Salon App Development – Benefits, Steps, Features, Costs

So, you’ve a salon business, and since you’re reading this blog, we assume that you’re confused whether it’s too late to build a mobile app for your salon business or not. Simple answer: a big NO!

It’s not too late. And it never will be. You see, building a mobile app for salon business is only going to grow your business bigger, even if you’re entering the market now. Reason? – it’s mainly because the majority of customers are using smartphones right now, and according to statista, mobile apps contribute over $40 billion revenue in the industry.

And since the salon business majorly depends on the repeat customers, a salon app for your business can produce lots of happy customers by providing features like cashless transactions, irresistible referral offers, emergency appointments, and instant notifications on limited discounts.

We recently built Barber’s Connect, an on-demand salon appointment app, for one of our clients in US. The app allows barbershops and beauty salons to post their services with all the details and customers can then book an appointment, make online payment, get directions, and contact the barber directly.

Point is, building a mobile app for on-demand salon app development business still makes sense. Here, we’ll share the challenges salon businesses are facing right now and how they can overcome these challenges through salon app development.

Challenges Faced by On-Demand Salon App Businesses

Although the salon industry is booming day-by-day, barbershops & salons are still struggling to survive due the growing number of competitors. Below are the main challenges salons are facing these days. Read & see how many challenges are you facing, and learn how a mobile app development services for your salon business can help you overcome them.

1: Tough Competition

As mentioned just above, Barbershops and salon businesses are facing extremely tough competition as customers now have a wide range of options to choose from.

2: Staff Productivity

While researching & developing Barber’s Connect, we discovered that in most salons and barbershops, there is no proper management process for handling appointments as well as assigning staff members to each customer. This ultimately affects overall productivity, especially if you’ve multiple branches.

3: Customer Retention

Like mention earlier, the salon industry is majorly driven by repeat customers. In fact, 80% of business comes from 20% of the customers, according to Gartner. But still, most barbershops and salon businesses fail to maintain relationship with their customers. This is mainly because most of the salons and barbershops don’t even possess any customer details.

4: Gaining Popularity

As most salon businesses rely mostly on its location to be discovered by their potential customers, it becomes difficult to gain popularity & visibility due to not being at a prime location. But, a mobile app for your salon business can do wonders in terms of reaching targeted customers online and attracting them through irresistible offers.

All in all, developing a salon appointment app for your business will not just help you reach more customers and grow revenues, but it will also be cherished by your customers. Read further to know how salon app development can provide priceless benefits to your business as well as your customers.

Benefits for On-Demand Salon App Development

Investing in a on-demand salon app will shower you with multiple benefits and will definitely help you in the long run. Let’s discuss each benefit in detail below.

1: Better Management

Admit it – if your staff knows that there are three other customers waiting in line for their turn, it will most definitely affect the quality of their service. But, through a mobile app, you can achieve better management of waiting customers by appointment booking feature.

2: Improved Customer Retention Ratio

If you own a barbershop or salon businesses, then you might have dealt many angry customers till now. These angry customers are more likely to march toward your competitor due to delay in providing your services. But, through a mobile app, you can inform customers with the available time slots or notify them beforehand if there will be a delay in catering them, so that you can avoid making them wait in queue and making them angry.

3: Build Deeper Bonds with Customers

You can record and maintain your customers data from their contact numbers to their skin type all within your mobile app. With these data, then, you can reach out and communicate with your customers on regular basis and send regular updates as well as offers to strengthen the ties.

4: Stand-out from Competitors

Having a mobile app for your salon business can most definitely help you distinguish yourself from competitors. In addition, you can also target broader market by widening the reach through your salon app.

Benefits for Customers

So, now that you know the priceless benefits you’ll get from salon app development, let’s dig into how your salon app will benefit your customers.

1: Huge Time-Saver

Your customers will love you if you just simply value their time. And by providing the functionality to schedule an appointment, you eliminate the entire wait-for-your-turn concept in your business.

2: Information at Fingertips

Your existing as well as potential customers will be able to get all details including working hours, services you offer, available time slots, and the package you provide within your mobile app. This will ultimately help you in avoid any sort of disappointments by letting your customers know each and every detail of all your services and the available time slots.

3: Reminders

We’re all humans after all and we bound to forget things at times. But you can incorporate a push notification as well as SMS facility to remind your customers about their upcoming appointments with you. This will not only reduce the no-shows, but taking extra care of your customers, it’ll also make your business stand-out from the competitors.

4: Discounts & Offers

Who does not get delighted at the mention of a sale, discount, or offer? Just keep offering regular discounts & offers, and watch your appointment slots fill up in no time.

Popular Salons That Are Enjoying the Perks of Having a Mobile App

With more and more salons developing mobile apps, adopting the mobile-first strategy has become a mainstream for barbershops & salon businesses worldwide. In fact, there are already a couple of popular salon chains which are using a custom salon appointment mobile app solution.

Jazz Up – Jazz up is a popular unisex hair & beauty salon chain in India that offers a variety of salon services along with all the features including appointment booking, online payment, style gallery, and more in their website.

Bblunt – Bblunt is another popular salon chain in UAE as well as in India which has adopted mobile strategy in their business for the sole purpose of collecting customers’ feedback, and based on that, improving customer experience consistently.

Enrich – Enrich is yet another salon chain that benefitted greatly from the adoption of mobile technology. By providing the loyalty program, appointment booking facility, and open & responsive customer service orientation, they’ve been increase the number of their repeat customers as well as being known for consistent excellence.

