How To Switch To New Salon Software in 2023

If you’re looking to boost your salon business, then switching to new salon software is one of the best ways to set yourself (and your team) up for success.

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1. What Should The Best Salon Software Do?
2. When You Should Change Your Salon Software?
3. Tips On How To Switch To New Salon Software
4. Conclusion

What Should The Best Salon Software Do?

So, what do the best salon software solutions look like?

Great salon software is user-friendly and makes managing your business easier by simplifying and automating day-to-day tasks, including staff scheduling, stock management and ordering. It also provides clients with fast and easy online booking, SMS notifications and appointment reminders, and integrated payments and POS solutions.

But it doesn’t stop there. Some other things to look for in hair salon software include online reputation management to support your business’s growth, automated marketing features and upselling suggestions during the checkout or online booking process.

Finally, the company should offer great support and a secure platform that protects your data.

If this sounds like a lot to ask for in your business tools, don’t worry- the beauty industry is a competitive and bust place and you and your customers deserve the smoothest possible experience from start to finish.

Let’s dive a bit deeper and see whether your current software is “cutting it” (pardon the pun).

We recommend you to check out our post Online Salon Booking System.

When You Should Change Your Salon Software?

Maybe you’re noticed that your current salon or spa management software doesn’t contain all the key features you need- or worse, maybe you’ve noticed some hidden fees that you definitely don’t need.

Whatever your situation, here are some things to watch out for:

No Mobile Friendly Online Booking

This is one of the most important client facing features.

After all, who wants to spend time booking at home using their phone or PC? That pretty much defeats the purpose of having online booking in today’s fast-paced, digital world.

Letting clients book quickly using their mobile phones will save you both time, cut down on front desk staffing needs, and get more customers in the door.

Lacking Key Automation Features

Examples of the most important salon software features include:

• A mobile app with easy online booking
• Mobile access easy scheduling
• Automated confirmations and reminders
• The ability to offer loyalty or rewards programs memberships
• Digital client forms
• The ability to process vouchers and gift card sales
• A salon POS system with online payments
• Integrated credit card processing
• The ability to set up recurring payments and appointments
• Automated email and SMS marketing
• Inventory management
• A robust reporting suite with employee management features and CRM for salon owners
• Online reputation management tools
• A website builder

These automated features will help you to save time and build relationships with your customers. Things like easy to access client records, online scheduling and automatic reminders make it easier to spend more time focusing on your clients and providing them with the best possible experience.

If you’re not offered these salon software key features right now, then switching salon software providers might be your best option.

Not User-Friendly

Your clients should have no trouble booking appointments, paying for services, and rescheduling or canceling when necessary. You and your staff members shouldn’t need to spend a lot of time navigating the online scheduling and salon management tools.

If this isn’t the case, then it’s time to switch salon software before you lose any more valuable time or money.

Not Secure

If you’re dealing with security limitations, this will be a big red flag that you need to consider another salon or spa software provider, and fast.

Cloud based salon software should include security testing and login safety. You should also have access control over what’s available to each staff member, and ownership of your data (with the ability to create a data backup in a secure location).

The software itself should be secure, and you want to make sure that the platform isn’t using your customer data to market to clients without your knowledge.

Bad Customer Service

If a salon and spa software company isn’t able to answer your questions or help you with issues quickly, it’s probably time to look into other options.

Video tutorials and a solid customer support section on the company’s webpage are also essential to help you solve problems and get to know the product.

Tips On How To Switch To New Salon Software

Switching salon software doesn’t have to be a hassle. Here are some tips to help with a seamless transition.

Make sure to consider:

Whether You Can Migrate Any of Your Data

This includes importing client data and consultation notes, information about bookings, services people have received, product lists, etc.

Once you know whether you can transfer this data over from your current software, you’ll want to look into how long the process might take and whether or not the company can assist you at all with the data transfer or help out with any issues you might have along the way.

How Easy It is to Learn the New Software

Getting to know a new salon or spa software shouldn’t be a headache for you or your team. Check out the company’s website, its help section, and any online training or demo videos that they offer.

Even if it’s designed to do complex things, the interface should feel relatively simple and intuitive. Many companies offer a free or “demo” version of their software for salons that you can try out if you want to get a feel for it.

How Easy It Will be for Your Clients to Adopt

Customers should be able to make the change easily and understand the new system without much explanation. Ideally, the booking process should be as simple as possible (think “Book Now” buttons), and it should be easy for clients to change or adjust their bookings when necessary.

What are the Costs vs Added Value

Make sure the salon’s software has all the necessary features (including data migration and good customer service) and is transparent in its costs. Salon software pricing should never include any hidden fees or extra charges that you don’t understand.

Does it Integrate Well With Your Other Software

You want to make sure that your new software offers a complete solution for your salon business, and this means that it should work with other programs like your accounting software, payment platform, business website and any online payment solutions you use.

Conclusion

If your business is anything like most salons, then it’s a busy place with a lot going on at any time. Having the right people on your team is essential, and so is having the right tools available to support your team and clients.

If you’re not getting everything that you need from your current business solutions, consider switching to new salon software. You’ll be surprised by how much time, money and stress you can save.

Citations

The changing software business: Moving from products to services
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/4445598/

Agile software development: The business of innovation
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/947100/

Software process improvement: practical guidelines for business susccess
https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.5555/273032