If you run a salon in Bolton or a nail bar in Horwich, there's a good chance clients already book you through an app like Fresha, Treatwell or Booksy. So do you need a website as well?
Honest answer: you don't have to have one. But a simple site and a booking app work best together. Here's why, and what to put on it.
What booking apps do well, and their limits
Booking apps are genuinely useful. Online booking around the clock, reminders, a calendar for the team and payments are all handled in one place.
But they're businesses with their own pricing, and the details matter. As examples from the vendors' own pricing pages, checked on 25 October 2026:
- Fresha charges a monthly subscription (from £14.95 a month for an independent). It also charges a one-time 20% commission (minimum £4) on brand-new clients who find you through the Fresha marketplace, and nothing on returning clients [1].
- Treatwell says new-client commission applies to clients introduced through its marketplace, with 0% on repeat bookings and a 2.5% processing fee on online prepayments. It says its fees are subject to VAT [2].
- Booksy lists £40 a month plus VAT, with extra users at £5 a month each [3].
Prices and terms change, so check your own plan. The point isn't that any of these is bad. It's that marketplace clients can cost you a fee, while clients who find you directly usually don't. Your own website is a direct route that you control.
Why your own website still matters
- Your name in search. When someone searches your salon's name, your own site gives them your details, prices and booking link in one place you control.
- You own it. App listings sit next to other salons, and the app sets the rules. Your website is just you.
- More room to show your style. A gallery, your team, your story: things a booking profile has limited space for.
You keep using your booking app. The website just sends people to it. We cover the bigger picture in Website vs Facebook Page and Wix vs Hiring a Web Designer.
1. Services and price list
Clients want to know what you offer and roughly what it costs before they book. Keep it simple:
- Group treatments (cuts, colour, nails, brows and lashes, facials)
- Give "from" prices and how long each treatment takes
- Note anything that needs a consultation first
Make it readable on a phone, as text rather than a photo of your price board.
2. A clear "Book now" button
Put a Book now button at the top of every page. It links straight to your existing booking page, or embeds it. On our prices page, online booking is included in Business sites and is a £75 add-on on Starter.
3. Your work: a gallery, with permission
Photos of your own work sell better than anything else. But photos of clients need care.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says that if someone can be recognised from a photograph, it's usually considered their personal data [4]. Personal data is information that relates to an identified or identifiable person [5]. In practice:
- Ask clients before you photograph them for your website or social media, and tell them where the photos will appear
- Keep a simple record of who agreed and when
- Take photos down promptly if a client changes their mind
- Where you can, photograph the work (nails, the back of a cut, brows) rather than the whole face
4. Meet the team
A short line and a photo for each stylist or therapist helps new clients choose, and shows the real people behind the salon. Only use team photos and names with each person's agreement.
5. Be careful with beauty claims
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and CAP's advice is clear: beauty and cosmetics marketers must hold evidence for any efficacy claims, and must not exaggerate effects, including through before-and-after photos or post-production effects [6]. The advice notes that claims based on how something looks or feels, such as "skin feels smoother", are lower-risk and easier to back up [6].
For your website, that means:
- Use real, unedited before-and-after photos
- Prefer wording like "for smoother-looking skin" over promises such as "removes wrinkles"
- Avoid medical-sounding claims unless you can back them up
Your website is advertising, so the same rules apply there as to an ad.
6. Patch tests and aftercare
If any treatment needs a patch test, say so clearly on that treatment's page, and explain how to book it. Follow the product manufacturer's instructions and your training on when tests are needed. Aftercare tips are a good use of your site too. Keep them practical, and avoid medical advice.
7. Reviews, location and opening hours
- Reviews: ask every client, never offer discounts in exchange, and see our guide: How to Get More Google Reviews (Without Being Pushy).
- Location: your address, a map, parking and whether there's step-free access.
- Hours: kept up to date, and matching your booking app and your Google profile if you have one.
Quick checklist
- [ ] Services with "from" prices and times
- [ ] "Book now" button linking to your booking app
- [ ] Gallery of your own work, with client permission recorded
- [ ] Team section, with each person's agreement
- [ ] No exaggerated claims or edited before-and-afters
- [ ] Patch test information where it applies
- [ ] Reviews, location and opening hours
How Yesmo can help
We build salon websites entirely by email. See web design for salons. On our prices page:
- Starter (£549): up to 5 pages, a contact form, a map, and set-up to show in local Google searches. Add online booking for £75.
- Business (£999): up to 10 pages, copywriting, booking or enquiry forms, a gallery, and you can edit it yourself (with an active Care plan).
- Edit it yourself on Starter: £10 a month, with an active Care plan.
- Build times, once we have your content: Starter 7 calendar days, Business 14 working days.
No VAT to add: prices are final. See also how much a website costs.
Email hello@yesmo.co.uk with your salon's name, town and booking link. You'll get a free proof, usually within 2 working days. No calls needed.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice.
Sources
Checked 25 Oct 2026. Prices and guidance change, so check the latest versions. 1. Fresha, Pricing: https://www.fresha.com/pricing 2. Treatwell, Partner software pricing: https://www.treatwell.co.uk/partners/pricing/ 3. Booksy, Pricing (UK): https://biz.booksy.com/en-gb/pricing 4. ICO, "Taking photographs: data protection advice for schools" (general statement on recognisable photos): https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations/news-blogs-and-events/blogs/taking-photographs-data-protection-advice-for-schools/ 5. ICO, "What is personal information: a guide": https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/personal-information-what-is-it/what-is-personal-information-a-guide 6. ASA/CAP, "Beauty and cosmetics: General": https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/beauty-and-cosmetics-general.html