Salon touch software reviews

Although this is not a loyalty program per se, it can be used to encourage clients to stay loyal. Vagaro have a points based loyalty program built in. As you set prices for services, you can also configure how many points clients will earn from the services as well as how many points it will cost them to redeem the same service using their collected points. Acuity does not offer its own loyalty program.

Instead, it integrates with the best loyalty program platforms on the market. This way you can get the absolute best for your salon but it would be provided by someone else.

Salon Iris offers a loyalty program where you can configure how clients earn points as well as what the rewards are. Versum really shines when it comes to their loyalty program. You can customize everything about it and setup the rewards exactly as you want. Your website is the hub of all your marketing. This is where you send new clients from your social media or other marketing efforts.

But the fact of the matter is that a website builder is a technically difficult solution to build. Thus, no All-in-One Salon Software on the market can deliver a really good solution.

This way you can create a good website or have an agency build one for you which enables online booking with your salon software in a seamless way. I have created a separate review for you that goes through the best website builders for salons here. This is a good place to start if the website is the most important part for you.

You can create a simple booking website in Square Appointments using their predefined layouts. You can also generate a booking widget that you can add to your salon website independently on which platform you built it with. On top of that, Square offers a free solution called Square Online that allow you to create a full website for your salon. Square Online is in fact also one of the website builders I recommend here.

Fresha does not offer a website builder. As mentioned before, the Fresha team is investing heavily in the development of their platform and I would not be surprised if we see improvement coming in this area soon. Vagaro comes with a built in website builder that allow you to spin up a new website very quickly based on the data you have stored in the system.

It comes with default website design templates see examples below but you can also order a custom developed design from Vagaro at a very low cost. The Vagaro website builder allow you to connect a custom domain and to get you site live fast. However, what you can do is rather limited if you compare it to a dedicated website builder like Squarespace. My recommendations is therefore to use the Vagaro website widget and integrate whatever part of Vagaro you want to show on your website which you can build using the website builder you prefer.

I have never built a website as fast as with this tool. Just click a button and you have a website created based on the information you already have stored in the system. And it looks beautiful. You can change the main image, add your social account, show your team, and add additional information about your business.

It just works with the information you provide. This is awesome for the person who want simplicity without compromizing on the look and feel. However, the bigger business will most likely want to connect their own domain name, have more SEO support, and more flexibility in the design.

If you sign up for their large plan, you can also customize the booking experience completely. However, the power, again, with Acuity is that it integrates with other software, including website builders. Out of all the All-in-One Salon Software I have tested, Salon Iris is the one that deliver the richest support for creating a full website. You get a selection of templates to choose from and you can customize a large part of the website to make it look as you want.

But, as said before, I still think you should create your salon website with a dedicated website builder. Versum allow you to create a booking website to capture appointments. Instead, you would probably want to create your website using one of the salon website builders I recommend here and then link to the Versum booking website from that one. Social media has become the place to market your salon. Most platforms are very visual which fits the beauty industry perfectly. Thus, you want to make sure your online booking is linked with your social media.

On top, your salon software can help encourage your clients to leave online reviews of your salon which helps build your salons reputation. Square Appointments integrates with Google so that your clients can book you directly on the search result page without leaving Google. For other social platforms you can link directly to you booking widget for fast booking of appointments.

You can integrate your Fresha booking directly with Facebook, Instagram, and Google. However, the tool does not support reputation management on other platforms — like Google or Yelp. Vagaro integrates with Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, and Google.

The platforms all salon businesses should have some level of presence on. This means people can book you directly from these platforms and that you can feature your gift cards for sale directly on your Google My Business profile.

You can also have your users leave a review of their visit on your Vagaro marketplace profile. The website widget also allow you to show these reviews on your website in order to strengthen the credibility of your business. You can connect GlossGenius to Facebook to allow bookings from your profile. You can also enable reviews so that clients will be given the opportunity to leave a review after their appointment. Reviews will be displayed on your website and you can choose witch ones you want to show and not.

You can link directly from your social media to your Acuity booking page. Salon Iris enables your clients to book with you directly on your Facebook page. They also understand the importance of managing your reputation online and are partnering with a specialized reputation management service so that you can track reviews made about your salon directly inside the salon software. As the reputation management service is from an external company, this features comes at additional cost. They show you how you can link to your booking page from your social media and they can also help you automate an message after the appointment to encourage people to leave a review.

The software I recommend in this review manages the check our process differently. I have also done a review of the best salon POS systems that I strongly recommend you to read. All software I recommend in this review are cloud based and can be accessed via web browser of via mobile or tablet app. However, Salon Iris and Square Appointments also support you with hardware so that you can make your check out as effective as possible and also look sleek and professional.

Square have a menu of hardware that you can purchase to streamline your check out process. They all have the modern and minimalistic design that you experience across all square products.

Fresha offers POS support via the professional app or web interface. They also offer a credit card payment terminal that integrates with the software. Vagaro gives all users who signs up for their merchant service a free credit card reader. On top of that, you can purchase their full pay desk solution. The check out process is very simple, you can access the check out from the main navigation and then just add the services and products you want to check out.

