Four Ways Payment Technology Can Help Market Your Salon

Marketing is an ever-changing industry, and businesses always are trying to keep up with the latest trends. For small business owners, like salon owners, this can be especially difficult. They often are faced with handling everyday tasks while trying to find the time and the budget to create a practical and cost-effective marketing plan. Fortunately, business owners can utilize some of the technology they already use.

Some forms of payment technology can provide convenient and creative marketing solutions for businesses. This technology can allow business owners to market their services and their uniqueness directly to clients. Coupons, loyalty programs and exclusive information can be put directly into their hands, helping your brand stick with them long after they leave your salon. Here are some ways payment technology can be used to better your marketing campaign:

Emailed Receipts Could Lead to Newsletters

Emailed receipts are becoming more popular among consumers and businesses across different industries. These receipts are convenient for both parties, providing a paperless and quick way to send an itemized receipt for a purchase. Now, however, businesses can use this payment technology option as a cost-effective marketing tool.

When a business sends a receipt to a customer via email, there should be an option for the customer to opt-in for a weekly or monthly newsletter. It is important to give them the option to receive it, rather than immediately spamming them. These newsletters can be a simple way to boost your content marketing and keep clients connected to your company.

Newsletters are one of the top three uses of email marketing, according to Pardot, ranking in about 66 percent. These emails serve as a way for businesses to give clients exclusive updates about their business, let the know of promotions and special offers and to update them on industry news. For salons, they could be a way to discuss seasonal trends, new styles and more.

Newsletters should not serve as an alternate to social media and online marketing. Instead, this additional content should work as a supplement to the material you already are providing. This also should serve as a way for clients to interact with you. Your newsletter could include links for online questionnaires and other interactive items to get them involved.

Coupons and Offers Through Mobile Wallets

Mobile wallets also are a payment technology that can be utilized for marketing your salon. Your salon can provide digital coupons, discount cards and loyalty cards to customers through these payment systems, making the customer experience easier and more convenient. This growing technology allows you to market your business directly to a client and to send them incentives they likely will view.

Clients would be able to access the coupons and loyalty cards immediately, making it the easiest way to expand your relationship with them. This mobile convenience is something that is becoming more important to shoppers and more intriguing for businesses. These mobile wallets can help you build a stronger connection with clients and can help you see a quicker return on investment.

Mobile Payments Provide Chairside Service

Businesses also could use cell phones and other smart devices as point of sale devices, which allows them to process payments nearly anywhere. For salons, this means a person paying for services could make the payment without having to leave the chair. This eliminates the hassle of waiting to pay at the front counter for the customer, and it saves time for your employees who can be greeting and scheduling other clients.

Of course, this is not a direct way to market your business. However, this is one small adjustment that could have a major impact on the overall customer experience, which plays a large role in keeping the customer interested. According to data from Sage UK, when a company offers a great customer experience, 86 percent of customers will pay more and 48 percent of customers will buy more.

Offering chairside payment options eliminates some of the unnecessary time the customer will spend in the salon, ultimately simplifying the checkout process. They can make the payment once the services are complete and can purchase any suggested items without having to travel through the salon. All of this convenience, partnered with quality work, can show your dedication to your clients, helping to make them more loyal to your brand.

Accepting New Payment Types Keeps You Relevant

The best way to market your business it to keep it relevant. As consumers change, your business needs to adapt with them, and they need to know you can provide what they want. In this case, it could mean accepting new forms of payment that consumers want to use. According to this Payment Source article, today’s consumer uses an average of three different payment methods each month, and there is no one option that is king. To help your salon appeal to various people, you should accept a myriad of payment options.

Cash, credit card and debit card options long have been accepted at salons. These payment types still are common, and a large number of people still want to use them when making purchases. Younger generations, however, are beginning to use more technology when making payments, including near-field technology payments and mobile wallets.

These mobile payment options are leading the way among new payment methods. According to Mobilized, there were $12.8 billion in mobile transactions in the U.S. in 2012, and that number is expected to be at $90 billion by 2017. This means there would be a 48 percent compound annual growth rate within the five year period. Utilizing this payment technology now can help to keep your business relevant among clients.

Conclusion

Everything in the business world changes so quickly, and businesses constantly are looking for new ways to generate deeper connections with clients and customers. Marketing through payment technology can help you implement practical strategies that not only differentiate your business from competitors, but work to best meet your business goals. The best ways to find what works for you can be done through experimentation and client input. Ask how you can improve and what can be done to better appeal to them.

About the Author

Sarah Blanchard, SoarPay, is a payments industry writer whose primary focus is in providing unique payment processing solutions for high-risk businesses and credit repair credit card processing. Follow Sarah on Facebook and Google+.