Four ways to put your salon online, compared honestly
A managed plan, a DIY builder, a one-off agency build or no website at all. Each suits some salons, and ours is not right for everyone. Here are the trade-offs, including the ones against us.
The short answer
If you only read one part of this page, read this.
A managed plan, if you want it handled
You want a proper site with your menu, policies and Book button, and you would rather spend your evenings on anything other than a website builder. You can commit to 12 months.
A DIY builder, if you have the hours
You enjoy the design side, you have time to set it up properly, and you will actually update prices and hours when they change.
An agency build, if you have a brief and a budget
You run an established salon or clinic group with a strong brand, money for a custom design and someone to manage the project and the changes afterwards.
Instagram only, if you are testing demand
You are brand new or very small and still finding out who books. It works for a while, as long as the plan is to add a site before your menu and policies outgrow a bio link.
Side by side
Described in general terms. Builders, agencies and platforms vary, so check the specific one you are considering.
| Managed plan | DIY builder | Agency build | No website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | A$499 setup | Low or none | Highest | None |
| Ongoing cost | A$249 a month | Subscription plus your time | Hosting and paid changes | Your time posting |
| Who makes changes | Us, up to 5 a month | You | Agency, usually paid | You |
| Treatment menu with prices | Built from your menu | If you build it | If briefed | In posts or highlights |
| Book button on every page | Yes | If you add it | If briefed | Link in bio |
| Commitment | 12-month minimum | Usually monthly or annual | Paid in full upfront | None |
| You own the domain | Yes, in your name | Usually | Usually | No domain needed |
Like this one
A managed website plan
Suits: Salon owners who want a proper site but would rather spend their evenings on anything other than a website builder.
In its favour
- Known cost: A$249 a month and A$499 setup, GST may apply, with nothing billed per change up to 5 edits a month
- Someone else builds the site, hosts it and keeps it updated
- Price, hours and menu changes are done for you, usually faster than you would find time to do them
- A live site within 14 days of sending your content
Against it
- A 12-month minimum term, so it suits salons planning to stay open and keep the site
- You pay every month for as long as the plan runs
- Design is built on our templates, and changes beyond edits are quoted separately
- You still supply the words, photos and prices
You build it yourself
A DIY website builder
Suits: Owners who enjoy the design side, have spare hours and will keep prices and hours current.
In its favour
- Low monthly subscription and full control over every page
- Change a price at midnight if you want to
- Plenty of salon-style templates to start from
Against it
- It costs your time: setting it up, writing, resizing photos, testing on a phone
- Templates look finished before your menu, policies and booking link are in them
- Updates, speed and search basics are your job to check
- Sites tend to go stale when the salon gets busy
Paid upfront
A one-off agency build
Suits: Established salons or clinic groups with a clear brief, a budget and someone to manage the project.
In its favour
- A custom design made to your brief
- You can own the finished site outright, depending on the contract
- Good for salons with a strong brand and a budget for it
Against it
- A larger upfront payment before you see results
- Hosting, updates and changes are often extra, or billed per request
- If the agency moves on, getting small changes made can become hard
Instagram, Facebook and a booking link
No website
Suits: Brand new or very small salons testing demand, as long as the plan is to add a site later.
In its favour
- Free to run and where many clients already follow salons
- Great for showing new work every week
- Your booking tool may give you a basic booking page
Against it
- You don't control the platform: its rules, reach and layout can change
- Prices, policies and treatment details get buried under newer posts
- Harder to show up for searches like a treatment name plus your suburb
- Nothing to point your Google Business Profile's website field at, other than a social page
Whichever you choose, get these right
Some things matter more than the way the site is built. Google uses the mobile version of your site 4 for indexing and ranking, so check every page on a phone. Keep your name, address and hours the same on your site and your Google Business Profile, because Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results 1 .
Register your domain in your business's own name. auDA says a .com.au domain name is for Australian commercial entities, most commonly shown by an ABN or ACN 3 , so have yours ready. Whoever builds your site, make sure you can take the domain with you.
And whatever the platform, the rules on what you say stay the same. Reviews must be genuine: the ACCC says fake or misleading reviews are against the law 2 . If you offer cosmetic or health services, stricter advertising rules may apply to your pages and posts alike.
For more detail, read how much a salon website costs and whether you need a website as well as Instagram, or go through what the plan includes.
Not sure which suits your salon? We will tell you, even if it isn't us.
One plan: A$249 a month and A$499 setup, GST may apply, 12-month minimum term. Bring your menu and your booking link. Nothing is signed on the call.