88% of beauty salons miss out on new business due to poor online presence

88% of beauty salons and consultants miss out on new business because they have a poor online presence, according to new research by digital marketing solutions provider Yell.

The most common issue for small businesses is having wrong or inconsistent information online, including basic details such as a phone number or email, the report found.

Having inconsistent or non-existent information means many salons are missing out on potential business, with 54% of respondents saying they rely on positive online reviews when deciding to try out a local business.

A further 51% say a business’s website is the most important source of information and 89% would look for an alternative company if they find incorrect information listed on a salon’s site.

“If a company’s information online is wrong, it’s arguably worse than not being online at all. Not only is the company effectively invisible to customers, it can also seem careless or even untrustworthy,” said Mark Clisby, Yell’s marketing director.  

“This often happens because companies don’t always know all the listings sites where they appear, or when they move they forget to update their information.  It’s easily done, but can be incredibly damaging for business. A lot of small businesses tell me they get all their business from word of mouth and don’t need to be online. However, they’re ignoring the fact that word of mouth has moved online.” 

Yell conducted research into how 22,156 UK beauty salons and consultants appear online, as well as asking customers about their online habits and expectations.