An Urban Oasis Goes Online
Owner, Pomp Salon
Leave the chaos of the city behind, step through a secluded courtyard and enter into the world of Pomp Salon. Located in Santa Monica’s Pacific Plaza, Pomp caters to those looking to relax, be pampered, and experience the best in hair and skin care services the city has to offer. Owner Lisa Dixon opened Pomp in February 2005 with the goal of creating a holistic, nurturing and serene environment in which clients receive the utmost in care.
It’s clear that Dixon’s vision has come to fruition. After just two years in business, the word about Pomp is spreading and the clientele continues to grow. In addition to expanding the depth and breadth of services offered at Pomp, Dixon has also begun to further develop the salon’s focus on superior client service by incorporating an online presence into the business.
Dixon knew exactly what she wanted for Pomp’s entrance into the online world: a website that maintained the salon’s brand image while effectively generating new client business. When Lisa encountered TeleVox at a TSA Symposium, she became more intrigued by the idea of trusting a professional design company to design Pomp’s site. After doing some additional research, she ultimately chose TeleVox to create and host the website.
Dixon says what impressed her about TeleVox was that custom websites were available regardless of the size of her business or her bank account. “I researched TeleVox’s portfolio of website design so I could better educate myself on what I would plan for visually as well as financially. Their sites were all beautiful, and I liked having the choice of a simple or elaborate site based on my financial situation. I never felt like any of the design and hosting packages they offered were sacrificing customization or quality.”
Once she made the decision to have TeleVox design her website, Lisa found the company’s design process to be structured, yet not stressful. The key to the process is open communication between the client and the design company. It’s crucial that the people responsible for creating the visual and mechanical aspects of the website understand the essence of the company’s brand. In the case of Pomp, TeleVox’s professional graphic artists and multimedia designers strove to create a website that evoked the true look and feel of the salon: a combination of a modern, urban aesthetic and the natural essence of gorgeous Southern California. As a full time stylist, business owner and mother, Dixon appreciated that TeleVox worked around her hectic schedule and never pressured her to speed up the process just to get the website completed. Although Pomp’s website has only been live for a matter of months and is still a work in progress, it’s already serving to enhance the salon’s business.
From an operations standpoint, Pomp’s website has helped to streamline the daily workload at the bustling salon. Dixon notes that by providing basic, yet important information on the website, they have reduced the number of incoming phone calls inquiring about services, pricing and cancellation charges. She also likes the simplified navigation and content of the website. Based on Dixon’s desire for a clean look, TeleVox designed the website to make it easy for clients to obtain information and effortlessly tour through each page. “They listened to my need to maintain our branding without overdoing the site with too much information,” she says. “It leaves just enough curiosity for our clients and provides the opportunity for us to entice them inside our salon doors.”
And entice them it does. Dixon notes that “many people refer to our site and then call us based on how it looks, hoping our salon is as beautiful, clean and professional as the site is…which of course, we are.”
The website has also helped to generate new clientele for Pomp. After the site went live, Pomp e-mailed all existing clients to announce the new website. This strategy paid off. Dixon found that many clients were not aware of all the services offered in the salon until they visited the website. Now Pomp’s website is helping to increase the number of services per client as well as attract new clients. Clients visit the website on a regular basis to get up-to-the-minute information on current specials and events. Referrals have increased as well, as it’s much easier for current clients to provide Pomp’s website address to their friends instead of trying to remember the phone number and address.
Another area of the business that is expanding due to the website is eCommerce. Currently Pomp’s website offers the ability for clients to conveniently purchase gift cards for the salon’s services through a secure purchasing portal. Dixon also plans to add an online retail store to the site in the near future, to make it easy for clients to purchase the products used in the salon from the comfort of their home.
Though this is her first foray into the world of website design, Lisa has become knowledgeable along the way. She stresses that spa and salon owners who are looking to take their business online plan ahead of time to make the time investment necessary for the undertaking of having a truly custom, professional site designed. “Doing it right the first time saves you more money than you might think. Don’t always look for a ‘friend’ to help or the cheapest route; because you will fix it over and over again, spending more money and time than you thought you would.”
When asked whether the new website gives Pomp and edge over the competition, Lisa Dixon doesn’t hesitate. “Many small salons don’t think websites are important. For us, it was just another avenue to show our clients that we are taking our business seriously,” she says. “We may be hairdressers, but we are professional business people too. Our website lets our clients know we will be around for a long time since we’ve made that investment in ourselves.”