps. But the moment you want new clients, colour work, or to offset regulars moving on, the calculation flips, because new clients research and book online.
And it is often the small salon or the individual renting a chair who gains most, because hairdressing is chosen on the work, not salon size. A handful of new regulars covers the build, and each returns for years. An individual with a beautiful gallery and easy booking wins new clients against bigger salons, because clients choose on the transformations they see, which a talented individual can show as beautifully as anyone. For someone building their own column, a site is how you win new clients from research rather than waiting on word of mouth.
I build the site on spec and send it finished, so you see how well it shows your work and books clients before you pay anything, from £297. So the real answer is: not if your regulars keep you full and content, but yes the moment you want new clients, because they research your work and book online, and a website is where they see it and book you.
How it works
From message to live in four steps.
- 01
Message me
Tell me your trade and your town on WhatsApp. No forms to wade through, no call to book.
- 02
£99 to start
A £99 deposit gets your build going and comes off your quote. It covers some of the build time.
- 03
I build it, you see it
I build the whole site, framed around your work, and send it to you finished to look at.
- 04
Pay the rest, go live
Happy with it? You pay the balance, it goes live on your own domain, and it is yours to keep.
What you get
What a hairdressing site from me includes.
-
Built on spec
I build it first and send it finished. You see the real thing before you decide, not a mock-up.
-
Live in 7 days
From the go-ahead, your site is live within a week. No months of back and forth.
-
On your own domain
It goes live in your name. You own the site and everything on it, with no lock-in.
-
Genuinely fast
Static pages, no WordPress. Fast pages rank better and turn more visitors into calls.
-
Found on Google
Built to be found in local search, with the plumbing done properly from day one.
-
Looked after
Someone looks after it and changes it when you need. Two small edits a month, your listing kept current.
What it costs
A straight price.
From £297 to build it, first three months of Care included, then £49 a month.
You own the site outright and can stop the monthly plan whenever you like. Hosting is part of Care and Grow, so one of those keeps it online after the first three months, or you host it yourself. See the full pricing.
Common questions
Questions I get asked.
Does a hairdresser really need a website?
If you want new clients beyond your regulars, yes. New clients research hairdressers on their work before booking, especially for colour and big changes, and increasingly want to book online. Without a site showing your transformations and offering easy booking, you cannot win them. Regulars keep you busy, but a large share of new clients now choose a hairdresser on the work they see online and the ease of booking.
Isn't word of mouth and regulars enough for a hairdresser?
Regulars and referrals are the backbone of a salon, but they cannot reach the many new clients who research hairdressers online and choose on the work they see. And even a referred client looks at your gallery before booking, especially for colour. Word of mouth alone leaves the researchers with nothing to see and misses the searchers. A site with a strong gallery and easy booking captures them.
What clients am I missing without a website?
The new clients who research and book online. People choosing a hairdresser, especially for colour or a big change, browse hairdressers' work extensively before booking, and want to book conveniently. With no website you have no gallery for them to see and no easy way to book, so those clients, including the valuable colour ones, choose a salon they could research and book with. Being unseen online costs you the new clients who grow a salon.
I have plenty of regulars. Do I still need a site?
Regulars are wonderful, but they move away, and a salon needs a steady flow of new clients to replace them and grow. New clients research online, so without a site showing your work you cannot win them. And even your regulars might value easy online rebooking. A site protects against the natural loss of regulars over time by winning the new clients who choose on the work they see.
When can a hairdresser skip having a website?
If a full book of loyal regulars keeps you as busy as you want, and you have no wish to grow or replace natural turnover, you could manage with an active social and Google presence. But new clients research and book online, so if you want to grow, win colour clients, or offset regulars moving on, a site with a strong gallery and easy booking matters. It helps most when you want new clients.
Is a website worth it for a small salon or a chair renter?
Often especially so, because hairdressing is chosen on the work, not salon size. A handful of new regulars covers the build, and each returns for years. A small salon or an individual renting a chair, with a beautiful gallery and easy booking, wins new clients against bigger salons, because clients choose on the transformations they see and the ease of booking, which a talented individual can offer as well as anyone.
Tell me your town and I'll build you a hairdressing site on spec, so you can see it before you pay. Or read A Checkatrade alternative, see the full pricing, or get in touch.