Salon management software is a solution that helps salon owners and independent styling professionals manage their daily business operations. This system automates a range of tasks including appointment booking and scheduling, secure storage of data, customer interactions, appointment confirmations, inventory tracking, staff management, and implementation of marketing campaigns. Show moreBusy salon industry professionals find it difficult to manage multiple customer appointments especially during peak times. They can make use of salon software to easily manage appointments, accommodate requests for new ones, and reschedule existing ones to make their business more efficient and profitable. Although a large number of solutions in our review listing will be flexible and you will be able to use them efficiently no matter where you are, specific regional or language restrictions might be involved. On this page you’ll find our list of top software that will run smoothly in United States both in terms of language and local support. Start by checking our leader Mangomint, and other recommended solutions in this category. Show less
In order to come up with this list of best Salon Software we have evaluated 189 trending solutions currently present on the market, studying their features, how easy are they are to learn, customer support, possible integrations and mobile support using our patented SmartScoreTM rating system. This ranking has been developed by Nestor Gilbert, our B2B expert responsible for the Salon Software category.
CloudRank™ system is a unique algorithm that our research team uses to evaluate Salon Software solutions in a detailed and accurate way. The Summer 2022 edition of the ranking was prepared by Nestor Gilbert, our leading expert in the field of Salon Software, who has authored 1380+ product reviews in this category. The goal of CloudRank™ is to present an unbiased, multi-layered perspective on Salon Software, considering a wide range of metrics and factors, and educating potentiala customers about both opportunities and challenges associated with each piece of software.
In order to achieve full objectivity the position in our CloudRank™ is based on:
We’ve calculated a score for each product based on the average experience shared by our users in their product reviews and arranged the list in three tiers. You can see the methodology below on how the calculations were made.
Regardless of their tier, all products included in our CloudRank™ are popular, quality products considered top-performers by our team of experts. Make sure you read a more detailed review of each solution to find one that will work best for your specific needs and budget.
Show lessMARKET POSITION
A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.
TOTAL score
A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.
Market Position
A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.
Total Score
A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.
CloudRank™ tier
Based on product's total score.
Rising Star
Contender
Front Runners
Here is a list of all 25 Salon Software solutions evaluated with our CloudRank™ analysis. We have compared their features, user satisfaction, market presence and other key factors in an in-depth analysis you can find below:
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Our report covered 25 most popular products from the Salon Software category. We’ve analyzed their features, performance, integration, customer support, pricing, and several other key buying factors and combined it with feedback from user reviews to come up with the current list of best solutions:
While not specifically designed for Salons, Acuity Scheduling is a full-featured, user-friendly scheduling management SaaS that is quite popular in the industry. The solution currently supports over 50,000 businesses from all over the world with services for scheduling appointments, classes, workshops, or group events. Acuity outperforms very popular pureplay salon management SaaS and other equally robust and well-used scheduling apps to nab the top spot in this edition of CloudRank for Salon Management.
Acuity Scheduling excels in its core functionality of organizing schedules, bolstering its solution with flexible calendar coordination and third-party integrations, as well as other features to maximize branding impact by balancing the appeal of your calendar to your clients looking to make an appointment. Additionally, the solution allows you to customize content and features, and make client information gathering and payments easy and convenient.
Aside from being FinancesOnline’s expert pick in the Salon Management category, Acuity Scheduling is also the top contender in the Online Booking Software category, and a strong third in the larger Appointment Scheduling Software category.
Most users of Salon Software solutions confirm that in most cases these tools allow them to reach the following business goals:
The Summer 2022 version of the report includes a total of 25 Salon Software products that were compared and analyzed by our team. We selected them based on the following factors:
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in software isn’t new but it continues to gain traction and find more applications. The technology has vastly improved with AI and similar technologies, machine learning and big data analysis, etc, continuing to disrupt traditional ways of delivering salon services and providing a better customer experience. One example of this are customers getting help from AI in setting up salon appointments. Salon software currently available in the market provide 24/7 AI assistance. Forty percent of bookings occur after-hours; automation and round-the-clock availability address these inquiries which would otherwise be lost. Other uses of these types of smart technology include suggesting upgrades based on the availability of services, history, or predicted services optioned at the time of booking or automatically targeting customers that are due for appointments or would have a higher likelihood to respond to the slot availability for the day.
