How to create an app for a beauty salon

1. Changing customer habits

Users are increasingly choosing to record online via smartphone. It's fast and doesn't require calls. It is estimated that more than 70% of people expect to be able to make an appointment with a master through the service.

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2. Competitive advantage

Developing a mobile app for a beauty salon will help you stand out from competitors who still work via calls and messengers. You offer a convenient service with a personal account, schedule, reviews, promotions and bonuses — all in one place.

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3. Convenience and loyalty

The easier the customer's journey, the higher the chance that they will come back. The mobile platform makes interaction with the studio quick and enjoyable: you don't need to search for a room, check free windows or remember about a promotion — everything is at hand.

4. Automation and facilitation of staff work

The service takes care of the routine: online recording, reminders, changes of masters, notifications. The workload on administrators is reduced, and the team can focus on the quality of service.

When you start your journey to digitalizing the beauty business, it's important to understand what an app should be able to do. This is not about “being on a person's phone”; it's important to make life easier for him and for yourself.

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Tip: If you are thinking about how to create an app for a beauty salon, start with the basic functionality — the MVP that will help you quickly enter the market, understand what users like, and save money on the start.

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Here are features to get you started:

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• Online recording. A popular feature to start with. Visitors appreciate the opportunity to quickly choose the right service, technicians, day and time — without calls, waiting for answers and correspondence. It's simple: I went in, clicked, signed up. This is not only user-friendly, but also reduces the burden on administrators — recordings are made automatically, without human error or error.

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• Service catalog. A structured description of services is one of the keys to selling. When it is easy for a client to compare procedures, see current prices, the duration and scope of services, he makes a decision faster. The catalog also contains photos, brief descriptions, recommendations from artists and even collections by category: “express services”, “for the first visit”, “hit of the season” — this makes it easier to navigate and makes the service personalized.

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• Personal account. It stores the history of all visits, accrued bonuses, current records and personal offers. You can also manage notifications and reschedule or cancel bookings. A convenient, functional and visually pleasing personal account is an important part of the app that increases engagement and encourages repeat visits. Also, it's just nice when the service “remembers you”.

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• Push notifications. Visit reminders, special offers, new services or holiday greetings — push buttons work gently but effectively. They are not intrusive, easy to set up and help you stay in touch with visitors even outside the space. Relevant, convenient and spam-free — this is exactly how users want to receive information.
  
  

• Salon controls. The service has a panel for the owner and administrator. It shows the schedule, the load of masters, the number of records, and may also contain statistics on repeat visits, reviews, and the effectiveness of promotions. This tool gives you control over your business in real time — you can quickly respond to changes and make management decisions without unnecessary tables and calls.

This starter set of features will help make the service useful and understandable. And then develop it according to users' needs.

A good app works for everyone at once — and this is its main advantage. Each user has different tasks, and if you take into account the interests of all parties, it will become a useful tool, not just an “icon on the screen”.

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For customers:

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• Save time. You can make an appointment with a master at any time of the day — you don't need to call the administrator or wait for an answer in the messenger.
  
  

• Access to promotions and loyalty programs. Visitors are always up to date with special offers, can receive personal discounts, accumulate bonuses and use them on their next visits.
  
  

• Transparency of prices and services. In the service, you can check in advance the cost, duration and description of each procedure.

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For owners:

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• Loyalty growth. When it's convenient for the customer, he comes back. The platform helps to build constant communication: reminders of the visit, holiday greetings, personal offers — this strengthens the connection with the audience.
  

• Reducing the burden on administrators. The service takes care of bookings, automated reminders, and even feedback collection. Administrators are freed from routine tasks and can focus on the quality of service in the hall.
  
  
• An additional marketing channel. Push notifications, banners, news feeds are becoming a channel of communication with people. You can quickly provide information about new products, promotions or changes in work schedules.

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For craftsmen:

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• Easy scheduling management. Masters see their notes; there is no need to check with the administrator. There is no confusion and you can prepare for each visit in advance.
  

• Direct communication with customers. Through the application, the master can clarify the details of the procedure, remind you of the training rules or offer additional services. This is how trusting relationships are built and the level of service is increased.

