Does a salon need a website if it already has a booking app?

Chances are you already have a booking app. Vagaro, Booksy, GlossGenius, Square Appointments, Fresha. Clients can book at 11pm without calling, reminders go out on their own, and deposits cut down on no-shows. So it's fair to ask why you'd need a website if people can already book.

Because booking is the last step. The website is what gets them there.

What does a booking app do well?

Booking. Calendars, reminders, deposits, card on file, rebooking, client notes. A good booking app runs the back of the house, and nothing I build replaces it. If you don't have one yet and you take more than a handful of appointments a week, get one before you get a website.

What does a booking app page not do?

• It isn't really yours. Your page lives on the app's domain, in the app's layout, next to the app's branding. If you switch apps, that page and its link are gone.
• It's built to sell slots, not to sell you. A new client wants to see your work, who does what and roughly what it costs before they pick a time. Booking pages put the calendar first and the rest second.
• The marketplace side costs money. Several apps also run a marketplace where clients browse lots of salons. That brings in new people, and it's priced that way. Booksy's Boost takes a one-time 30% commission on a new client's first visit, with a $10 minimum and a $100 cap. Fresha charges a one-time 20% fee on new clients who find you through its marketplace, with a $6 minimum.

Those marketplace fees are fair for clients the app actually found for you. But a client who searches your name, lands on your own site and taps your book button found you on their own. Each app has its own rules for deciding where a client came from, so check yours.

Where does a website fit in?

Think of it as the front window. Someone hears about you from a friend or sees a post, searches your name, and lands on your site. There they see your services and prices, your team, your work and your address. Then they tap "Book" and go to your app to pick a time.

Two other things the website does that an app page can't:

• It shows up for what people search. A page that says "balayage" and "Highland Park" in plain text gives Google something to match when someone searches for exactly that.
• It stays put. Change booking apps, and you change one link on your site. Your domain, your Google listing and every link you've ever shared still work.

When can a salon skip having a website?

• You're a solo stylist, fully booked from referrals, and don't want new clients right now.
• Your booking app includes a site builder (GlossGenius does, for example), and that site already shows your services, prices, team and photos the way you want.
• You're renting a chair short term and your clients follow you, not the location.

If one of those is you, put your effort into your Google Business Profile and your reviews instead. That's free and it matters more than a website for being found nearby.