Top 10 Ways To Make Your Tanning Salon Look Amazing

We’ve all visited a tanning salon that left us wondering what the hell we were thinking going there. It happens to the best of us from time to time so tanning salon owners listen up! Upgrade your tanning salon!

Its not expensive to give your tanning salon an upgrade so consider these top 10 ways to make your tanning salon look amazing, and invest a little money in upgrades. I assure you, you won’t regret it and your customer base will grow.

Here we go!

#1. Evaluate your floors

Are your floors nice? Are they old? You can easily spend a maximum of $2000 to get new flooring, even if your salon is 2500 feet square.

Think about it.

It doesn’t have to be epoxy flooring, (even though they look awesome and are not that much more expensive); you don’t have to get new expensive ceramic tiles; and you definitely don’t need to splurge and install hardwood floors no matter how tropical your tanning salon theme is.

You can just just call a flooring company and tell them you have $2000 to spend, and all you want to do is have your current old flooring ripped out, and stylish vinyl flooring put in. I’d go with replica wood flooring.

Your customers will love it, I guarantee you.

#2. Do something about your salon washroom

This is easy. Add new cheap but elegant flooring.

Get a new sink ($600 max), add some flowers, add non-scented soap, but add some nice electric air fresheners; get a new toilet ($400 max); paint the walls a smooth but darker colour; and paint the trim white, and get white accents; and just get some adjustable tilt mirrors.

Both men and woman just love adjustable bathroom mirrors because they are built to reflect a person’s true physical dimension, and being tilted makes it much easy to see yourself, especially if you’re handicapped.

Make sure to get washroom accessories and equipment that are Ontario Building Code (OBC) compliant so all your members can appreciate your services too.

#3. Upgrade your beds

I know beds are expensive, but it’s important to save for new beds. The competition is doing it, and so should you.

A salon that keeps their old tanning beds for years and years and never upgrades, simply fall by the wayside because new customers shop around for a good tanning salon and if they find one that has better beds, you’re out of luck!

Every month put the money away and try to upgrade at least 2 beds every 2 years. That will keep your tanning salon quite competitive.

#4. Install software to offer guest benefits

Purchase software (max $1200) that you can use to provide and track offers for your members.

If you’re a small business tanning salon owner, its good to know that most franchisers offer this type of service to their customers.

You’ll be able to offer upgrades to new tanning packages; give your members one-time bed-upgrades so they an try new beds (up-sell); give them free offers, and even free products like eye-covers and lotion.

Tanning salon software usually has a feature where you can take your members’ email addresses and send them periodic email, and even have features where you can get your members to like your social media accounts while you give them something in return for doing so.

#5. Paint your salon

Give your salon a new paint job – it takes a weekend!

Remember, everyone loves new! When your members come in for a tan after a while and experience the new look of your salon, they’ll have a good feeling inside. That good feelings keeps them coming back (at least one more time)!

A new paint job should run you about $800 max, and if you do it with a little help from your friends or employees, you’ll get it done fast.

Make sure to do some research into the best colour for the walls of tanning salons, and salon in general. Almost any colour works but you won’t go wrong with soft pink and blues, or dark black and pink combinations.

#6. Dust and wash your windows

This can’t be stressed enough. Dust makes people sneeze, and covers everything making for a dull appearance.

The same goes with your salon windows. You really need to wash them every month at a minimum.

People expect a tanning salon to be stylish, up-kept, and luxurious. It’s literally supposed to feel as clean as a walk-in clinic.

Your customers should feel muggy and the need to avoid touching things. If that’s the case with your salon, get onto these suggestions, and take a look at your members’ list – I’ll bet you’re losing members.

The idea for tannings salons is to clean, clean, clean! Especially considering the COVID-19 risks are pretty high, you need to do everything possible to make sure your customers feel they are not going to get sick.

#7. Get new couches

If you don’t have any couches, get new couches. If you have existing seating, get new couches.

If you recently bought new seating, then of course don’t worry, but if not you really need to consider getting new seating.

For the most part, the seating should not be single-uncomfortable chairs; your customers should be able to sit in very nice couches while they are waiting for their tanning bed.

Along with your couches, add a side or coffee table and let your customers catch up on recent news or the latest trends with some interesting magazines. Remember to keep your subscriptions updated.

Even consider adding a book shelf with interesting books because not everyone likes reading the newspaper or magazines. Some people just love books!

Adding a new couch with the few more related accessories to your salon will make their visit much more comfortable and pleasant, especially if they have to wait for their bed for a while.

#8. Install new lighting

Look around your salon. Is your lighting the same lighting you had when you first opened shop?

If they are, tear them down and install new lighting (max $1500). You may have to hire an electrician, but if you know a handy man (ask your dad, uncle, friendly-neighbour) who isn’t afraid of installing new lights you won’t need to hire anyone.

Installing new lighting takes a few hours. It can be done in a day. Choose a day that you’re not open, so when your customers come back again they’ll have a whole new experience.

Remember, a large part of upgrades is directed at making your customers think they are visiting a new salon – everyone loves new!

#9. Hang gorgeous pictures

People that tan love to look good. It’s common sense.

When you hang pictures of gorgeously tanned people, it makes people thing that’s what they’ll look like. It also makes members feel good about the way they look and if your pictures has scenes of being at the beach, it tells your members they’ll look just as good as the people in the pictures do.

Pictures make your customers feel good about themselves but also make your salon look awesome. If you have purchased pictures (max $300) that look awesome and match the interior decor of your salon, your customers will appreciate you enhancing their tanning experience. This is how you retain customers and take them away from your competitors.

#10. Display your variety of lotions

Don’t make your members buy lotion anywhere else. Make sure you have lots in stock, and you are offering a wide variety of brands of lotion. So much so that they don’t know what to choose.

Don’t be the stingy salon that only offers a few test packages (believe me they do exist) because eventually you’re going to go out of business. Trust me.

Don’t make them too expensive either. I know lotions need to be marked up and are major contributors to monthly sales, but if you can sell your lotions at $5 cheaper than other salons, word will catch on, and you’ll eventually start attracting new members.

And make sure they’re displayed on a shelf (not behind you) so they can be seen when they walk in. Tanners love shopping for little things that make their tanning experience more interesting.

Remember, you don’t have to do all these upgrades in one shot. Actually it’s suggested you don’t. Why? if you can spread out upgrades over a few years, you’ll save money but your customers will see that you are spending a lot of time and money upgrading your tanning salon. This will give them a renewed tanning experience every few months that will pay off in happing customers.

Happy tanning!