According to research from Phorest Salon Software, almost half (49 percent) of Americans say that they were influenced to choose their current hair salon based on the business’ online reviews and online reputation, while 26 percent look to online reviews when choosing a spa.
When attempting to find a new hair salon to visit, 72 percent of respondents said they searched for salons on Google, while 25 percent searched on social media. Other online research methods included searching on Google Maps (18 percent) and viewing the online listing platform Yelp (15 percent).
Consumers are also using the internet to search for spas. Of those surveyed, 52 percent searched for spas on Google, 28 percent searched on social media, 16 percent used Yelp and 10 percent used Google Maps to find spas in their area. American clients seem to be more willing to search online than consumers in many other regions surveyed. In Ireland, for example, only 48 percent of participants said they perform an online search to help them find a new hair salon, while only 37 percent of the same Irish group searched online when looking for a new spa.
American consumers aren’t just using the internet to search for new service providers, however. Almost a quarter (22 percent) of participants said that they follow their regular hair salon on Instagram, while 17 percent follow their individual hair stylists’ Instagram pages. Spa clients are even more engaged with their salon online, with 25 percent of those surveyed saying they follow their spa on Instagram and 17 percent saying they follow their specific esthetician or technician.
“As an American professional beauty business, it’s never been more important to nurture your online presence," said Verna Wall, lead researcher at Phorest, in a statement. "Ask for online reviews, engage with your client base on socials, and think seriously about how you’re showing up on the internet to current and potential clients. Those who take their online reputation seriously will clearly win business over those who are not paying attention to their online reviews and social channels.”