How apps can boost your salon business

Modern technology is constantly evolving in a quest to keep customers informed and entertained. And the hairdressing industry is catching up fast, discovers Donna Chapman Apps are a modern phenomenon, providing a wealth of information and entertainment at the touch of a smartphone or tablet screen. From reminders to recipes, directions to dating, banking to betting, our appetite for an instant serving of subject-specific data is insatiable. The concept of travelling light while loaded with knowledge is one that’s supremely 21st century. According to 2012 statistics, apps are now more popular than the internet. Global technology business leader Gartner projects that consumer spending on mobile apps will reach $29.5 billion (£19.2 billion) by the end of 2013. As well as revolutionising leisure time, the multi-functionality of mobile devices is affecting the way we do business. Accordingly, the hairdressing industry is increasingly on-message with the downloading zeitgeist. When it comes to engaging with an audience hungry for information in a digital world, apps are the latest tool of the trade. A taste for training apps Apps are the perfect format for delivering accessible, and affordable training in tune with a young audience. One of the first to appreciate the app’s potential, Andrew Collinge launched his Two-Minute Up-Do App in association with Denman in April 2011. Comprising step-by-step instructions on four signature updo’s, it proved a hot seller from the outset. After achieving more than 30,000 downloads in less than six months and raising money for charity in the process, Andrew was motivated to add a fifth two minute hair-up video to the package. The app was devised by Park Network, a content creation and production company working in television and new media, with whom Andrew has enjoyed a long association. Vancouver, Canada-based Dynamic Leap Technology designed and built the content. [caption id="attachment_21641" align="alignleft" width="300"] Apps can boost your salon business[/caption]  Foss track to training Chris Foster is a multi award-winning hairdresser renowned for pushing traditional barbering well beyond its conventional roots. No stranger to social media, he was an early convert to YouTube and Facebook as marketing tools for his academy business. Chris has now upped the ante with the launch of a barbering techniques training app available via the iTunes Store and downloadable all over the world. Motivated by a love of technology and a wealth of ideas, Chris carefully researched the subject before getting a production company onboard. “I wanted to create a training tool for the here and now supporting the Foss Academy,” he explains. “And one with the capability to keep pace with the latest barbering techniques that I’ll be sharing with my audience; essentially a reference resource for the digital age.” The Foss Academy App provides high-definition video content covering all the key disciplines in male grooming across four channels; barbering, creative cutting, a shave section and hair tattoo work. “In my opinion, putting together a credible app that’s a credit to your name and company demands a budget of around £25,000. This will give a truly bespoke product customised to your specifications. Bear in mind also that it’s not a one-off payment deal. You’ll also need a development budget to fix bugs and add more content,” Chris says. “You can go for a template option that is far cheaper, but the downside is that there’s much less customisation or control over the user experience. My content was filmed last Summer and the app launched this June. New content will be added in early 2014 and every six months thereafter. The app will evolve as styles do – it’s not a static product. “I’m delighted with the results; particularly as I’ve become a finalist in HJ’s 2013 Innovation/Website of the Year at the British Hairdressing Business Awards. This app reflects my mantra ‘innovate or die’. It’s my way of finding new ways to tell old stories,” he adds. Apps and appointments Forward-thinking salons are using app technology to give their clientele the option of booking, browsing and buying, any time using Apple and Android devices. Barrie Stephen Hair partnered with Three Thinking to design an app enabling clients to book appointments, shop for products, access discount features and more. “On a purely business level, the app extends our virtual shop window – doubling our presence along with our online website booking. It means we can process more appointments,” Barrie explains. Client Sam Green, a working mum with two small children, is a fan of the new system. “I like the way the app fits and works with the routine and demands of my life. It’s so instant and I really appreciate that. With a frenetic schedule, I don’t have to go through a search engine to find the website and then the specific page,” she says. Elajé Hair & Beauty in Cambridge has introduced an advanced app allowing clients to book appointments online from their smartphones and make credit and debit card payments directly to the salon. Available free via iTunes’ lifestyle section, the app received 200 downloads in the first week of launching. The Gary Hedley Group’s first foray into app territory occurred last month and features a comprehensive list of content formerly the preserve of a website. “It surprises me how many salons are yet togive apps a whirl, given that most of the hairdressing market uses handheld devices for almost everything. “The time is now and apps are sure to take over full website usage as more of us are moving to the small IT unit,” Gary says.