Key Features of On-Demand Salon Application with Different User Panels

Here are some top features for creating on-demand salon application with different user panels

Customer/User Panel:

User Registration: Allow customers to create their profiles with basic details such as name, contact information, and preferences.

Appointment Booking: Enable users to schedule appointments for various salon services, including selecting specific dates, times, and stylists.

Service Selection: Provide a comprehensive list of services offered by the salon, allowing users to choose the desired service and customize options.

Stylist Profiles and Availability: Display information about stylists, including their experience, specialization, availability, and ratings/reviews from other customers.

Real-time Notifications: Send push notifications or SMS alerts to users to remind them of upcoming appointments, changes in schedule, or special offers.

Payment Integration: Integrate secure payment gateways to facilitate easy and secure online payments for services rendered.

Ratings and Reviews: Allow users to rate and provide feedback on the services they received, helping others make informed decisions.

Salon Owner/Manager Panel:

Dashboard: Provide a centralized dashboard for salon owners or managers to monitor and manage appointments, staff, and business performance.
Appointment Management: Enable salon staff to view, accept, or reschedule appointments, and send notifications to customers about any changes.
Staff Management: Allow managers to create and manage staff profiles, assign shifts, and track their availability.
Inventory Management: Track salon inventory, including products, tools, and supplies, and send notifications when items need to be restocked.
Analytics and Reporting: Generate reports and analytics on key salon performance metrics, such as appointment bookings, revenue, customer feedback, and more.
Marketing and Promotions: Create and manage promotional campaigns, discounts, and loyalty programs to attract and retain customers.
Communication: Facilitate seamless communication among staff members and customers through in-app messaging or chat features.

Stylist/Employee Panel:

Schedule and Availability: Allow stylists to set their availability, view their daily/weekly schedules, and accept or decline appointment requests.
Client Management: Provide access to customer profiles, including appointment history, preferences, and notes, to personalize the service experience.
Service Updates: Enable stylists to update the status of services, mark them as completed, or add additional notes or recommendations.
Commission Tracking: Track individual stylists’ commissions based on services rendered, enabling transparent compensation calculations.
Profile Management: Allow stylists to update their profiles, including their bio, portfolio, certifications, and contact information.
Notifications: Receive notifications about upcoming appointments, changes in schedule, or client-specific requests.

How to develop a Salon App for your business?

Step 1: Define Your Objectives and Target Audience

Before diving into the Salon app development process, clearly define your goals and objectives. Identify the primary purpose of your app. Do you want to streamline booking appointments, offer discounts, provide salon updates, or engage customers with loyalty programs? Additionally, understand your target audience and their preferences to tailor your app accordingly.

Step 2: Research and Select the Right Development Approach

There are different approaches to develop a Salon app, including native, hybrid, and web apps. Research these options and determine the most suitable one for your salon business. Native apps provide the best performance and user experience but require separate Salon app development for iOS and Android. Hybrid apps offer cross-platform compatibility, while web apps are cost-effective and accessible through web browsers.

Step 3: Plan App Features and Design

Based on your objectives, target audience, and Salon development approach, create a comprehensive list of features for your salon app. Some essential features may include appointment booking, service menus, stylist profiles, customer reviews, loyalty programs, push notifications, and integration with payment gateways. Simultaneously, focus on designing an intuitive and visually appealing user interface (UI) to enhance the user experience.

Step 4: Hire a Professional App Development Team or Use DIY Tools

Decide whether you want to hire mobile apps developers or utilize do-it-yourself (DIY) app builders. Professional app developers provide expertise, customization options, and ongoing support but come at a higher cost. DIY tools, on the other hand, offer pre-designed templates and simplified Salon mobile app development processes, suitable for small businesses with limited budgets.

Step 5: Develop and Test Your Salon App

Once you have selected your Salon app development approach and team, proceed with the app development process. Collaborate closely with the developers to ensure the features, design, and functionality align with your vision. Conduct thorough testing to eliminate any bugs or issues and guarantee a smooth user experience. Pay attention to factors like app loading speed, compatibility, and data security. If you need app developer, You can hire dedicated android app developer or hire iPhone app developers India remotely for your project.

Step 6: Launch and Promote Your Salon App

After extensive testing, it’s time to launch your salon app. Publish it on the respective app stores, such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, following their guidelines and policies. Promote your app through various channels, including your salon’s website, social media platforms, email newsletters, and in-salon signage. Offer incentives, such as exclusive discounts or rewards, to encourage downloads and usage.

Step 7: Gather User Feedback and Continuously Improve

Monitor user feedback and reviews to identify areas of improvement. Regularly update your Salon app to enhance its features, fix bugs, and address user concerns. Actively engage with your app users, respond to their queries, and incorporate their suggestions to make your salon app more valuable and user-friendly.

How Much Does Salon App Development Cost?

The cost of developing a salon app can vary depending on several factors, including the complexity of features, the platform(s) you choose, the development approach, the app development company, and the region in which the development is done. Here’s a breakdown of the different development approaches and their respective cost ranges:

Developing separate Salon apps for iOS and Android platforms can cost between $25,000 to $150,000 or more, depending on the complexity of features and the hourly rate of the development company.

Building a cross-platform Salon app using frameworks like React Native or Flutter can cost between $20,000 to $100,000, depending on the app’s requirements and the development company’s rates.

It’s important to note that Salon application development cost ranges are estimates and can vary significantly based on the specific requirements of your salon app. Additionally, ongoing maintenance, updates, and support may incur additional costs.

Do You Wish to Follow Their Footsteps?

What are you waiting for, then? We already have a solution for you. Reach out to us and learn which features made these salon chains stand-out and grow, and how can you achieve the similar success too!