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Developing a mobile app for a beauty salon is not only about technology, but also about care. For the service to work and help companies, it is important to go through all stages of development consistently.

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This is how it happens:

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Analysis and design

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Before moving on to design and development, you need to understand why you need a platform and what it should be like.

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Analysis of the target audience and business objectives

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It's important to understand who your users are and what they need. The analysis shows how people sign up, what services are the most popular, and what causes difficulties, such as calling an administrator or confusion over time. At the same time, business goals are defined: automating recording, promoting new services, working with regular customers.

Creating technical specifications
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Based on the analysis, a detailed technical specification is formed. This is a document that lists all the sections and functions of the future service: online registration, personal account, promotions, notifications, communication with CRM. TZ helps all project participants — from designers to programmers — move in the same direction and not miss important things.

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Design

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At this stage, the visual part is created — what the user sees first.

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User friendly interface development (UX/UI)
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The application should not contain anything superfluous. The user should easily find the schedule, sign up quickly, and see their bonus balance. Screens are being designed and the logic of interaction is being built. The simpler and more logical, the higher the chance that a person will want to use the platform again.

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Corporate style design

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Colors, fonts, logo, images — everything adapts to the style of your center. If you have a cozy family beauty club, that's one mood. If a stylish urban center is quite different. The main thing is for the service to look like a continuation of the brand and be trustworthy.

Programming

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When the design is approved, the most “technical” part begins — the development of the application itself.

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Platform selection
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It is determined where the platform will work: on iOS, Android, or everywhere at once. Many studios choose cross-platform development, for example, on Flutter, to avoid making two separate products and launch an MVP faster.

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Integration with CRM and other systems
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At this stage, the service is connected to internal services: CRM, newsletters, loyalty systems. This is necessary for everything to work automatically: a person signs up, the administrator received a notification, the system issued a bonus, and the master saw an update in the schedule.

Testing

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The finished service goes through the “verification in action” stage. At this step, all bugs are caught before they are released.

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Functional and UX testing
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Testers go all the way through the user: from installing and recording to receiving notifications and using bonuses. This will help identify flaws before launch.

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Bug fixes and logic improvements

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All errors found are eliminated, and the interface and interactions are improved if necessary. The goal is to produce a stable and convenient product.

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Publication and support

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The final stage is going to stores and further working on the product.

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App Store and Google Play
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The platform is uploaded to stores, moderated, and made available. It's important to design your service page well — add an icon, screenshots, a short description, and keywords to make it easy to find.

Support and development
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‍After the release, the team monitors the service. People can leave feedback and suggest ideas, and businesses may want to add new features, such as video consultations or cosmetics selection. All of this is gradually being added in future versions. Don't forget to release updates on time so that the service is stable and meets store requirements.

Here are some vivid examples that show how mobile solutions help spaces and craftsmen grow their businesses.

• Vagaro. One of the most popular services for the beauty industry, especially in the US. It helps you manage bookings, customer base, and sales. Thanks to a user-friendly interface and built-in payment system, many studios have reduced administration time and increased revenue. Vagaro is actively used by hairdressers, barbershops, spas and nail technicians.

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• GlossGenius. An app designed specifically for independent artists and small studios. GlossGenius focuses on stylish design and ease of use. Inside, there are tools for booking, customer accounting, payment, as well as marketing templates. Thanks to such features, craftsmen began to grow their customer base faster, and users were more willing to return.

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• ‍YCLIENTS. A domestic example that shows how it is possible to successfully automate a business in the service sector. YCLIENTS is a whole ecosystem: mobile app, CRM, loyalty system and marketing tools. Many centers across Russia use it as their main working tool. Automating recording, collecting feedback, analyzing the workload of craftsmen and controlling sales are all in one solution. Thanks to YCLIENTS, many salons have reduced the rate of no-shows and increased re-enrollment.

If you're thinking about creating an app for a beauty salon, remember that first impressions are very important in this industry — and a mobile app is no exception. It should be stylish, convenient and reliable to make life easier for the client and make them want to come back.

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Are you ready to go from idea to action? Leave a request on the website — we'll show you where to start, and together we'll find the best solution for your business.

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We care about your app!