Everyone has a social profile or two. It is estimated there are over 3.6 billion social media users worldwide with the numbers projected to increase to 4.41 billion in 2025. The global penetration rate average is 53.6%, the highest is 79% for Western and Northern Europe while North America is a close second at 74%. Beyond social connections, social media provides avenues for marketing and targeting audience segments. The salon and spa industry would usually have a target market based on geographic location, consequently reflected in “salon near me” searches, gender, and age bracket. Reviews and check-ins help salon businesses get awareness and name recall. Widgets and buttons from salon software are embeddable to websites and social channels, Facebook and Instagram are the top social media channels in user numbers, and act as portals for online appointment booking.
Cisco; Vox
Video has multiple uses and applications in software and apps whether for work, social channels, and salon software. Cisco has predicted more than 80% of online traffic will be video by 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the format use among apps that require “face-to-face” participation. We see this in the increase in usage of communication software like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex which saw a rise in demand even as business apps purchases decreased. Video in social channels gain more shares and engagement and is another way to leverage the channel for marketing. Stay-at-home orders and pandemic-related lockdowns have led to on-demand videos added as features or as a plu-in with thrid party apps in some salon software like Phorest and WellnessLiving.
Salon management tools help salon industry owners and professionals to manage appointments, automate routine tasks, and make their business more efficient. So you can benefit a lot by investing in a quality solution. But how do you sort the good salon tools from the average? To help you, we have prepared this buyer’s guide that details the main features and elements you should look for to do knowledgeable comparisons when selecting the best salon tools for your needs.
An ideal way to start your search for the best salon management tool is by signing up for the free trials or demo offered by popular salon software providers. This will help you to gauge the efficacy of each app and understand if it is suitable for your establishment. Visit the websites of these leading platforms to check if they offer a free trial: Vagaro, Rosy Salon Software, Versum, and Salon Ultimate. These programs have been given impressive rankings in our salon software reviews that you can browse to get a general comparison of the products’ features. It’s also worthwhile to consider some alternatives first. For example, check out our article on Top 10 Alternatives to Acuity Scheduling for more information on the popular solutions available on the market.
The salon and spa management software category includes the following related programs:
Appointment management. You can easily book, reschedule, and follow up on appointments on the fly. Top systems allow you to confirm appointments using SMS text messages.
Staff management. You can track useful employee metrics such as employee availability, employee schedules, and customer satisfaction and retention.
Customer management. You can capture useful customer data to support targeted marketing campaigns. Includes tools that enable you to segment and categorize customers, track customer spend, and gather customer feedback.
Billing and POS processing. You can generate bills and process payments using common methods such as cash, e-wallets, and credit and debit cards. Customers can use a POS (point-of-sale) solution to redeem gift coupons.
Reporting. Customized reports can be generated for tracking employee performance, measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, measuring customer satisfaction through service or stylist categories, and evaluating revenue trends.
Marketing campaigns. Enables you to carry out email and SMS-based marketing campaigns to attract customers to your salon. These campaigns can offer gift coupons, loyalty cards, membership programs, and promotional packages.
Streamlines appointments. Busy salons find it difficult to manage multiple customer appointments during peak working hours. Because of this they may double-book customers and lose business. Salon tools enable you to easily schedule appointments, re-schedule existing ones, and confirm them to your customers to save their as well as your time.
Centralizes customer data. It is important for salons to track customer information in order to create targeted marketing campaigns. Salon software allows them to securely store customer data including contact details, membership information, important dates, loyalty points, service history, and details about gift voucher redemptions. The system can also back up the customer data at selected periods for additional security.
Other benefits
Predictive buying. Most salon software tools lack advanced analytics capabilities to analyze customer data collected by establishments. Top vendors are addressing this problem by integrating analytics tools in salon management programs to enable salons to study purchasing behavior and predict buying patterns. This can help them to personalize the customer experience and create promotions to improve sales.
