pulse points
Useful facts and tips for spa professionals.
Report Reveals Online Shopping and
Booking Behaviors of Spa Consumers
A
ccording to the Coyle
Hospitality Group 2011 Global
Spa Report, an estimated 98
percent of spa consumers who shop for
deals and spa services online find it
“important or very important to conveniently see or access a list of offerings and
available treatments on a spa’s Web site.”
The report, consolidated from
responses of 1,025 respondents from 34
countries and conducted in March of this
year, also reveals that “97
percent find it important
or very important to list
the associated prices.”
Around 74 percent (an
increase of four percent
from last year) state “it
was important or very
important to have the
cancellation policy listed
on the Web site.”
Roughly 78 percent likes
to have the ability to view
general spa information.
When it comes to
booking appointments,
51 percent think it is
important or very important for spa Web sites to
provide consumers with
online booking capabilities. Despite this
demand, the number of
respondents who have
booked a treatment
12 PULSE
■
November 2011
online has however decreased slightly
from last year. According to the report,
“this indicates that offering online
booking has not increased in importance
at the rate one would have anticipated
based on the demand for the service.”
Here are a few of the reasons consumers provided when asked why they
would not book a certain spa treatment
online:
● The inability to ask detailed questions
about personal treatments—especially
waxing, hair coloring, or medical treatments.
● The failure to get a feel for the facilities—even with photos or a video,
many guests prefer the actual sensations involved in taking a walking tour
of a spa.
● The lack of information about service
providers and the subsequent inability
to choose a specific therapist based on
a recommendation.
A smart tip for spa owners who want
to test the waters when it comes to
online booking is to start with existing
customers. These are those who already
have a feel for your spa, have once experienced a treatment and are familiar with
your staff; thus, are more likely comfortable booking treatments online. Keep
yield-management in mind and offer offpeak times incentives for online bookers.
This is a great way to draw these types
of consumers to book, especially since
it’s hard to resist a good deal that’s just
a few clicks away.