Let’s talk about websites for a minute. Small business websites. Your SPRAY TAN business website.
Your spray tan business website introduces new clients to you and builds trust before they ever meet you.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may make a commission. Read my full disclosure here.
Why YOUR Spray Tan Business NEEDS A Website
Where do you go to get information on a local business? When you are searching for a new salon, spa or studio?
Looking for specialties, awards, directions, phone numbers, pictures of their work, etc?
The internet, right?
We Google. Search review sites and check business directories.
The internet is our encyclopedia, our map, phonebook, and our best friends’ thoughts (reviews) on well, everything from what food is tasty to where to go to get say…..a spray tan.
So what is the one thing that ties all these things together for a business owner?
It’s their website.
The Review site leads back to the website, the Google page leads back to the website, the social media leads back to the website, the business directory leads back to……
you guessed it. The website.
So if your spray tan business marketing plan doesn’t include having an amazing spray tan website then HOW will your customers find you on Google:
- get introduced to your professional business–first impressions
- find you on a review site then book you for an appointment
- find your location and get directions
- see your work and get to know you
You say you have FB, or Instagram or Snap Chat—–UPDATE TO ADD Tic/Toc.
I hear you, I do. I use social media too, BUT.
And this is a very BIG but……
1. You don’t own ANYTHING on social media. So your 5463 followers are not yours and they may or may not see your post about your business because social media is pay to play.
2. All of your potential customers don’t live on just one social platform. NOPE, they don’t. There are different ages on different social media platforms. Meaning you might be posting your services to a group of followers that cannot afford to get a spray tan without mommas credit card, much less drive to get one.
3. The social media gods can change the rules at any time, they can take your followers away whenever they want and your people can run from one platform to the next, keeping you CHASING them instead of people finding you where your business lives online.
PRO TIP: It is against FaceBooks TOS (terms of service) to use YOUR profile for business. And FaceBook routinely shuts down accounts that are breaking the rules. You must use a FB Business Page for your spray tan business.
Best Website Builder For Your Spray Tan Business
The 5 Critical Ingredients Your Spray Tan Website Needs To Get Started
- A domain
- SSL certificate (required by Google)
- Hosting
- A platform or template
- You need to be able to be found on Google-SEO
What are your options?
1. CUSTOM DESIGN with a web developer who sets up your Domain, SSL, Hosting, Template and SEO for you, then adds all your content and images =$$$$
2. BEAUTY INDUSTRY WEBSITE BUILDER they are marketing specifically to salons, spas or spray tan businesses. The platform lets you DIY drag and drop your content and images and may or may not have the tech pieces included=$$$
3. BUSINESS LEVEL WEB BUILDER on your domain with the SSL installed, hosting, templates and SEO. Such as a Wix, Weebly or Squarespace=$$
4. SELF-HOSTED WORDPRESS is a DIY option that allows you to decide on all the individual service providers and then connect them via your Host (it’s not hard but does require some skills or a host that provides this service–many do at no cost) =$
5. FREE WEB BUILDER– often on a subdomain, may or may not have SSL installed, easy drag and drop templates, sometimes cannot move or upgrade your site if you outgrow the free service leaving you starting over again from scratch, Hosting is included and SEO is very limited if at all.
There are pros and cons to each of these choices. You have to be comfortable with technology for some, and for others, you have to have the $$$$ to pay for what you need/want.
A Website is NOT a build it and they will come solution for your spray tan business marketing.
To be taken seriously as a business you NEED a website.
To get found online effectively you need a GOOD website.
At the very least you as a business owner need to know WHAT you need to have for your website to be set up properly, to be able to ask the right questions before choosing a platform, and make the right decisions so your website does the work it is supposed to—which is getting found on PAGE ONE of Google when someone searches for a “spray tan + [your town]”.
The first decision is to set a budget that you can afford and then be realistic about how comfortable/or not, you are with the technology.
This will point you in a direction to what options fit your needs.
Secondly, educating yourself on what a website should have to get found on page one of Google……and this is the dry back end tech piece that so many business owners skip over because it seems hard. I promise it is NOT hard.
Technology Vocabulary Words:
URL or Domain–these are the same thing and are just your address on the web. example: sunspraybykathryn.com
Hosting–this is where your webpage lives online. Commonly companies such as SiteGround, GoDaddy or BlueHost
Theme or Template–these are the framework for what your website is going to look like. Think of it as the decor. It makes it easy to add images and content blocks so you can easily walk away with a polished looking website.
WebBuilder–this is a company that provides hosting, domain management and template choices all in one
SEO–search engine optimization. A fancy acronym for how Google and other search engines (yes there are others such as Yahoo and Bing) locate and find your site to show to someone who is looking for your business or service.
What questions should you ask a potential website service BEFORE you sign up:
- do I need my domain purchased separately
- if I use your service will I still OWN my domain
- do you provide an SSL security certificate included with the quoted price or is that an extra cost? (it is required by google)
- will my website be on a custom URL or a subdomain? If your site is on a subdomain you will never get found by Google.