Or you tap the appointment in the calendar that you want to check out. Acuity does not provide any POS hardware. However, you can integrate the platform with leading POS hardware solutions. You can also manage check out directly in the Acuity tablet or mobile app. All the software I recommend here support a wide variety of payment options.

However, this is of course where Square shines given payments is the core of their business. Square of course shines when it comes to managing payments. The Square Payments software which integrates with Square Appointments is free. You only pay per card transaction. You also get a free mobile card reader when you sign up.

Fresha has credit card payment built into the platform. They also offer a physical credit card reader that integrates with their software. Vagaro offers integrated credit card processing.

Acuity integrates with the leading payment providers — Stripe , Paypal , and Square. It allows you to accept payments directly on the booking website or during check out where it supports all payment types.

They also partner with a credit card payment provider so that you can get a complete credit card payment solution that is full integrated in the Salon Iris check out process. All the salon software i recommend here are cloud based. On top, they all offer mobile apps to give you fast and smooth access. Square Point of Sale app is however available globally.

You have full control of Square Appointments via the app. Fresha offers two apps — one for professionals and one for clients. They are available for both iOS and Android devices. I really like the simplicity and ease-of-use of both apps.

Like Fresha, Vagaro offers two different apps. One for professionals and one for end clients. The app from Acuity is clean and easy to use and gives you full access to all features. Salon Iris offer apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. You can manage your full business in the app. Versum has native apps for iOS and Android which I find well designed and easy to use even if functionality is limited.

Instead I wanted to go deep on the features and clarify what the different types of salon software are so that you can make an as informed decision as possible. I hope you found it helpful and that it can save you some time and money. This includes some of the software listed here but also some other advanced POS solutions for salon that can integrate with your salon software or work on its own. Next, you can also take a look at my post on the best mobile credit card reader for salons.

Free Guide. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Learn more FREE subscription for individuals You only pay credit card transaction fee 2.

Read detailed review. FREE subscription with unlimited staff! Fresha marketplace where more client can discover your salon.

Super easy-to-use with modern minimalistic design interface. Start using Fresha for free. Integrates with your website, Quickbooks, Xero, Gusto, Google, Facebook, Yelp, Instagram Dedicated POS hardware Client marketplace to help you attract more new clients Subscription payments and membership features Built in payroll software and support to charge rent to booth renters.

Built in website builder Advanced client data tracking including SOAP forms Drag and drop, easy-to-use, calendar Sophisticated email and SMS marketing tools Advanced business reporting Affordable, transparent, pricing and free 30 day trial. Start your Free Vagaro Trial. GlossGenius credit card reader is available in multiple designs and connect to the smart phone app.

Generate a beautiful website in just a few clicks Multiple card reader design options to fit your brand Smart and intuitive features that are easy-to-use Integrated payments Synchronize clients and calendar with your phone.

Start using GlossGenius for Free. Available worldwide Visit the Acuity website. Drag and drop, easy-to-use, calendar Packages and gift cards Network of specialized consultants who can help with advanced setups Advanced appointment reporting Free for individuals. Now you have my top list of salon software. This is not an easy task. This means you get A LOT of value for little money.

Square Appointments With Square Appointments you can create a booking website or generate 3 types of widgets to embed on your website. Fresha Fresha provides you with a online booking page that you can link to from your website. You can also have your salon featured for bookings in the Fresha Marketplace.

GlossGenius GlossGenius allows you to create a beautiful booking website in just a few clicks. Acuity Scheduling Acuity allow you to create a simple, clean, booking website. Versum Versum allow you to create a minimalistic booking website for you clients that you can link to from your ordinary website but you cannot embed booking on your website see example below.

Salon Iris Salon Iris helps you create a highly customizable website using their website builder or embed you booking widget on an existing website see example below. Square Appointments Square Appointments calendar is fast and easy.

Fresha The Fresha calendar is super intuitive and easy-to-use. GlossGenius The GlossGenius calendar is intuitive and easy to use.

Salon Iris The Salon Iris calendar is super easy to use, just drag-and-drop and click to add and appointments directly on the calendar. Square Appointments Store all information you need, get quick view on past and upcoming appointments. Vagaro Vagaro excels at client data.

Versum Store images and other rich data about your clients and pull client level reports. This guide can help potential buyers find the best salon software for their needs.

What Is Salon Software? Market Trends to Understand. Salon software is any tool that helps salon owners and operators manage their business operations. These software can handle point-of-sale transactions, employee scheduling, appointment bookings and marketing. Professionals working in the salon industry are often so occupied with helping customers that, at times, it can be difficult for them to manage multiple customer appointments.

This problem is exacerbated during peak hours. A salon management solution helps salon professionals manage their appointments and easily reschedule appointments or take requests for new ones, which can help maximize the efficiency and profitability of their business.

