How To Develop App For Your Salon Business: Ultimate Guide

Salon businesses have undergone various alterations over the years in terms of services as well as ways of delivering the service. Most of us have grown up getting our haircut from a salon in our neighborhood. Then came the hairdressers who could give a completely new look to your hair. Now, we don’t need to visit the salon to leverage the service, as Beauty Salons are now taken to customers’ doorsteps. 

Salon Mobile apps have played a core role in the modern alteration of business. Thus, Salon mobile app development has emerged as a key to better performance and growth for business owners. 

Understanding the Need for A Mobile App in The Salon Industry

With burgeoning smartphone exposure, people are now used to leveraging the services on their palms. A mobile app can be the most efficient way for a salon business owner to explore the online landscape and benefit from a broader consumer base. First, when a salon business has its own app, it helps establish a brand identity in the online marketplace. Furthermore, the target audience gets a platform where they can walk to get an appointment, know about the services, analyze the charges, check the schedule, and much more. Moreover, mobile is also the medium where a beauty salon owner can get the order for service and deliver the service to the doorsteps. 

Interpreting in simpler words, an app is a resource that satisfies all the digitalization needs of a beauty salon business. 

The Growing Market for Salon Apps: Understanding Size and Trends

Salon apps are not a very new concept. Still, time has never been better to get along in this modern era. Let’s understand the statement with some facts and figures. Spa and salon, the software market size, has achieved a valuation of $162.36 million in 2020, which is expected to touch $375.02 million by 2026. The registered CAGR for the forecasted period is 14.97%. The figures show that salon businesses are already investing in software to transfigure their operations. 

The software market size for beauty parlors is comparatively huge and still increasing quickly. Referring to the forecasted CAGR of the market, it can be determined that investing in software or owning an app can be an excellent idea for a business owner. The same will ensure that salon businesses are adopting the industry’s new trends and delivering services to customers modernly. 

Different Types of Salon Apps You Can Opt For Your Salon Business

When we talk about a salon app, the terrain is so vast that a number of app ideas can be put into reality. Let’s explore some of the sub-categories that a beauty parlor entertains:

1. Beauty Salon Management or POS App 

A salon management app is a technological tool that helps the salon owner to manage and ensure the smooth functioning of plenty of tasks. A Salon business is now not limited to a brick-and-mortar infrastructure but has expanded the boundaries in the offline and online marketplace. 

So, a salon management app helps streamline the tasks like managing the inventory, listing the employees, managing the employees, maintaining the payslips, contacting the related stakeholders, and much more. 

2. Salon Waste Management App

With the increasing consciousness of people for their physical appearance, salon businesses have experienced a boom. However, when exploring the other side of the coin, it was identified that the beauty salon business is an enormous waste-generating industry. So, salon waste management software ensures that salon owners manage their waste effectively without adversely impacting the environment. 

A salon waste management app helps the owner track the waste generated by the salon and reduce it in the future. At the same time, the software also assists the owner in taking part in recycling programs and ensuring the sustainable disposal of the product. 

Moreover, a salon waste management app also helps to track different types of waste like chemical waste, paper, hair clippings, and plastics. The same app will also give a push notification at the time of collection to remind the respective person in charge of waste disposal.

3. Beauty Parlour Service Menu and Pricing App 

Every salon business has unique and common services that they provide to customers. So, a salon service menu and pricing app carry all the information about services provided by the beauty salon and the charges for the services. 

Here, the users can check if the salon provides the services they want and whether it fits their budget and thus make the appointment. A salon service menu and pricing app save a lot of time both for the beauty salon business owner as well as the customers. 

4. Salon Customer Profile and History App 

Having a friendly relationship with the customer is highly beneficial for the business in this competitive landscape. For the same, salon customer profiles and history apps can be helpful. Here, the beauty parlor owner can have all the data about their customers so they can connect with them anytime and anywhere. 

The customer profile and history app keeps a complete record of customers and then communicates attractive offers and discounts to the customers. Moreover, sending greetings on festivals and special days is also one of the best practices for establishing a stronger customer relationship. 

5. Salon Appointment App

Everyone has a busy schedule, and no one prefers to wait in queue for a haircut. So, a Salon appointment app assists the customer in scheduling an appointment for a particular day for a specific service. Such an app plays a significant role in saving customers time and preventing unnecessary chaos at the salon. 

A salon appointment app carries the options for all the services provided at the salon, the hairdresser or stylist you want for yourself, quality of service, payment option, making the payment, and much more. So, a beauty salon appointment app makes getting the makeover easier for you.

