Clients who previously wanted to achieve a fitness goal or up their beauty routine had to spend time in the trenches asking around for the right professional. Now, like everything else, there’s an app for that.
Sensor Tower data rightfully forecasted that wellness apps would exceed 1 billion downloads globally in 2021. Meaning, if your beauty or lifestyle business hasn’t yet made it to mobile, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.
But not just any slapdash app will cut it. With the proliferation of options out there, you need to make sure yours stands out. Ahead, we’ll highlight what makes an app great, starting with the features you should focus on.
1. Simplicity and usability
Few other features matter as much as ease of use. It’s what makes a good app the go-to. If you want to retain users, make sure it’s easy to navigate. The more intuitive, the better.
Make sure it doesn’t crash or freeze either. If so, a user is exceedingly more likely to delete it.
In general, you want your app to be more scroll-friendly since clicking can be cumbersome when you’re working without a mouse.
2. Communication tools
Opening up a quick and essential communication channel can do wonders for your beauty business. It’s also one of the critical characteristics of mobile applications.
With features like in-app texting, you and your clients can communicate in advance of their appointments. The text messenger feature is unique to Gina’s Platform and allows lifestyle professionals to toggle back and forth between their text message and calendar. This feature also allows you to keep your personal text messaging system separate from the business.
Gina’s Platform professional business application even lets you exchange photos. It can be a great way to ensure you know what type of service to book for your client and set the right expectation of what can reasonably be achieved in that time frame.
3. Personalization
In this business, it’s all about the personal connection. By using an app that makes the user experience a personal experience, you’re far more likely to keep clients engaged.
Using the client history and notes section of Gina’s app, lifestyle professionals can enhance their personalization efforts with a built-in client management system.
Customize birthday and appointment reminders in the app and have them automatically sent at the appropriate time. It may seem like a small gesture, but the more touch points you have with your clients, the more loyal they’re likely to be.
4. Secure payment options
Reports suggest, nearly 75% of organizations were targets of a payments fraud attack in 2020. That number is only predicted to increase as digital payment methods become the new normal. “Real-time payments are expected to witness exponential growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than half a trillion transactions and a compound annual growth rate of almost 23% between 2019 and 2024,” says Global News Wire.
Show that you can help keep your clients secure from these types of cyber attacks, and they’re far more likely to make electronic payments with you.
Have clients who still prefer cash-in-hand? No problem. The point of sale system on Gina’s Platform offers a quick and easy-to-use system with features that include a cash-discount option for those not wanting to pay credit card processing rates and an invoicing system.
5. In-app promotions
Want to keep your clients coming back to the app over and over again? Use it to push your promotions.
Whether that be a referral bonus, seasonal savings, or product push, you can make your app the destination.
6. Real-time COVID info
As COVID continues to keep us all on our toes, you can use your app to communicate salon safety protocols and procedures.
Gina’s Platform helps you prioritize the health of your clients by sending them up-to-date COVID-19 info.
Beauty App FAQ
Knowing what makes an app successful is only the beginning. You have to execute on it if you want your beauty business to benefit. Ready to get started? Contact us.
