A beauty salon owner faces a choice: invest in a website or rely solely on profiles on Booking platforms like Booksy, Instagram, and Google. The answer depends on what the salon wants to achieve and how much control over its image it is willing to give to external platforms. A website provides independence from algorithms and the policies of a single service, but requires time and money. This guide contains a list of elements that must be on a salon's website so that a client can choose a treatment, learn about a specialist, and book directly — without an intermediary platform.
Below is what a beauty salon website should include to meet modern client expectations and support business growth.
Website or platform alone — what you gain and what you lose
The decision between a website and a profile on someone else's platform is not an "either-or" choice. It is a question of proportions and of who controls client data and the appearance of the offer. A Booksy or Instagram profile gives access to a ready-made user base, but the terms of these platforms change without warning, and algorithms decide who sees the salon's profile. Your own website means full control over content, appearance, and what happens when someone clicks "book now."
Salons operating solely on someone else's platform work in a similar way: Booksy, Instagram or Facebook. A client looking for a specific treatment lands on a profile but has no certainty about whether the offer is current, how much a treatment costs, or whether an appointment is available. The salon also has no way to send its own message with a reminder or thank-you after a visit — everything depends on the platform's functionality.
The booking platform stores the visit history and client preferences, but that history belongs to the platform, not to the salon. The salon cannot send its own reminder about an upcoming appointment or a thank-you message after a visit. It also does not have access to the client's email address if they registered through the platform. Your own website with your own booking system means the client's data belongs to the salon — and the salon decides how and when to contact them.
More about how the lack of basic information on a website affects client decisions can be found in the article Why customers don't leave inquiries.
Treatments and procedures — how to present them on the website
Each treatment should have its own subpage or a clearly defined section on the website. A client searching for "hybrid manicure" or "mesotherapy" must find a specific page with a treatment description, not scroll through a gallery of photos. A treatment subpage should contain several key elements: who the treatment is for, how the treatment works, how long it takes, contraindications, and price or price range.
What should be on a treatment subpage
First, a clear description of who the treatment is intended for. The client should know whether the treatment solves their specific problem — dry hair, tired skin, brittle nails. Then the treatment process in a few sentences: how long it takes, how many visits are needed, what exactly happens in the salon. Contraindications in general terms without going into medical details. At the end, price ranges — preferably "from … to … PLN" with an explanation of what affects the price.
Photos of treatment results are important, but they must be honest. Google emphasises in its Business Profile guidelines that photos should be sharp, well-lit, without significant retouching and without excessive filters — the image must correspond to the actual state (support.google.com/business/answer/6103862). This principle also applies to website photos. Excessive retouching and Instagram filters lead to client disappointment after arriving at the salon, and this quickly translates into negative reviews.
Google extracts information about an image from the page content, captions, file names and alt text — it recommends descriptive file names, titles and alt (developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/google-images). Instead of "img_0234.jpg", it is better to use "hybrid-manicure-red-shiny.jpg", and in the alt attribute write "hybrid manicure in a shiny red shade on a natural nail". This helps both the search engine and clients using a screen reader.
Specialists and the team — a profile you read instead of just viewing
Choosing a treatment often goes hand in hand with choosing the person who will perform it. A client who once had a bad manicure next time looks for a specific specialist — or avoids the entire salon. The website should give the opportunity to learn about the staff before a visit, but without overdoing it. Professionally taken photos of specialists, in good light and with a smile, build trust, but it is worth remembering one principle: photos of people should be published with their consent.
What a specialist profile should contain
A specialist profile on the website should contain information that helps the client make a decision: what treatments they perform, how many years of experience they have, what qualifications or certifications they have, and — most importantly — whether they work on days and hours that suit the client. The specialist's availability schedule visible on the website saves phone calls and messages like "do you have an appointment on Thursday?"
It is worth writing about specialists in a way that builds trust, not in CV format. Instead of "Anna Kowalska — cosmetologist with 10 years of experience", it is better to write "Anna specializes in hybrid manicure and nail care. Her clients praise her precision and gentleness — especially those with sensitive nails after acrylic styling."
Prices and transparency — to show or not to show
The topic of prices on salon websites is controversial. Some owners prefer not to show prices so that the client "enters a sales process" by calling. Others believe that the lack of prices puts people off. More about why the lack of prices drives clients away can be found in Why customers don't leave inquiries.
A reasonable compromise is showing prices with ranges. Ranges show that the price depends on the specific service, while giving the client an orientation.
It is worth adding information on the website about what affects the price: length and condition of hair for coloring, amount of material used for manicure. The date of the price list update also builds trust.
Booking system — from treatment to confirmation
The "book now" button should be on every treatment page, not just the homepage. A client who has just read a mesotherapy description and is decided should not have to look for a booking form in the menu. Clicking "book now" should lead directly to choosing a specialist and an available time slot.
Where to place the booking button
The booking button must be visible immediately after reading the treatment description. Best placed right below the description, before the price section or photo gallery. On mobile, the button should be visible without scrolling — so the client can click immediately.
Google explains in Business Profile documentation that bookings can be connected in two ways: through a booking service provider (Book with Google) or through a custom link to a booking system (support.google.com/business/answer/7475773). When booking through Google, the service provider may charge fees, and for custom links, effectiveness data is not available.
The booking process from the client's perspective is simplest as a sequence of clear steps:
The booking process from the client's perspective is simplest as a sequence of clear steps: the client picks a treatment, then a specialist, then an available time slot, gets a confirmation, a reminder before the visit, and finally a request for a review. In the case of a booking system, the key is that each step is obvious.
