What’s a Page Ranking?
Did you know that every web page on the internet is put into a ranking system that effects its placement in search results? This includes your StyleSeat profile as well as how your profile is searched for and found in StyleSeat’s directory search. There are a few variables that can help bump up your profile into the top search results when potential clients are searching your services and location, and we wanted to share them with you!
First things, first.
What determines my page rank?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a tool StyleSeat, as well as many other websites or search engines, uses to help users find the best of what they are searching for.
The order of appearance in search results (besides the listings in the light yellow box, those are paid for) is dependent upon relevance of keywords between the searched item, and the pages being searched. For example, if your StyleSeat profile lists you as a hairstylist in San Francisco, CA, and you offer a haircut as one of your services, someone who types in “haircut, San Francisco, CA” will receive your profile in their search results, though not necessarily on the first page.
How do I improve my page rank?
There are a few things you can do to improve your page rank for your StyleSeat profile:
- Make sure you use the correct words, and simple descriptions when defining your profession and services. These provide the keywords that will help your page show up in search results. A client won’t typically search “Fabulosity Fierce French Manicure”, But they will search “Manicure” or “French Manicure”.
- Ask your clients to write you recommendations on your profile, or have us do it for you! Find out how.
- Encourage friends, family and clients to comment and heart your gallery photos.
Recommendations, comments, and hearts are super important because they help to boost your search ranking. Think of each of these features being worth a given amount of points. The more recommendations, comments or hearts you accumulate, the more “points” you accumulate as well, generating a “score” and your page ranking. The more recommendations, comments and photo hearts you receive, the more “points” you accumulate, and the higher ranking of your page.
Is there anything else I can do to generate more attention to my profile?
Of course! Remember earlier when we said “the more frequently listed” links are more likely to be clicked on? Using other sites to list your business in addition to your StyleSeat profile can be extremely beneficial.
Sites like Yelp.com and Googles Places provide an additional search factor as well as rating system. List your business on either one, or both of these sites and use your StyleSeat profile as your business website link to connect all of them and improve your the traffic for all of your pages. And don’t stop there! Make sure your StyleSeat profile is connected to your Facebook and twitter pages too. The additional attention to all of your pages increases the likelihood of generating more clientele and therefore, profit.
There ya go! Enjoy!
<3 The StyleSeat Team
When are you working?
Set your availability so your clients know when you are available and can book online. First go to “My Profile” and then click “Edit Profile” and click the tab labeled “Availability”.
Set up
Check the days that you work and fill in your hours. When clients go to book appointments they will only be able to book within your available hours. (Note: you can still book appointments internally during “off” hours in your Schedule)
Lunch break
There’s an optional space to block off breaks and lunches. Be sure to fill this out so clients see you as unavailable during this time.
Take some time off!
If you want to block off a day that you usually work you can go to your “Schedule” and select the day you would like to block off. If you click on your calendar and the appointment box will pop:
Click the teal link that reads: “Block Off Personal Time”.
Now you can set the hours of the day/time you want to block off. Click the “Save” button. Your personal time will be blocked off in teal on your calendar as shown below:
NOTE
We don’t have customizable availability yet, but we plan to add it soon. If you want to open up a day that you usually have off, a work-around would be open up the extra day you want to work in your “Availability” tab and and then manually block off that day with personal time for any other weeks that you won’t be available that day.
If you’ll be away from the salon or out for the day, make sure to block it off in your calendar to avoid having your clients book services with you when you’re out of the salon.
Go to the “Schedule” tab, click the time and date on your calendar you would like to block off, and wait for the box to pop up. Click the teal “block off personal time” link.
A new box will pop up where you can enter the date and timeframe you’ll be unavailable to your clients. You can fill out a block of time or the whole day. Click “Save”.
Your personal time will show up on your calendar internal calendar, and clients will not be able to book appointments with you online during that time.
Need to take a few days off? Repeat this process for all the days you’ll be away. You can’t block off multiple days at a time yet, but this feature is coming soon!
One of the benefits of using StyleSeat is that we’ll send appointment confirmations and reminders for FREE!
Online Booking:
Appointment Confirmations for the Pro
When a Client books an appointment online with you, you will automatically receive an email notification letting you know.
You can also choose to be alerted via text message about appointments that clients have booked online. To do this, go to “My Home/Settings/Online Booking” and click the box that says “Send me a text message when a client books online”.
Internal Booking:
Client Confirmations and Reminders
If you do any of the following actions internally from your StyleSeat calendar, your clients will be sent an automatic email confirming or updating them about the appointment:
- Book an appointment
- Cancel an appointment
- Reschedule an appointment
To turn this feature off go to:
“My Home/Settings/Client Communications/Client Scheduling Notifications”
Find out more info here.
Client Confirmations
Your client will receive a confirmation email with all their appointment details immediately after they book with you online.
Client Appointment Reminders
Client appointment reminders can be turned on or off from:
“My Home/Settings/Client Communications”
This is also where you can choose when you would like your clients to be reminded of their upcoming appointments.
StyleSeat will automatically remind your clients when their appointment is close! We’ll send them a reminder email every time, with the option to add an additional method:
- Auto Text Message
- Automated Call
*Clients can also set their own preferences for how they’d like to be reminded.
As a pro, you can edit your client’s reminder preferences for them by going to “My Home/Clients” and clicking on “quick edit” next to the client you want to edit and change the “Reminder Preference”. Find out more about simple client info editing.
In addition to confirmations and reminders you can also send your clients:
Client Thank You Emails - Thank You Emails send your clients a message thanking them for coming in and suggest they leave you a recommendation.
Client Come Back Emails - Come Back Emails will send your clients an email 4 weeks and 6 weeks after their last appointment inviting them back if they haven’t booked another yet
Here’s how to use our professional-only app!
Getting Started
First go to styleseat.com on a computer and create a profile.
Download the App
Now that you’ve got your profile all set up, you can install the app on your phone. The app is available for the iPhone and iPad. Search for “StyleSeat” (one word) in the App Store and tap it to install it for FREE.
Open the app on your phone or iPad and log in using your same login info from styleseat.com (wait for your info to sync).
Book an Appointment
Tap the “Schedule” icon at the bottom.
This schedule is synced with your computer, so you can book an appt here, and have it reflect on your computer. You can check your availability by tapping the left or right arrows in the upper right corner of your screen OR on the left side of your screen you can see a monthly (left icon) or weekly (right icon) view. Learn More.
Getting started!
To book an appointment click the calendar icon with the + sign in the upper right corner.
Tap on the day/time you’d like to book the appointment. To switch days scroll using the arrows below. When you find the right day, tap it.
Tap the time you want to book the appointment for.
Fill Out your Client Info
Choose the client you want to book by clicking in the “Client” box
(Note: If the client doesn’t exist, click the client box and then click the icon shaped like a person in the upper right corner to create a new client)
Next choose the service that you’re booking by tapping on the “Service” box. Once you select the service it will auto-fill the price and time. Tap “+add another service” to book multiple services for the same client. You can also add notes to your appointment card that are visible only to you.
Book Appointment
When you’re all set, click “Book Appointment” at the bottom or in the upper right corner of the screen to book your appointment.
Click the “Activity” icon at the bottom of your screen to see your newly booked appointment. Now StyleSeat can be everywhere you are!!