Booth rental model. Some salons and spas are renting booths that contain the essential equipment and products to third-party professionals. This business model is a win-win situation for both parties. Booth owners can earn a good income without spending on marketing or training, while styling professionals can get a fully furnished workplace for their business without heavy capital expenditure. Customers also benefit as they can prefer to avail of the expertise of their favorite stylist.
The rise of Spalons. Whereas before spas and salons were two different entities entirely, there is a growing trend that fuses both into a one-stop-shop (Spalon). Developers may want to take note of this for their next few versions.
Inadequate training
Salons need to ensure their employees get adequate training to learn to use salon software effectively. This is especially applicable to new employees. Staff members can refer to how-to-guides, training videos, FAQs, and other materials to get the hang of the system. They should understand the full capabilities of the platform to maximize its potential.
Getting carried away
Salon owners can get carried away by the excellent features offered by salon software and may be tempted to send too many marketing emails and text messages to their customers. They should avoid this mistake and exercise care while using the marketing functions. Send marketing emails and SMS messages only to specific groups of customers to attract their attention. This will help you to save money and your customers will not get annoyed by the marketing messages.
Migrating from phone to software
Getting clients to move from phone appointments to a software-based system is not as easy as you think. You may encounter resistance from your clients, especially those who are less tech-savvy and would always insist that the old ways are the best. Transitioning to your new software would entail some time and a lot of patience.
Staff Capability and Turnover
Salons hire staff for their skills in pampering and grooming clients, which don’t automatically translate into technical skills. Your choice of software should have a good balance between utility and usability. Given the cutthroat competition and turnover rates, your salon software should have an easy-to-use interface that can be picked up quickly by new hires.
Primary Objective of Implementation
While salon software often offers a lot of features, it’s best to keep track of your original objective that made you consider a purchase. Is your objective providing an easier way for clients to set appointments and book schedules? Or is it a way to consolidate your client list and deliver marketing strategies like promotions, mailers, or loyalty programs? Perhaps, it’s to consolidate your supply chain and ensure you are fully stocked? Whatever your main goal is, your choice of software should readily address that foremost before you get all awed with the other features.
If you’re still using a phone and a paper directory to answer inquiries and accept bookings, then your salon is going to have a hard time competing with those who have moved on to the next level. Automating your process and providing your customers with a more convenient way to reach out to you have gone from being expensive options to an accepted standard in the salon industry.
Using salon software is not a question of when or why anymore. It’s more a matter of which. Don’t be left out in the cold with the old ways.
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Disaster recovery and security are two main elements that need to be considered by SaaS purchasers when analyzing potential providers.
Many SaaS providers do not have a disaster recovery site. Therefore, ask the following questions to your shortlisted vendors: How do you test your disaster recovery processes? What is your recovery time? How often do you test? Do you have dispersed infrastructure; are your chief site and your disaster recovery site placed in different geographical locations?
You need to be aware that many SaaS providers do not use enterprise-grade infrastructure to deploy SaaS apps. Many solutions have multiple providers. For example, there may be a firewall provider, an Internet provider, and a few others too in the mix. If a problem rears up, there is a lot of finger-pointing. This problem is common with on-premise IT applications. The solution is to decrease the number of vendors so that there is accountability to ensure they take responsibility about performance.
Ask the potential SaaS vendors the following questions about security: Is your organization SAS70 compliant? What security procedures are used at your facilities? What security audits and guidelines does your organization follow? Who manages access and identity management, web application firewalls, log file management, and network connectivity?
Needless to say, take your time to research thoroughly and get the answers to the above questions before you invest in an appropriate SaaS solution.
The best salon software is Rosy Salon Software, which received the top marks in our list of software in this category. It is a user-friendly appointment scheduling software created specifically for the salon industry.
Schedules are displayed in real-time on your website, making it virtually impossible for anyone to double book due to late updates. Once an appointment has been applied for, the software automatically notifies you and updates the schedules list.
It can be integrated with third-party apps, such as Facebook, Demand Force, CardConnect, Vantiv, and more. This way, you can manage all your scheduling processes in one interface.
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