Learn more about booking automation and SMS in the article Hair salon automation.
Photos, gallery and Instagram — how to connect them
The photo gallery on a salon's website is one of the most visited sections. A client wants to see the interior of the salon, treatment results from before, whether the salon is clean and modern. Photos should be of good quality, but not overly professional.
An important principle: photos should not contain text, labels or signs. Google emphasises in Business Profile photo guidelines that the image must correspond to the actual state (support.google.com/business/answer/6103862). This means: no captions on boards, no printed price lists on the wall, no screens with text.
Instagram can supplement the website gallery, but not replace it. Embedding the current Instagram feed on the website shows that the salon is active. However, Instagram is an external platform — if the account is blocked or deleted, the website should still work independently.
More about responding to Google reviews can be found in Responding to Google Reviews.
Practical information — address, directions and cancellation policy
The address with exact entrance and a photo of the entrance is essential. A client visiting the salon for the first time should not have to hunt for the entrance. A photo of the building from the street side, information about parking, information about the elevator or stairs — these details determine whether the client will come or call with "how do I get there?"
Opening hours should be presented clearly, preferably in a table format divided by day of the week. Google states in its guidelines that the name in the profile must correspond to the real business name, and the address, opening hours and category are provided (support.google.com/business/answer/3038177).
The cancellation and tardiness policy is a topic many salons skip on their website — and it is a shame. Clear information protects both the salon and the client from misunderstandings.
Technical side — mobile, speed and structured data
The salon's website must work primarily on mobile — clients typically choose a treatment and book from their phone, between other tasks of the day. Clicking the "book now" button on a phone that leads to a page that does not work on mobile is the fastest way to lose a client.
The speed of the gallery loading is a separate topic. Solutions: lazy loading, file size optimisation (200–300 KB is enough for web), limiting the number of photos on the homepage to 8–12 most important ones.
Schema.org is a structured data format that helps the search engine understand what the page is about. BeautySalon is a schema.org type (subtype of HealthAndBeautyBusiness → LocalBusiness) for describing a beauty salon (schema.org/BeautySalon). For a salon's website, it is worth adding structured data covering address, opening hours, phone number and the main category.
The lack of a clickable phone number means that on a phone, the client must manually type the number. The lack of a booking form forces a phone call or message, which for some clients is a barrier.
Mobile-friendliness and technical minimum
Testing the website on a phone is not an option, it is a requirement. The simplest test: ask someone who has never seen the website to enter on a phone and book any treatment. If that person gets stuck at any point — the website needs improvement.
Website speed can be checked with Google's free PageSpeed Insights tool. A low score means the page loads too slowly and loses visits. Typical causes of slowdown are: oversized photos, lack of browser cache, non-optimized code.
How it looks in the system — when booking works by itself
When the salon's website works together with a booking system and automatic messages, the entire process from the first website visit to appearing at the salon looks like this:
- 01Treatment
- →02specialist
- →03time slot
- →04confirmation
- →05reminder
- →06review
The salon owner sees in one place: who is booked, who came, who did not come, which treatments are most popular. They do not have to call with reminders — the system does this itself according to a set scenario.
This is how the full client service cycle looks: from first contact through the website to visit finalisation and reputation building through reviews. Each of these steps can work automatically if the system is properly configured — but the website must be the foundation.
More about how automation works in practice can be found in the article Hair salon automation. About follow-up after the first conversation in Follow-up automation, and about processes that can be handed to the system in Process automation.
See how it works in the system for a beauty salon: Websites and stores — we build websites around one client decision: to book, to call or to order. Related services: Booking Systems, Google Business Profile, Reviews and reputation, Automatic messages.
Frequently asked questions
Does a beauty salon need a website if it has Booksy?
Yes, it is worth having your own website. Booksy is a booking platform, but it does not give control over the salon's image, prices visible in Google, or client history. A website allows you to show the full offer, price lists and specialists in a way that builds trust.
What information must be on a treatment page?
The treatment subpage should include: who the treatment is for, how it works, how long it takes, contraindications (in general terms), price ranges and a booking button leading to choosing a time and specialist. Photos of results — honest, without excessive filters.
Do I have to show prices on the website?
You do not have to give exact prices, but price ranges are recommended. A client who does not know whether they can afford a treatment will probably choose another salon. Giving an approximate price builds trust and saves time for both sides.
Do I need a booking form, or is a phone number enough?
A booking form significantly increases the number of bookings. Our review of Warsaw beauty businesses showed that a large share of websites did not have a form at all — which means clients who preferred not to call simply left. A "call now" button is essential, but a form is the standard.
What photos should be on the salon's website?
Photos of the salon interior, treatment stations, treatment results and — if the specialists consent — their photos. Importantly: no text, no excessive filters or retouching. Google emphasises that the image must correspond to the actual state.
What structured data should I add for a salon?
For a beauty salon, it is worth adding schema.org of type BeautySalon (subtype of HealthAndBeautyBusiness → LocalBusiness) with data: address, opening hours, phone number and the main category.
Can Instagram replace a website?
No. Instagram is an external platform that can change its algorithm, limit reach or block an account without warning. A website is the only place the salon fully controls. Instagram can be a supplement but not a replacement.
How many photos should be in the website gallery?
No more than 8–12 photos on the homepage. Each additional photo increases load time, especially on mobile. It is better to have a few really good photos than a hundred mediocre ones.