Salon owners can realize multiple benefits as a result of adopting salon management software, including:. Centralizing customer information. Keeping a track of customer information is vital for salon owners since this data can be used to generate targeted campaigns to increase customer loyalty. Salon management systems offer centralized storage of customer data, including customer contact details, important dates, service history, membership information and loyalty points and gift voucher usage details.

This software also allows for the scheduled backup of customer data. Streamlining appointments. Styling professionals often find it challenging to manage customer appointments during peak hours. Without the right software in place, they can risk double-booking appointments, which can lead to lost customers.

Salon management software enables easy appointment scheduling, single-touch rescheduling and the ability to confirm appointments with customers so time isn't wasted. Choosing the right salon or spa software depends on the size of the business. Consider the following buyer types:.

Small businesses and individual professionals. Small businesses typically operate in individual capacities or as small establishments with five employees or less. For businesses where managing daily appointments is the top priority, a salon management solution that focuses primarily on appointment management will typically suffice. For those businesses with employees that are constantly on the go, a web-based solution may be ideal, particularly one that has a mobile app or is mobile-friendly.

Midsize businesses. As businesses grow in size and volume, it becomes especially important to be able to capture customer data. This data can be analyzed and segmented further to generate targeted marketing campaigns that focus on customer loyalty and retention. An ideal solution for these types of businesses should have the ability to offer customer management and marketing campaign management features, in addition to an appointment scheduling feature.

Large enterprises. Large enterprises require software that help them perform multiple tasks from the same interface. These tasks include tracking inventory, creating work-orders with the vendor to replenish stocks, POS billing and gift card management, employee attendance tracking, trainings management and extensive reporting capabilities.

For these types of businesses, a modular salon management solution that gives them the option to pick and choose modules according to their company's needs is an ideal solution. Cloud-based solutions may be preferred because they often have lower maintenance costs than on-premise solutions. Booth rental model. Some salon and spa professionals are shifting focus towards a booth rental model, where owners of a salon provide all of the necessary equipment and products, and third-party professionals can pay to rent out a booth in which to conduct their business.

These third-party professionals then pay periodic rent to the owners for the use of their premises, typically like a serviced office. The customers eventually benefit by having convenient access to their favorite stylist.

Predictive purchasing. Salon enterprises can capture a good chunk of customer data through software, but most salon management systems do not feature advanced big data analytics capabilities that can predict consumer buyer behavior and help personalize client experience and deals to drive sales.

As such, several vendors have started to integrate their salon management systems with analytics tools that study buying behaviors and compare it with larger datasets to predict buying patterns. Software Advice uses reviews from real software users to highlight the top-rated Salon Software products in North America.

Get Advice. Other Software. Boulevard Boulevard is a business management solution designed to help salons, spas and enterprises streamline processes related to appointment scheduling, booking, point-of-sale POS , reporting and more.

There is a cost for this depending on the number of texts that you send per month. They do offer an introductory period where they offer text messaging for free. It has been proven that over 90 percent of text messages are read. Even better, just about 90 percent of them are opened within moments of being delivered. This package gives you a space where you can create and schedule your text campaigns.

It allows you to have automated loyalty and rewards, including a birthday club. You can allow new customers to opt in to text messaging. You are able to send appointment reminders and renewal information. This system also allows customers to sign up and opt in on websites and other social media platforms because it fully integrates with all platforms.

There are so many features available to you in SalonTouch. Of course it offers all the typical bells and whistles that you would expect, such as appointment scheduling, appointment reminders, and referral programs.

Many of them I mentioned above, but there are others that you might not even realize you need. One of the key features is the employee portal and the controls it offers to you. You are able to enter employees and their information. You can control payroll and commission for employees. Employees are able to clock in and out through SalonTouch. This software integrates with the time clock and employees must clock in through the application to be able to do anything within it. You can view and have control of your employees vacation and sick time.

Employees are able to change and update their own passwords in the employee portal. SalonTopic also gives you accounting integration including the ability to set up payment information. You can add in any way that you want to allow your clients to make payment, including credit card integration. This also provides you a way to set up automated billing to your clients.

You have the ability to point of sale POS integration, as well as setting up the tax liability. Most states have sales tax, so you can set up your application to automatically add the tax to all transactions. You can use this application as a register to ring up transactions and sales. The first screen shows the main register screen. Another key feature of this application is the reporting abilities.

It has more than reports that can be exported to excel, word, and other applications. These reports allow you to do a proper cost analysis, see a detail of your daily sales, an inventory listing and all credit card activities.

You also have the ability to control who has access to which capabilities within the application. You can set up your own security by controlling who is allowed to make changes within the application. There are many benefits you receive from using the SalonTouch application. Out of the box, it is ready to go and available for you to use. You only have to spend a few minutes of time to set up the application to meet your needs. There is a cost involved with using this application. While there is a charge for the application, the price is in line with competitor pricing.

It is less than many of its competitors. You can use all of the features available within the application for a small fee each month. There is a free trial available to you so you can play with all the features. This application does have some downsides to it also. The free trail does not give you access to every aspect of the application.

You can only use about 85 percent of it with the free trial. There is no free version of SalonTouch. If you want to use it, you must pay for it.