6. Salon Special Offers and Promotion App

Special offers and discount coupons always attract customers and enhance their relationship with the brand. Thus, a special salon offers and promotions app helps the store owner to introduce new offers and discount coupons for their customers. 

This type of app is connected to the existing customer base as well as the potential customer base of the beauty salon. So, uploading the new discount coupons and offers informs the customers about the same and brings business to the salon. Talking about promotion, salon owner can easily promote their services and offerings via the app.

7. Salon Loyalty Rewards Program App

If you want to establish a long-term consumer base for your business, having a salon loyalty reward program app can be the best way to do that. A salon loyalty reward program assists customers in earning rewards, free services, coupons, and discount vouchers on their frequent visits. 

Having this type of reward program in place brings benefits for both the business as well as customers. Earning rewards and vouchers leads customers to leverage free services from the beauty salon.

The Future of Salon Business with On-Demand Salon App

Just as we interpreted earlier, people prefer the services at their doorsteps. Have a look at one of the most popular on-demand apps “UrbanClap”. The app has more than 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store, and a considerable customer base leverages the services on iOS as well. 

So, an on-demand salon app helps business owners deliver their services to customers’ doorsteps. Post-Covid, on-demand services have grabbed the consumer’s attention. With a tiny additional workforce and inventory, you can generate a new revenue stream for your salon business. A doorstep service helps you expand the business boundaries and ensures an efficient experience for your customers. 

Let’s explore some of the advantages that a salon owner can leverage with an on-demand salon app-

• Increases sales 

An on-demand app helps generate the data like booking reports, broadcast feed, search choices, user accounts, user preferences, and quality of service the workforce provides. This information can be utilized effectively by business owners to increase revenue. 

• Better brand identity

Providing doorstep services is still not very common for customers. Thus, this concept helps businesses establish their brand identity in the landscape. Competitive advantage is one of the most significant plus points of developing an on-demand app for salon businesses. 

• Enhanced customer exposure 

When you are delivering the services at the home of customers, it helps you to explore an entirely new customer base. As you are not inviting the customers to your salon, customers will not have a second thought about the distance.

• Better communication 

Customers can only make the booking by entering the complete details. Thus, the salon can bring all the equipment, products, and accessories according to the respective service chosen by the client. So, the communication between the parties enhances, leading to a better customer experience.

All-in-One Super App Solution for Beauty Salon Business

Having discussed all the above app categories, it can be recognized that each app delivers its respective benefits for the salon business. So, developing only one app might not prove that beneficial for the business. However, developing dozens of apps is also not a feasible option. 

The All-in-One Super app is one that consists of the features and capabilities of all the above apps on a single dashboard. Developing a super app can be a great idea when planning to completely digitize your salon business. Neither the salon owner nor the customers have to switch between apps to leverage the varied benefits. All they have to do is switch between the different portals and enjoy the benefits.

How a Salon App Simplifies the Process of Booking and Managing Appointments

A User Goes Through the Following Phases in A Salon App: 

• Registering in the app by feeding the basic information 
• Explore the services provided by the salon via the app 
• Select the service and leverage the benefits 
• Makes the payment via the app
• Leave a review and rating for the service

Factors to Consider While Choosing an App For Your Beauty Salon Business

It’s a big decision to choose the type of app for the business, and you can not shoot in the dark while making this decision. There are some factors that you must entertain while choosing the type of app for your salon business-  

1. Your target audience

The most significant factor determining the type of app one should develop for their business is the target audience. Analyze the customer base you deal with on a daily basis. Know about the services they utilize the most, the information they seek from your salon, and the challenges they face in opting for the service. Take the decision based on this information. 

2. Your Business Goals 

Brainstorm your business goals. For example, if your goal is to provide services at the home of customers, you should go for on-demand app development. Similarly, if your goal is to build a strong presence of your business in the market, you can rely on a marketing app. 

3. Your budget and resources

Your budget plays a core role in app development. You must have a good budget if you prefer a super app over a dedicated app. Similarly, suppose you want to provide your app’s top-notch and technologically advanced features. In that case, it will be best that you are eager to invest a good amount of money into this digitized business. 

4. Your competition 

Go deep into studying your competitor salon businesses and the smartphone apps they are utilizing to enhance their customer experience. Also, review their digitization strategy and learn from it. The practice will help you walk a step ahead of your competitors.

