There are over 80 spa software management products in the US. Let that number sink in. How do you arrive on that one product that is perfect for your spa business? Besides the budget, which is a strong factor for choosing a spa management software, there are some critical features that can help you select the ONE. Here’s a look at some key functions that your beauty spa software must do for you.
1. It should be user-friendly
One of the best things a spa software can do for you is to be user-friendly. Crowded dashboards, complex interface, too many actions to accomplish tasks, etc. can be a huge strain on you. As a business owner, you neither have the time nor the additional resources to break the complexities of a new software down for your own understanding and that of your staff, who may also use it.
Even for the benefit of your clients, the spa booking software should simplify the booking process – it should readily show all open slots, availability of service providers in case clients have a preference and all types of services you offer to help them make a convenient and speedy decision. There’s more! What if they cannot make it to an appointment? The software should encourage quick rebooking to ensure business is not lost; just moved to a later date.
And finally, it must ease communication with its simple interface. Whether you want to connect with your clients over a phone call, an email or a text message, the platform should allow it and do so seamlessly.
2. It should provide you with actionable insights
A unified platform that manages your business’s operations, sales, employees, customers, and marketing, should be able to pull the data from all the departments, analyze them and deliver actionable insights via reports that can be studied in depth with added filters. Predictive analysis must allow you to combine or compare data from the past with current or trending ones to provide forecasts that will help your business function more optimally.
Having access to the right numbers will help you take critical decisions such as staffing numbers on lean versus busy days, inventory management when new trends catch on, targeted marketing campaigns based on client behavior and so on.
3. It should allow you to be mobile
You cannot always be expected to sit behind a computer or a laptop, peering into business data. There’s so much a spa owner must do and so many places they have to be at.
A spa management software should be big on mobility. It should be accessible to you from anywhere and at any time. This means that the tool should be cloud-based and mobile friendly, whether you’d want to access it on a mobile phone or a tablet.
A mobile spa software will come with you wherever you go – whether you’re catching up with a long-time client at the service floor, or are at a networking event with other salon and spa owners, or even enjoying a quiet dinner with family on a weekend. In short, quick and easy access to your business data should never be complex with your spa management software.
4. It should keep your data secure
Your cloud spa software is your all-in-one business platform. It has your clients’ information and other confidential business data, besides facilitating financial transactions between you and your clients, vendors and other stakeholders. In such cases, there should be zero compromise on cybersecurity. Your spa management software must comply to necessary security standards to ensure you are safe from data hackers and your clients can trust you with their information at all times.
5. It should be built for growth
A spa management software, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, is built for growth. When your business grows into more than one location and you wish to offer the same quality services and features your clients are accustomed to, there can be no excuses. Your spa software must grow along with your business, support data migration, handle larger volumes of guests and yet deliver the same quality in an uncomplicated way.
Only a world-class, cloud spa software can deliver on all the five promises. Make sure you look out for an all-in-one solution that does what others can’t.
