If you are not digital in 2021, you will be left behind. For the last several years, there has been a gradual ramp-up of businesses moving all their products and services online. The pandemic has only served to amplify this movement. Now with consumers accustomed to purchasing everything online, businesses must stay at the forefront of this digital era to stay competitive. There are several business components which are the most critical for aesthetic businesses to digitize. In this guide, you’ll learn what those are, and how to compete in this new digital world.

Robust Website

The key to a great website is a lot of traffic. For your audience to keep coming back, you need an informative & interactive website. Provide loads of information on your services with distinct pages for each treatment complete with videos, before & after pics, and Q&A sections. You can create interaction with your audience through a series of tools or widgets such as questionnaires, polls, raffles, etc. A fun and engaging website is much more likely to prompt return visitors.

Be sure that communication is simple for your website visitors. Feedback forms, contact information, and email sign up lists are all great ways to stay in touch with your visitors. Make your phone number highly visible on each page such as in the header.

Ecommerce

Ecommerce makes it ultra-convenient for clients to purchase from you, which prevents you from missing out on any sales. Some clients will leave your business without making a suggested product purchase and then wish they had. Clients find it beneficial to know they can easily purchase the product from your website later.⁠

55% of consumers visit a store and then still choose to buy online* — Buyers often like to test and use the product before they purchase it. ⁠ Be liberal with the testers while clients are in-office, and hopefully, they will repay your generosity with a post-visit purchase! (Hint: Make sure estheticians are following up with clients and asking how they enjoyed the testers to prompt the sale!)

Ecommerce also allows for more loyalty to your business and products — When your clients are aware that they can purchase products from your website so simply, the tendency is to revisit and repeat the same transaction regularly!⁠ ⁠

Ecommerce helps increase your revenue — By offering retail product purchases through an e-commerce site, you have a high potential of reaching new, organic clients who are ready to discover what you have to offer!⁠ Be sure you accept various payment types so that sales aren’t lost because of an improper payment method. (Hint: please do not get caught up on credit card processing fees. Find the best rate you can and then just realize that it is the cost of doing business.)

Online Booking

Online scheduling takes the hassle out of booking for both you and your clients. An effective online bookkeeping system removes the stress and mistakes from scheduling as your client load increases. Clients will be able to book appointments from any digital device quickly & easily. A virtual booking system is not just a good idea, but something your clients expect!

Paperless Forms/ Consents

Many clients do not want to spend their time filling out paper forms. While going paperless may seem like a daunting task, you will streamline your processes and gain efficiency by going digital. A paperless office means saving money and doing well by the environment!

Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

Both convenient for you and your clients, Electronic Medical Records allow instantaneous information & access. EMRs are said to be more reliable, confidential, and efficient. A great benefit of EMRs is the easy access for all team members involved in patient care.

Social Media

With an increasing number of businesses now offering services online due to covid, so are your competitors. Utilizing a great social media strategy is an essential and necessary pivot that your business needs to make. Here are some of the best things you can do to grow your social media account.

Post consistently- consistency is crucial when it comes to social media. Make sure you are posting 3-5 times per week with a mix of stories and videos! Write your content for two weeks to one month in advance.

Engage with your audience- Make sure that you spend time interacting directly with your ideal clients daily. This is the best thing you can do to increase your engagement. Leave genuine comments, like posts, and get to know your loyal clients and potential clients better.

Acknowledge current events- the COVID-19 crisis is touching countless lives. Recognize this and tailor your posts to suit the present times.

Be real- Many businesses are recognizing the power of authenticity. Your audience wants to see the REAL you- pictures of you and your team members (not just stock photos!). Being honest, vulnerable, and authentic with your social community can positively impact your engagement!

Provide valuable content- your content should be entertaining as well as educational. Create content that will resonate with your target clients, tells a story, and touches their pain points.

Digital Performance Metrics

If you want to increase your engagement on social media, you must track your metrics. “Likes” have been the popular indicator of performance for a long time. However, they are not the only indicator that you should be analyzing. It is also beneficial to track comments, shares, saves, views, and even direct messages. Create a plan for keeping track of your social media metrics and stay consistent.

While time-consuming at first, metric tracking is an action that can yield tremendous results for your business. While social media can be an incredible business tool, you must track your analytics. If a platform(s) is not producing the results your business needs, review your marketing plan and determine if you should do anything differently. Remember, it is okay to stop using a platform that is not yielding results for your business.

Targeted Messaging/ Promotions

Having a defined market makes your marketing more effective. Not everyone wants the products and services you offer. As an aesthetic business owner, it is your task to learn who does and who does not.

Spend time analyzing your customer base and identifying similarities. What is your unique selling position? What differentiates you from your competitors? Share these answers in your marketing practices. Learn the various demographics, geographics, and consumer spending habits of your ideal client. Get clear on how to communicate why your client should choose you over a competitor.

In Summary

Digitizing your business may seem overwhelming, but it really doesn’t need to be. Focus on the highest areas of opportunity first and then set realistic implementation goals with your team. As you adopt a more streamlined, online, efficient business, further modernizing steps will become simpler to achieve. Your team will be digital innovators in no time leaving more time for what really matters- your clients! If you found this article helpful, visit Aesthetics Accelerator for more insights & resources to catapult your practice and maximize your profits with Aesthetics Accelerator!