A Roadmap for Your Beauty Parlor App Development 

One might not afford the errors in app development, and thus, following a well-planned roadmap can be an effective method to ensure a streamlined salon app development process. We have interpreted some of the consecutive steps that you can take for your app development- 

1. Develop a Vision and Get Basic Clear 

Before going into the core development, you should be clear with your idea. Develop a vision behind developing an app. It should indicate what you want to achieve through the app. Research your competitors and their initiations. Brainstorm about your target audience and their preferences. Get a clear sight of the app you wish to develop for your business. 

2. Select a Suitable App Development Partner 

Make sure the app development partner you are choosing for your project has the capabilities to fulfill your requirements. At the same time, there are some factors that you must confirm while making the decision. Consider the type of technology they work with, their costing, expertise, previous work portfolio, experience in the industry, etc. 

3. Communicate the Features and Functionalities of Your App

The competencies of the app lie in its features and functionalities. Talk clearly about the features that you want to see in your app. Also, make a list of advanced features that will serve as the USP of your app. No denying that increased features will also increase the cost, but it should not be the reason to compromise the app’s functionalities. 

4. Ensure the Timeline and Budget 

When you have decided on the type of app and the app development company for your project, it is time to discuss the timeline and budget for your app development. Discuss with the app development partner and draw a timeline for the completion of the project. Also, communicate the monetary resources you are willing to invest in your project. 

5. App Testing and Launching 

Ensure that your app goes through the testing phase again enough to recognize the bugs/errors and remove them. Launch the app only when you are satisfied with the user experience.

Tips to Fully Unlock the Potential of Your Salon App

Getting the app developed for your business is only halfway while promoting and managing the app effectively are equally crucial for a good return on investment. Let’s talk about some of the practices that you must undertake to bring highlighting results from your online platform- 

• Social media is a giant platform to connect billions of people simultaneously. Utilizing social media to inform people about your business and its online presence can effectively widen your application’s reach. At the same time, email marketing can also be a good idea to connect to the target audience directly. 
• Apps can be a powerful platform to connect to your customers. Thus, incentivizing the customers to download your app can bring a good return on investment as you can gain access worth more than your incentives. 
• Technology is altering the landscape continuously. It is essential to instill the new features timely and ensure your app is meeting the changing demands of your customers. 
• Customer reviews and ratings from your salon application can be an excellent source for improvement. Know what consumers love about your services and what needs improvement. Take the steps accordingly.

From Design to Deployment: Navigating the Challenges of Developing a Salon App

Digitizing the business can greatly help your business, but there are some challenges as well that you should keep in mind during this journey. The same will help you to recognize the mitigations and implement them in real time. Below are some of the challenges faced in the present time regarding salon-app development- 

• Lack of financial resources 
• Lack of technological exposure among the population 
• The traditional mindset of people 
• Need for a larger workforce 
• Mismanagement of appointments and scheduling 
• Security issues with customer’s data

Tech Stack Behind Salon App Development 

Following is the App development tech stack that you can choose from to develop a mobile salon app for your business- 

What a Perfect App Development Team Looks Like?

A perfect app development team is the key to a successful project. Make sure that the app development team you are hiring has the following members in it- 

• Product owner 
• Project manager 
• UI/UX Designer 
• iOS/Android Developer 
• QA Engineer  

What Is the Cost of Salon App Development? 

A price tag can not be stitched to salon app development as it is highly variable. Tens of factors mutually determine the cost of a salon app development. However, giving a rough estimate of salon app development, you can get a basic app with fundamental capabilities starting from $10,000. The factors on which the cost of app development depends are but are not limited to- 

• The country you are hiring the developers from
• Features you want to instill in your app
• The time it takes for the developers to develop the app 
• The platform you want to build your app for (iOS, Android, or both)
• The time to launch the app
• Type of theme you want to use (free or paid)
• The experience and pricing of the app development team 

To get a more accurate costing for your project, contact Emizentech and share your complete vision with requirements.

Why Should You Choose Emizentech for Your Salon App Development? 

Not one, but there are plenty of reasons for choosing us as your app development company to get top-notch software solutions. 

Conclusion 

Digitalization and software solutions are taking businesses to new heights by helping them explore the online landscape. The same is the case with the beauty and salon industry. Developing a dedicated salon service application can be an excellent idea for a salon business owner. The platform will not only help to establish the online presence of your business but will also explore the new customer base. The benefits of the same are increased productivity, better customer exposure, enhanced communication, cost-efficient marketing, and much more. However, it is equally important to consider various considerations during development, such as type of features, type of app, the target audience to entertain, etc. 

If you are a salon owner, we invite you to mark your presence in the online landscape with your app. Sync your steps with technology and explore the undefined customer base of your business.