First impressions
are everything.
In the digital world,
your website is the
first place prospective
customers or spa
guests will go to learn
more about your spa or
business. It may seem basic
but many websites still commit the
mistake of not keeping their home page
informative. Your home page is where
customers learn more about your
product, brand or service, so make sure
you keep your information current.
Websites should be easy to navigate and
clearly communicate your brand and
offerings. Your website also needs to
work across all possible platforms (i.e.,
desktops, tablets and mobile devices).
Make sure to update your website regularly, whether it’s your staff directory,
news or blog pages.
SEO matters!
While some
naysayers argue
that search
engine optimization
(SEO) is a
waste of money,
you can’t argue that it
does boost your presence and likelihood
for potential customers to find you. SEO
is not about spamming your website or
content with keywords, it’s an outdated
tactic. The key is to populate your
website with relevant and informative
content. Don’t underestimate the power
of other websites that link back to yours.
Getting top magazines and news outlets
to talk about your business is key in
boosting your rating. Think about the
last time you searched for a non-specific
product. How far down in the search did
you go before finding what you were
looking for? You want your business to
show up within the first few pages every
single time.
Engage using social
media. At the moment, the “Big 5”
platforms are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
Pinterest and Instagram, but that doesn’t
mean you need to put energy into every
single one of them.
Know where
your customers
are. Follow the
demographics
and target those
social platforms
specifically.
Equally as important is what you are
posting on social media. Think about your
own personal page. What are you likely to
re-pin or retweet to your own personal followers? Keep this in mind when you’re
posting to your business pages. Content
should be engaging, exciting and useful.
Think about tips, recipes, and other howto features. In short, information your
customers can use. Supplement this with
photos, motivational quotes and videos.
And yes, ask questions! People love
to share their opinions.
Communicate with
your current
customer.
Don’t forget
about the ones
who already
love you.
While it’s
expected to market to new customers,
it’s much easier (and less costly) to
resell to an existing customer. Stay
engaged after the first purchase. Use
email marketing to stay in touch by providing content your customer will care
about. Don’t bombard them to the point
they want to unsubscribe, but touch
base often enough to stay front of mind.
Don’t hesitate to reward your previous
customers by offering exclusive deals or
loyalty programs. Your customers will
become your best word-of-mouth.
Keep it all consistent.
Every touchpoint for your brand should
appear familiar and
similar—from your
website to your enewsletters.
Customers should
instantly be able to
recognize your logo,
your tagline and your
“voice.” Make it easy for customers to find you on social platforms by
posting links clearly on the home page of
your website. In doing so, you signal to
your customers and potential guests that
you are ready to connect, communicate,
engage and listen. n
CAROL STRATFORD is the chief
marketing officer of Hilton
Head Health located in Hilton
Head Island, South Carolina.
She was also one of the
Professional Development
Session (PDS) speakers at the
2014 ISPA Conference & Expo.
CLICK HERE to purchase
the PDS Audio
Recordings.
March/April 2015
n
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