- do I have to pay extra to upgrade to a custom domain
- if I want to move my website to another hosting service in the future can I do that
- if I want to change my theme or template in the future can I do that
Free Web Page For Your Spray Tan Business
Not ready to move forward on building a spray tan website?
No worries, I got you!
I have a FREE spray tan directory on my website (right here) just for spray tan businesses.
No hard techy things needed. No decisions to make.
Why Are You Doing This?
What Is Included In The Spray Tan Artist Business Directory:
You get an SEO searchable link to your PAGE on my website that includes:
- pictures of your work
- links to your social media
- all your contact information for your clients
- a write up on your business
- access to ALL of my helpful instructions, tips, and tutorials to SHARE with your customers
- mobile optimized
- the power behind my website that is searched nationally by potential CUSTOMERS looking for information on sunless tanning and spray tans.
- Super Simple Set-Up–2 Steps
Step 1: Gather Your Info
- Your Spray Tan Business Name
- Are you a Studio? or Mobile? Address if you have a physical location/Area served if you are mobile
- Business Phone Number (a preferred way for clients to book)
- Web Address if you have a webpage
- Social Media links to your FB, IG, etc.
- A few lines about your business….what do you specialize in, what certifications do you have, what other services do you provide, etc.
- And up to 6 pictures of your logo, your headshot, and your pretty spray tans
Step 2: Send Your Info To Me
Best Small Business Website
When I first started, I had a “web builder” website from GoDaddy. It is GoDaddy’s version of a drag and drop, template-style website builder.
It was an effective, information website that got me found online.
4-5 pages with what I did, my contact info, about me, some pictures and instructions. I built it myself. It worked well, helping customers to find me when they searched for spray tans in my location. So I floated along with my spray tan business website and people found me and they got a spray tan and we were happy.
And then a couple of other spray tan businesses opened in my town and their websites started popping up on the internet searches.
Time to up my digital game! So I spiffed up my website and gave her a little makeover and that helped. But I knew I was going to need to get serious about my web presence and fast.
But I didn’t want to spend a ton of money.
I started doing a little research and found out about WordPress and blogging and how for a small business it is a game-changer. And you know what, IT IS!!!
Since upgrading my website my traffic is higher, more people are finding me and I am providing more service to my clients with all the info that I can just pop on to the internet with my website.
And it’s so EASY!
And inexpensive. It was less than what I was paying GoDaddy for web builder service. (cue the angels singing)
Why WordPress is the Best for Small Businesses
It gives me a voice so I can talk to you. My client, my customer, my friend. I can let you know what is happening at the shop, what lotion I like and give you my opinion on the latest sunless tanning product to hit the shelves this season! And unlike social media, my blog posts live forever. I do not have time to play on social media all day posting again and again in the hope that my followers see what I have to say. I have spray tans to do.
How To Easily Start A WordPress Website
It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3
Sign up for hosting, install WordPress, pick a theme.
I promise it’s easy!
- I use SiteGround for my hosting.
- SiteGround will install WordPress onto your domain for you if you want them to or you can do it yourself with 1 click. I told you it was easy.
- Then you just have to pick a pretty theme (this is the part that creates the layout for what your site looks like) I use BluChic for my themes.
There you go, then you just add in the info you want to share with your customers like where you are located and what the best way to get ahold of you is, add some pretty pictures of your beautiful spray tans and it’s a website.
And my web developer guru loves it because I don’t drive her crazy with 10 million requests for website changes. Because I can do it myself.
Oh and if you get so inclined to write a little something about your spray tan business it’s super easy to pop up a blog post and shout your message to the world! Then don’t forget to share it on your social media 😉
Just getting started with your spray tan business? Check out my equipment reviews to see how I choose the equipment I use at the shop.
As a small business owner, I can’t stock all the amazing products that are available in the world of sunless tanning but I can give you my professional opinion.
Spray Tan Business Pros:
Do you have a mobile spray tanning business, home-based spray tan business, or are you looking to start one? Then check out my tools of the trade area of this website for help in setting up your own airbrush spray tanning business.
- Professional advice on choosing the best spray tan equipment
- Spray tan equipment and product reviews
- Spray tanning business resources to help you learn and grow
Love the article you just read? Think your spray tan clients would like to read it too?? Share my HOW TO’S and sunless tanning information with your clients on YOUR webpage or social media accounts by DIRECTLY LINKING to my webpage. Please don’t change or otherwise alter any content or claim as your own. No one likes a copycat.
Hi, I'm Kathryn! I'm here to help you have the best spray tan experience possible. I spend my days creating beautiful sunless tans in my Northwest Ohio spray tan studio and sharing everything I know about how to get the perfect spray tan and how to build a boutique spray tan business here on my spray tan blog.